REPORT OF YOUTH & SCHOOLS SECTION 2011
The 2011 season saw an increase in numbers participating across all branches of the Youth & Schools section.
The primary school competition, the Leprechaun Cup, received very welcome sponsorship from Precision Electric which facilitated sending more coaches into schools to introduce the game in the school yard, and supplying basic kwik cricket equipment to schools new to the game. The total playing in the competition in 2011 increased by 5 to 38 schools. Next season it is planned to have a separate league competition for the six more established primary schools and the Leprechaun Cup will continue in its current format for the developing schools.
At secondary school level in the boys’ competitions there were 2 new schools in the senior 2nds league (Alf O’Connell league), East Glendalough and Piper’s Hill Naas, Castleknock Community School were new to the Junior league and Ardgillan were new participants in the U13 cup. There are a further 4 schools interested in playing next year. Six competitions were completed and the finalists were spread among a broad range of schools. The senior cup was won by St. Andrew’s for the first time since 1979. Next season the U13A cup will change to a league format and there will be a new U14B cup introduced.
The Leinster schoolboys team played two development matches against the MCC and the Leprechauns, before playing the annual two day match v the Ulster schools. In a tightly contested game the Ulster schools won by 5 wickets. Six Leinster players were selected for the Irish schools team, Tyrone Kane (CUS), Robert Forest (Belvedere), Jonathan Andrews (Gormanston), Peter Chase (Malahide Community school), Hugh McDonnell (St.Mary’s) and Patrick Tice (St.Columba’s).
In the girls’ secondary schools, 15 schools fielded teams including two new schools, Newpark and Loreto St. Stephen’s Green. There were six competitions completed, the Senior cup was won by Wesley College, who are to be congratulated for contesting 3 finals and winning two. Aravon won the 1st year A competition for the third year in a row and Newpark won the 1st year B cup in their first season of competitive cricket.
At club level a survey of the numbers of children playing club cricket between the ages of 7 and 18 in the 2011 season showed that there were 1,719 boys and 420 girls totalling 2139. There are no statistics to compare this with but in 2011 there were 15 boys’ and 6 girls’ competitions completed compared with 1999 when there were 10 boys’ competitions and no girls’ competitions, so the increase in participation over the last decade has been significant. There are still some clubs with well established boys’ sections who are not making an effort to establish girls’ teams. Adamstown entered a boys’ team in the U15 competition for the first time.
Two clubs completed the treble of winning the league, cup and All Ireland cup – at U13 Clontarf and at U11 Y.M.C.A. Both teams completed the season undefeated. In girls cricket The Hills were the dominant club winning the U13 league and cup, the U15 league and were joint runners up in the U11 league.
At interpro level, Leinster retained the U13 title in Belfast, was runner up to the North West in the U15s tournament in the North West and finished second on run rate in the U17 interpro series. On tour the Leinster U13s travelled to Taunton where they excelled themselves beating Cornwall by 7 wickets, Gloucestershire by 101 runs and Yorkshire by 15 runs, losing to Cheshire by 8 wickets and Kent by 8 wickets. The U15 Leinster team competed in the Wolverhampton tournament losing narrowly to Norfolk and Lincolnshire in the opening matches, winning against both Staffordshire and Cumbria before losing to the eventual winners of the competition, Cheshire.
The Leinster U15 girls travelled to Malvern where they beat Devon by 42 runs and Wales Dragons by 25 runs, losing to Buckinghamshire by 59 runs. At U13 Nth Leinster beat Sth Leinster and at U17 Leinster beat Ulster by 9 wickets and 134 runs in a series of two matches in Belfast. The U19 team also travelled to Malvern with a slightly weakened side and although they lost their three matches against Surrey, Warwickshire and Dorset they gained from the experience.
The Youth & Schools section would like to thank all those who give their time and effort voluntarily to facilitate the huge numbers of children playing cricket. In particular, thanks is due to Brian O’Sullivan who, amongst other things, organises all the league and cup competitions including the All Irelands and keeps all the results up to date on the LCU website, and to Donal O’Sullivan (Youth), Stephen Tonge (Boys Secondary schools), Una Budd (Girls’ secondary schools) and Brian O’Rourke/Deryck Vincent (Leprechaun Cup) who lead the different branches of the Y & S section.
Aideen Rice
November 2011