THE clubs are a just a few hundred metres apart as the crow flies, but it is still thirty-three years since Pembroke and YMCA met in a Leinster decider.
They meet in the RSA Senior Cup final on Saturday in Castle Avenue, when the scrupulously-neutral Cricket Leinster president Henry Tighe will be happy to present the trophy to Albert van der Merwe just as much as he would be to hand it to Theo Lawson. But Henry could be forgiven if his mask slips just a little, because he was there in Cabra in 1980 for that John Player Cup final – as captain of the victorious Pembroke side.
“It was a cold, miserable day,” recalls Tighe, “and it was in the middle of a damp spell so the pitch was very soft.”
Eamon Masterson, then a 16-year-old schoolboy star, agrees. “It was a pudding. Everyone was afraid to hit the ball.”
There was a general air of fear around that day. It was YMCA’s first time to reach the final in 46 attempts, and although they were to win it seven times in the decade from 1984, and twice more at the turn of the millennium, the first final defeat was painful.
“We had guys who had been playing senior for years, like Ian Lewis, Frank Sowman, John Ridgeway, Stan McCready and Norman Kilroy,” explains Eamon. “They’d all played for South Leinster but they’d never won anything with the club. This was their last chance and they knew it.”
Pembroke too, were an experienced side, according to Henry. “A few of the team were on the downward slope but were still useful players – Ken Hope had a great season, as did Ray Moulton. Pat Smith had been in France playing rugby and working in vineyards for five or six years but he came back that season and bowled really well.”
Another veteran, Joe Byrne, played a key role in getting the ‘Broke to the final. “We beat Phoenix in the second round and Joe played a fantastic innings of 75. He batted beautifully that day.” That win ended the Park club’s hopes of extending their record run of five-in-a-row.
Pembroke were also enjoying the services of their first professional player, a big Barbadian policeman called Nigel Seale. “He was a medium fast bowler who liked to hit the ball far”, says Henry. “It took him about a month to take a wicket but he got going.” He certainly did, ending the season with 69 wickets at a touch under 14.
“We had choice of Nigel or Chris Kuggeleijn that year, but we thought Chris was too young at 18-19.” The New Zealander eventually joined the Sydney Parade club in 1983 and 1984 when he broke all batting records, and later played test cricket.
Eamon remembered Cabra all decked out in its finery – in those pre-bar days a tent was needed for selling liquor – a large crowd came along. There was speculation that Seale would play a crucial role, but he was caught behind in the second over off McCready for 0. Masterson was unplayable at the other end, returning 12-5-10-1, and 18 maidens were bowled in the innings (39 in the day).
With the score on 23-3, Pembroke’s old heads were needed to steady the ship. In the semi-final against Leinster Moulton (52no) and Hope (51no) had put on an unbroken stand of 109, and in the final their contribution was just as significant. They posted 66, with Moulton making 49 and Hope 38, but last pair Colin Kavanagh and Ronan Malin took the score from 120-9 to 144-9, with Malin hitting two sixes off the 60th over.
The slow wicket meant YMCA never got going, and former Ireland cap Sandy Smith ripped out the middle over and took 4-28 off 12 overs of line and length.
From 60-6 YMCA were in trouble, but Eamon recalls that they looked set to snatch a win. “Myself and Stan McCready put on a few (34 for the 7th wicket), and then Frank Sowman and Dave Marsden took us very close.”
The veteran wicketkeeper and stand-in left-arm spinner added 36 for the last wicket, but ran out of time.
“I bowled the last over myself”, says Henry, “And I felt comfortable that I wasn’t going to concede 16 runs. I bowled Marsden out off the last ball of the innings.”
That gave Henry a fine 10 over return of 3-34, but Smith’s contribution won him the man of the match award. Henry’s season return of 46 wickets at 15.6 put him fourth in the O’Grady Cup table behind only Michael Halliday, Gerry Kirwan and Tom O’Neill.
In the final analysis Pembroke won by nine runs.
“Frank Malin was president of the Leinster Cricket Union, so it was very special for the club that he presented the cup that day,” remembers Henry. “And Cyril Irwin was there too as our President, and Niall O Maille was the scorer.”
The YMCA team on the day. Back: Cecil Medcalf, Ian Burns, David Marsden, Michael Bryce, Ian Kirk, John Burns, Eamon Masterson, Alec Dunlop, Richard Beamish, Alistair Stewart. Front: John Ridgeway, Frank Sowman, Clive Davis, Ian Lewis, Stan McCready, Norman Kilroy. On ground: Stuart McCready.