Division 2 is shaping up to be a rip roaring contest. And after the result of the weekend's only match, both ends of the table promise to provide the entertainment. YMCA 2's 46 run win over leaders Terenure 1, has lifted the Claremont Road second string to mid-table, and has left other clubs - such as Rush and Leinster, distinctly worried.
There is the possibility that the second relegated team this season (to go with Dublin University 1 who are aleady down), could need to win six matches to stay up - and that means that no one is currently safe.
In the match itself Zimbabwean Anthony Moor scored 91 out of 211, James Smith (4-42) and Ken Brennan (3-40) proving pick of the bowlers.
In the other match, Terenure overcame YMCA 2 by 4 wickets, although the match was fifty less, and no one took more than three wickets. Ben Speake scored 31, and Conor Mullen 58, but there wasn't another score over 20, and Terenure slipped from 139-5 to 165 all out, with Harry Tector taking 4-26.
What effect have those performaces had on the Division 2 averages?
Highest Batting average in Division 2 - (current qualification - 150 runs)
Angus Dunlop only scored 14 for YMCA at the weekend, but it was enough to give a 10th player, 150 runs - our guide to increase the qualifcation mark. Nic Pretorious stays in first place, with 221 runs at 73.67. But of the ten batsmen currently passing 150 runs, only two are Irish qualified, and hence able to lift the trophy - Masud Ahmed of Phoenix, and the legendary former Irish captain himself.
| # | Name | Club | Inn | NO | HS | 50 | 100 | 4s | 6s | Dks | SR | Runs | Avg |
| 1 | N Pretorius * | Hills | 5 | 2 | 106 | - | 1 | 36 | 2 | - | 118.82 | 221 | 73.67 |
| 2 | L Jansen * | Rush | 5 | 1 | 110 | - | 1 | 25 | 1 | - | 90.96 | 208 | 52.00 |
| 3 | A Taylor * | Phoe | 6 | - | 82 | 2 | - | 23 | 2 | - | 69.52 | 260 | 43.33 |
| 4 | S Anderson * | Phoe | 6 | - | 91 | 3 | - | 28 | 3 | 1 | 97.15 | 239 | 39.83 |
| 5 | B Speake * | Ter | 8 | 1 | 70* | 3 | - | 29 | 5 | - | 63.87 | 274 | 39.14 |
| 6 | Masud Ahmed | Phoe | 6 | - | 76 | 2 | - | 32 | 3 | - | 102.94 | 210 | 35.00 |
| 7 | T Ritchie * | Lein | 6 | 1 | 93* | 1 | - | 20 | 3 | - | 67.33 | 169 | 33.80 |
| 8 | W von Behr * | Trinity | 6 | - | 89 | 1 | - | 10 | 1 | 1 | 50.58 | 174 | 29.00 |
| 9 | S Ramnathpur * | Ter | 8 | 2 | 51* | 1 | - | 17 | - | 1 | 72.22 | 169 | 28.17 |
| 10 | A Dunlop | YMCA | 7 | - | 37 | - | - | 12 | 4 | - | 60.98 | 156 | 22.29 |
Lowest Bowling average in Division 2 - (Current Qualification - 9 wkts)
No real change in the bowling, deslpite qualification going up to 9 wickets. The Terenure pair of Ken Brennan and James Smith did their cause no harm though, with fine performances at the weekend, and the pair are the leading wicket takers in the division with 19 and 17 respectively.
In contrast to the batting, nine of the top 10 are Irish qualified.
