This weekend saw a very exciting series of matches in Round 9 of the Open Competition League Division 1 with a number of critical results that could have a bearing on the outcome of the league.
There are many close games, but very few ties. Subject to correction, the last tie in D1 that I can find is in 1984 in a match between Merrion and The Hills. There were a few ties in Division 2 / Section B during the 2000s - The Hills v Leinster [2003] and Pembroke v Old Belvedere [2006 & 2008]. It is a rare event and something for players and spectators to remember for a long time.
This preamble is by way of introducing the game of the round - a tie between North County and Pembroke. Pembroke batted first and were in control throughout their innings. Theo Lawson and Daniel Solway put on 158 for the first wicket before Lawson was run out on 73. Solway made 93 [and pushed his aggregate for the season to over 800]. Lorcan Tucker [43] and Danny Hogan [57] also came to the party, each scoring at better than a run a ball. Pembroke finished up on 287/3 in their 50 overs.
The North County innings did not start well with Jamie Grassi out without scoring. A 69 run partnership between Andrew Sheridan [37] and James Willoughby [27] steadied the ship but when both were out in the 70s North County were in some trouble. Not for the first time tEddie Richardson [107] provided the decisive knock. He produced his second century in the league and batted through to the last over ably supported by Adam Coughlan [35] and Terry Richardson [39*]. There were 10 runs required in the last over bowled by Josh Little - which given that the two Richardson brothers had just put on 68 in 8.3 overs was definitely on. In the end Eddie Richardson was out caught by JJ Garth and nine runs scored to tie the match - 12.5 points each.
It was equally exciting in Castle Avenue where the league leaders took on YMCA. Clontarf were inserted and and batted steadily throughout - the first eight batsmen getting into double figures. There was early momentum and when the first wicket fell in the 9th over Clontarf were progressing at around 4.5 per over. A century partnership between Atec Cusack [77] and Andrew Poynter [36] brought the score to 151 in the 32nd over and although the pace of batting continued to the end it never really picked up. The main reason for this was the bowling of Simmi Singh [5/49] and James Parkinson [4/49] but in fact all seven YMCA bowlers used were reasonably economical. The final score of 259 all out in 50 overs was certainly competitive but less than might have been hoped for at the halfway stage.
A second wicket partnership of 70 between Jack Tector [31] and Simi Singh [35] set the platform for the YMCA innings. When Singh was out in the 20th over the score was 105/3. Thereafter Alan Lewis[ [49] and Sam Murphy [28] put on 89 for the fourth wicket, showing that age difference is not a barrier to a good partnership. A good spell of bowling from Samir Dutt [3/49] brought Clontarf back into it and at 7/212, 8/238 and 9/246 the match could have gone either way. But in the end Parkinson rounded off a good day with 39 off 32 balls to bring YMCA home by one wicket with six balls to spare. An interesting commentary on the Clontarf bowling was their generosity with extras - 46 in all and 41 wides. Clontarf interestingly also used nine bowlers.
If the Phoenix v Merrion match was unable to equal the first two games in terms of the finish, it was nonetheless pulsating and dramatic throughout with violent shifts in fortune. Merrion batted first and Patrick Tice and Michael Lewis got them off to a steady 52 run start before the first wicket fell in the 13th over. Another 50 runs partnership between Josh Doherty and Tyrone Kane for the third wicket looked to have set Merrion up for a sizeable total. When Kane [70] fell the score was 168/5 with plenty of overs remaining. Four more wickets were to fall before the score reached 180 as Rory Anders [4/44] ripped through the lower middle order. Somehow Merrion managed to scramble to 199 before they were all out in the 49th over.
Things looked even bleaker for Merrion after the first four overs of their innings with Phoenix on 44. Reinhardt Strydum, as he is wont to do, launched a blistering attack and made 44 in 20 balls. But in the fifth over it all changed when he was out to Kane. Thereafter what followed was almost as dramatic a collapse as in the Merrion innings - but this time it was the top order that failed. From 53/0 the score went to 80/5 with the ten overs of left arm spin from Tom Stanton [2/15] decisive. Phoenix never really recovered and with the wickets shared were all out for 141 in the 37th over.
When Kenny Carroll was out first ball, bowled by Nazeer Shoukat, such has been his contribution to the Railway batting this season [592 runs] that The Hills must have thought for a moment that they were in for an easy day. A second and a third wicket followed and at 3/19 an early tea was in prospect. But from thereon the Railway batting showed both backbone and some flair. Three 50 partnerships followed with Mohammed Tariq leading the way with 87 off 72 balls. When Tariq was out in the 47th over the score was 203. Railway finished on 216. Thomas Rooney was the most successful of bowlers with 3/40 but the ten overs from Manu Kumar [2/28] were the most economical.
With Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin [35] providing the anchor roll, The Hills were always in control. The key innings was 67 in 49 balls from Max Sorensen but there were useful contributions down the order. The Hills eventually won in the 44th over by four wickets.
So an exciting day of cricket which will have an important bearing on the league positions. Pembroke have closed the gap on leaders Clontarf and, with both Merrion and YMCA winning, the battle to avoid the drop to Division 2 has heated up. Railway are the main losers in the relegation battle but they still have their refix against YMCA and a victory for them would mean that the three bottom teams would have the same number of wins with five rounds of competition to go. Two other teams from the middle of the table will be looking at the remaining matches from different perspectives. Having secured their fifth win and with Clontarf losing, The Hills now have to string enough wins together to have an outside run at the title. Phoenix on the other hand are looking in the other direction, knowing that at least two and possibly all three teams below them could be within one win of them going into the last five games.
It is good to have Paul Reynolds back and the OCD1 League Table has been updated to include yesterday’s matches.