Division 9
2014 Champion - Phoenix 4 (predicted champions!)
2014 Champion predicted - Phoenix 4
2011-14 Top run scorer: Danny Hogan (Terenure, 2012-14) 912 @ 39.65
2011-14 Top wicket taker: Patrick Mount (Mullingar, 2011-14) 50 @ 16.08
There is a very real tingling of excitement around Leinster cricket at the moment. There's a sense that any club has a chance of progressing to the top, a feeling that the sport as a whole is slowly making an impact on the collective sporting conciousness. Most clubs are attracting lots of new players, both from within the province and outside.
Put all that together, with a touch of the normal confidence that comes with the start of the new season, and there lots of reasons to feel good about this year's Division 9. Top spot will be 65th in the league structure, whereas the bottom team will be 72nd.
Adamstown 2 were moved up several years this season. They have the promise, but needed to be moved higher than their league position reflected to allow the three other Adamstown teams room. Improvement for Adamstown 2 has been rapid, - starting at 102nd in 2012, they were up to 88th last season. But that means there is a lot more imprvement needed to make their presence felt in this league. They need another massive 18 places of improvement to escape relegation. With little form against the other teams in the league, it is difficult to predict, but they may just do it. We'll predict 6th.
Sandyford 2 won four league titles between 1989 and 2008, and are probably due another one now. Whether that will happen or not is another matter. They have been between 69 and 74 every year for the last four seasons, which would suggest a team that will be towards the bottom of the league. They have no previous matches against Malahide, The Hills or Adamstown and losing records against Phoenix and North County. Three wins in five matches against Mullingar 2 gives hope, but we think it may be a struggle. The same position as last year - 72nd, which unfortunately means 8th in the league.
Another consistent team are Mullingar 2, who have been between 68 and 71 every season of our records. They have the division's pre-eminent bowler in Patrick Mount, and the odd useful new signing in the club won't hurt either. But their record against a few clubs isn't great - one win from six matches against North County doesn't bode well. They finished one place above Sandyford 2 last year, and we think it could be the same again this year - 7th.
83rd in their debut season of 2013, Greystones 2 followed it up with 70th last year. That would lead to an expected 6th place, with no improvement, but the club should have no problem in moving upwards again. Two good wins against North County 4 give a hint as to where they will finish, and with the strength in depth in the club continually growing, they should be able to get up to at least 4th.
The Hills 3 present a little bit of a sorry tale recently. Middle B champions in 2004, they were still at 48th in 2011 - the equivalent of Division 6 today. But a slow slide has seen them drop to Division 9. But that drop needn't continue, and for a club with the rich pedigree of The Hills (not to mention having the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup in the trophy cabinet), they should be on the way back up. However, even the disappointment of last year (66th) would mean runners-up in this edition of the league, and we can see no reason why they shouldn't at least be 2nd.
North County 4's last league title was back in 2004, and they are another team that are due one. Again they are conistent, but once more, they are consistently at the wrong end of the table! Great records against Mullingar 2 (5-1) and Sandyford 2 (3-1) show that they shouldn't be in the relegation mix, but their form isn't good enough to challenge at the top. We predict 5th.
Phoenix 4 - the reigning Division 9 champions. As everyone knows though, league re-organisation has skewed things a bit, and that Division 9 title would only be 4th this year. So the question is whether they can raise their game. Probably is our answer. They will look back fairly fondly at their previous matches against this year's opposition, without being able to rest on their laurels. They may improve a bit - but not enough to retain their title, so a third place will be theirs.
That just leaves one more team, and it is the team that finished higher last year than any other in this league. Malahide 4 just look to be a class above other teams. With the 1st team squad strengthening ahead of their return to Division 1, there will be a trickle down effect, and all Malahide teams will be that bit stronger than last year. They have been between 62 and 65 since 2011, and even that 65 would be enough to bring about the title. There's nothing like a bold prediction to make oneself look a prat come September, but we think Malahide 4 will win by a canter.
The first match is a really interesting tie between North County 4 and Greystones Cricket 4 on April 25th