| # | Name | Club | Overs | Maid | RunsA | BBowl | 5I | Econ | SR | Wkt | Avg |
| 1 | John Mooney | Balb | 30 | 6 | 91 | 3-5 | - | 3.02 | 15.08 | 12 | 7.58 |
| 2 | R Kear | Balb | 27 | - | 98 | 5-43 | 1 | 3.63 | 13.50 | 12 | 8.17 |
| 3 | M Lunson | Phoe | 29 | 5 | 111 | 4-18 | - | 3.74 | 13.69 | 13 | 8.54 |
| 4 | E Conway | Rush | 20 | 3 | 81 | 6-41 | 1 | 4.05 | 13.33 | 9 | 9.00 |
| 5 | D Carolus * | Hills | 33 | 3 | 103 | 3-10 | - | 3.12 | 22.00 | 9 | 11.44 |
| 6 | K Brennan | Ter | 68 | 15 | 232 | 4-25 | - | 3.39 | 21.63 | 19 | 12.21 |
| 7 | Padraic Flanagan | YMCA/Trinity | 38 | 4 | 138 | 3-32 | - | 3.63 | 20.73 | 11 | 12.55 |
| 8 | J Carroll | Lein | 41 | 2 | 171 | 5-22 | 1 | 4.12 | 19.15 | 13 | 13.15 |
| 9 | A Eastwood | Rush | 39 | 3 | 129 | 3-14 | - | 3.31 | 26.00 | 9 | 14.33 |
| 10 | Harry Tector | YMCA | 39 | 3 | 163 | 4-26 | - | 4.11 | 21.64 | 11 | 14.82 |
| 11 | James Smith | Ter | 54 | 4 | 301 | 4-42 | - | 5.57 | 19.06 | 17 | 17.71 |
| 12 | S Ramnathpur * | Ter | 63 | 8 | 218 | 3-28 | - | 3.46 | 34.36 | 11 | 19.82 |
Most Catches by a fielder in Division 2
Terenure dominate the fielding race, with Diarmuid Lynch taking four catches at the weekend, to move to 2nd place.
| # | Name | Club | Mts | Ct |
| 1 | B Speake * | Ter | 8 | 7 |
| 2 | Diarmuid Lynch | Ter | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | C McLoughlin-Gavin | Hills | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | S Ramnathpur * | Ter | 8 | 5 |
| 5 | M Farrukh * | Balb | 6 | 5 |
| 6 | D McDonough-Kinkade | YMCA | 4 | 4 |
| 7 | E Ahmed | Balb | 6 | 4 |
| 8 | Harry Tector | YMCA | 5 | 4 |
| 9 | B White | Phoe | 5 | 4 |
Most dismissals by a wicket keeper in Division 2
A breakaway group of five is forming, with not much between them
| # | Name | Club | Mts | Ct | St | Dismissals |
| 1 | Sam Murphy | YMCA | 6 | 9 | 3 | 12 |
| 2 | Richard Forrest | Lein | 6 | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| 3 | N Pretorius * | Hills | 5 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | M Cotter | Ter | 8 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 5 | A Taylor * | Phoe | 6 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
Leading allrounder in Division 2 - ( 1 pt for each run, 20 pts for each wkt, ctch or stmp)
Three of the leading allrounders are wicket-keepers (adjudged as allrounders by those that matter several years ago - and quite right too).
One name stands out as perhaps not being quite as much an allrounder as the others - and hopefully he doesn't mind me saying. Ken Brennan has been far and away the leading wicket taker in Division 2 this year, and that after nearly retiring at the end of last season (obviously prematurely). His batting is not quite on the same level though. However, as it stands, Ken is the leading contender to be picking up the award as leading Irish qualified all rounder in Division 2 come the annual awards dinner!
| # | Name | Club | Mts | Runs | Wkt | Ct | St | Points |
| 1 | N Pretorius * | Hills | 5 | 221 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 421 |
| 2 | A Taylor * | Phoe | 6 | 260 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 420 |
| 3 | B Speake * | Ter | 8 | 274 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 414 |
| 4 | K Brennan | Ter | 8 | 20 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 400 |
| 5 | S Ramnathpur * | Ter | 8 | 169 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 389 |
| 6 | S Anderson * | Phoe | 6 | 239 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 379 |
| 7 | J Carroll | Lein | 6 | 111 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 371 |
| 8 | L Jansen | Rush | 5 | 208 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 368 |
| 9 | James Smith | Ter | 8 | 25 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 365 |
| 10 | Sam Murphy | YMCA | 6 | 113 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 353 |