Division 9 stats
Leading all time run scorer (2011-2015) - Eoin Lenehan (Greystones) - 1071 runs @ 44.62
Most runs in a Division 9 season - Eoin Lenehan (Greystones) - 545 runs (2015)
Highest score - Danny Hogan - 151* - Terenure 2 vs North County 4 - Inch - 14 Sept 2014
Leading all time wicket taker (2011-2015) - Patrick Mount (Mullingar) - 52 wkts @ 15.62
Most wickets in a Division 9 season - Patrick Mount (Mullingar) - 29 wkts (2013)
Best bowling - John Andrews - 7-16 - North County 4 vs Ringcommons 1 - Inch - 7 Sept 2014
Most matches - Mick Cotter (Terenure) - 46 - 2011-2014
Highest team score - 326-6 - Adamstown 1 vs North County 4 - Inch - 15 Sept 2012
Lowest team score - 32 all out - Terenure 3 vs Dundalk 1 - Dromiskin - 25 Aug 2012
The last few days have seen hundreds of players registered across the province, with a few tantalising glimpses of who may be a little stronger than last year, and who may end up struggling a bit. Division 9 has a good bit of that, with a few clubs who have seen an influx of members this year, and a few who may have lost a few. The OCC will be publishing starrings for most sides on Thursday morning, and the pre-season gossip can truly begin.
Unfortunately that doesn't help a whole lot with predicting the outcome of the league, and if anything it has pulled all the clubs together. Throw in the wild card that is last year's Division 16 champion, Carlow, and to be honest, we may as well throw a pick of cards in the air and make predictions that way.
Swords 1 seem to have found a level they are happy with - or at least one that they can't change. The only team in this division without a league title to their name, Swords have finished between 75th and 70th in every year of their history. It is too easy to predict that the second team to be promoted will be the first one relegated, but unless something significant happens to the strength of a side during the close season, that will always be the case. The details of Swords' precise squad are still a bit hazy, but there doesn't look to be anything (or anyone) that will propel the team to their joint best ever finish of 70th - their 2013 position, and the place needed to avoid relegation. 8th.
Dundalk 1 have definitely given their supporters plenty to worry about over recent years. It has been a rollercoaster ride, with promotions and relegations in roughly equal measure. Our analysis of their record doesn't help a huge amount - they have decent records against the stronger teams in the league (such as sharing their last six meetings with Civil Service 2), but poor records against the so called weaker teams - two losses from two matches against Swords isn't great. A few new players could make a big difference though, and although it pains us to say it, this could be another one of the nail biting seasons for Dundalk - at the wrong end of the table. 7th.
The other six places in the league are a toss up. Civil Service 2 should be the strongest team in the league, and in 2011 were a Division 6 team. Since then there has been a gradual decline, but anything other than top would be their worst finish in the last five years. Whilst the club has lost a few players in the winter, a few interesting ones have come the other way as well (keep an eye on our list of close season transfers at http://www.cricketleinster.ie/news/list-of-players-moving-clubs-2016) The problem for Service is the quality of the opposition, and they may just have dropped behind some other teams. We're predicting a very harsh 6th place.
And so to the real dark horse. Carlow 1 entered the league last year, winning Division 16 at a canter. For their troubles, they were promoted to Division 9 - a jump that may be difficult to overcome. Added to that will be the handicap of playing all matches away from home sue to the Oak Park ground not being suitable for Division 9 cricket due to its infamous flood lighting poles. So with those two factors, it would be naive to predict that Carlow will romp to another title. But there is one useful guide. Sunil Kant Trikha was the top scorer for the side in 2016 with 724 runs at 65.82. In 2011 he was playing for Bagenalstown, and in five Division 7 games scored 151 runs at 37.75. Throw in a few new players, and the newcomers could be a distinctly useful side. We're predicting 5th place, but don't discount a fairy tale finish.
For The Hills 3, the narrative of the last five seasons has been very much the same as most other big clubs. 48th in 2011 (just below Civil Service 2), the team has fallen by an average of four places per year ever since, finishing at 69th last year. Another four places would mean relegation. But they were deeply unlucky last year, and in reality would have finished a few places higher if results had gone their way. A few new players higher up the club will strengthen them a bit, and whilst it doesn't look like a promotion season, a top half finish should be on - 4th place.
So on to the top three. Malahide 4 have done just enough to warrant a bronze medal in our preview. Malahide's decline has been much slower than other teams in the league, and if they can match last year's 67th place, they will be third. There have been more people walking out of the gates than in them this winter, but not massively so, and it is unusual to find a mid ranking Malahide side at this level. No fireworks, but a solid third place.
After much scribbling and enthusiastic use of a pencil and rubber, we have ended up with Greystones 2 in second place. Our first notes said that Greystones had probably found their level, after finishes of 70th and 68th in the last two years. But they are one of the few sides to have good records against all the other teams - 0-2 vs Malahide, but positive against every one else. Someone has to come second, and we couldn't find anyone with a better reason to be there, so we will go with Greystones!
So that leaves a choice that will leave regular readers of these previews screaming, "Not again!". We have made a habit of predicting success for Phoenix sides. Sometimes this has paid off, and other times it has been a case of ripping up the betting slip. Once such instance was last year, where Phoenix 4 finished a disappointing 6th. But there had been a rush of people running up Chesterfield Avenue in the last few weeks, and it may well be that many players are playing a whole team lower in 2016 than last season. That may not be great for morale, but is a good way of winning matches - and thence trophies.
We have a while to wait though - Malahide 4 play Civil Service 2 and Swords 1 play Carlow 1 - both on Sunday 24 April