Division 4 stats
Leading all time run scorer (2011-2015) - Furqan ul Haq (Railway Union) - 1378 runs @ 33.61
Most runs in a Division 4 season - Mubasher Siddique (Civil Service) - 737 runs (2013)
Highest score - Rashid Mehraj - 199 - Laois 1 vs North Kildare 1 - Togher - 29 July 2012
Leading all time wicket taker (2011-2015) - Manjeet Singh (North Kildare) - 65 wkts @ 16.02
Most wickets in a Division 4 season - Yaqoob Ali (YMCA) - 36 wkts (2011)
Best bowling - Yaqoob Ali - 8-16 - YMCA 2 vs Malahide 3 - Malahide - 10 July 2011
Most matches - Simon Grehan (Railway Union) - 52 - (2011-2015)
Highest team score - 396-5 - Railway Union 2 vs North Kildare 1 - The Maws - 4 Aug 2012
Lowest team score - 53 all out - Civil Service 1 vs North Kildare 1 - The Maws - 15 June 2013
Division 4 is made up of three very distinct groups of teams. There are the first teams, who are not too far away from playing at the highest level of the sport in Leinster, and could be the next North Kildare. Civil Service, Dundrum and Greystones all fit this category. Then there are a few second teams who know that this is a rung lower than second teams should really be playing. They want to be back in Division 3, and that will be the aim of The Hills 2, Railway Union 2 and Phoenix 2. And then there are a couple of teams who are really at the very limit of what a third team can achieve, and who are doing pretty well to be in Division 4 at all. Into this category fall YMCA 3 and Merrion 3.
How do we rate the chances of these teams of achieving their goal?
YMCA 3 are the first team to come under our gaze, which as those of you who read all of these previews will know, is not good news. Our last maxim very much sums up YMCA 3's chances this season. They are playing at the very limit of what is possible for a 3rd team and in 2015 were the top third team in the province for the second year in a row. There is very little difference between YMCA 3 and Merrion 3 (the six meetings between them in the last five seasons have resulted in three wins a piece). So we think both will be pretty close to each other in the league. YMCA may just have dropped a few players more than Merrion, and so it is just a hunch that they will come bottom.
Rather than Merrion, we move to Dundrum 1, who are perhaps are surprise tip to be relegated. As has been discussed in previous articles, the lack of a home ground can be a bad as giving the opposition a 30 run head start, and at the time of writing Dundrum still have no idea where their home games will be (or rather Cricket Leinster have no idea where Dundrum's home games will be). Throw into that a few other factors, and it is easy to imagine that this could be a tough year. A couple of key players have left the club (although they could of course be replaced by equally talented stars). And there is also a feeling that Dundrum have stalled over the last few years anyway. Their rapid rise up the league has halted, and on each of the las few years they have been between 28 and 31.2014's 31st place would mean relegation, and that is what we are predicting.
Merrion 3 may escape relegation - just. As we have already seen in lower leagues this season, Merrion's lower team strength is immense, and they should display enough skill to reach 6th place at least. The size of their task is emphasised by the fact that if we ignore 2014's epic performance in finishing 27th, they have never finished as high as the 6th place we are predicting.
Third, fourth and fifth look very tight, and there was no real way of separating them. Civil Service 1 have slowly dropped over the last few years, and last year finished in 27th - also known as 3rd in Division 4. They are capable of doing the same again, and have some excellent records against other teams. But they have also lost a few players, which needs to be taken into account. We'll predict 5th, but that could easily be 3rd.
Railway Union 2 still have one of the most unwanted records in Leinster - their wait for a league title goes back to 1967. And it looks likely that that wait will go to 50 years - although that would be a great way to celebrate the 2017 season. There seems to be a little bit of a buzz around Park Avenue this season, and although we can't predict another title (we reckon their 4ths and 5ths will win their leagues) , the 2nds will do ok. 5th/6th would be the natural order of things based on recent seasons, but we'll be positive and go for 4th.
Greystones 1 have no excuses this year. Their ground is up and ready to go, and there is a huge amount of work done behind the scenes. Last year's National Cup run showed what the clubs is capable of. THe only real downside is an ageing squad that could do with a bit of replenishment from the vibrant youth section. Anything is possible, but there could be disappointment and 3rd place.
That just leaves the two second teams that were relegated from Division 3 last year. Many are still wondering how Phoenix 2 managed to get relegated last year, but the team now have to move on, and work out a way of getting back. Perhaps surprisingly, last year's finish of 23rd was the team's highest placing since 2011. Even more surprisingly, they have an awful record against nearly all the other teams, with The Hills being the only team they have beaten more than they have been beaten. But as has been mentioned previously, there are plenty of new faces in Phoenix this year, and that should be enough to ensure the 2nds jump straight back to Division 3.
And that just leaves The Hills 2. The team have had a tough few years in Division 3, and for this neutral bystander, relegation may have been just what was needed. A season at a slightly lower level, will allow a few young players to develop, and the team should come out of it much stronger. A quick glance at the Hill's starrings reveals that one of McLoughlin-Gavin, Shoukat or Calder could be playing in Division 4 week in week out, and that quality is difficult to ignore. A return to Division 3 on the cards.
The first match is this Sunday, when Merrion 3 host Phoenix 2