So the question posed last week – are we seeing a movement of cricketing power from D4 to the north side – is no nearer resolution. While The Hills and Clontarf top the table with two wins out of two – there were also comfortable victories yesterday for Pembroke [v North County] and Merrion [v Phoenix].
Despite the beautiful weather the second round of the D1 league did not see the high scoring that took place on the opening weekend. In R1 the total runs scored in the first innings was 1029 at 35 runs per wicket. Yesterday the four teams batting first only managed 761 at an average of 20. Second innings totals fared little better – 1033 v 639. Of course there may be a simpler explanation for the lower scores – better batting conditions in the grounds north of the Liffey.
In another contrast with the results from two weeks ago, the matches in R2 were much more one-sided. Merrion and Pembroke secured full point wins while both Clontarf and The Hills were never really in trouble chasing down modest totals.
At Anglesea Road Phoenix won the toss and batted first. Although they lost a couple of early wickets, the innings got off to its usual quick start and was going at more than 6 runs per over when the third wicket fell at 104. But too many wickets were lost and in the end Phoenix made little use of the second half of their overs. Reinhardt Strydum [60] made another half century at better than a run a ball. On the bowling front the wickets were shared by the six bowlers used but undoubtedly the pick on the day was the five over spell by U17 schoolboy Max Neville on debut who beat the bat on numerous occasions and ended up with 2/7. In the end Phoenix made 197 all out in 42 overs.
Merrion started carefully and were content to keep the scoreboard ticking over. They lost their first and only wicket at 42 and thereafter Dom Joyce [104*] and John Anderson [68*] never released their hold on the game. After the nail biting defeat to Clontarf in the last round, the Merrion supporters were very happy to secure a comfortable victory on the day.
Pembroke batted first in Sydney Parade and had a 92 opening partnership between Theo Lawson and Daniel Solway. But the innings appeared to fizzle out after that with no player reaching 30. The pick of the North County bowling 9.3 overs from Eddie Richardson at 4/16. Pembroke were all out in the 49th over for 196, a total that North County must have thought was very gettable.
As it turned out Pembroke opened up with Paul Lawson [3/20] and he took the first three on the North County scorecard. In the end none of the NC batsmen reached 20 and they were all out for 67. The other six wickets [there was one run out] were shared by David Muphy, Jack Balbirnie and Josh Little.
In Park Avenue, Railway batted first for the second time this year and were again reliant on Kenny Carroll [83] for most of their runs. For The Hills, Naseer Shoukat [3/15] continued his fine form with another good opening spell of bowling but it was Osama Khan who took most wickets with four for 38. Railway were all out in the 48th over for 163 and The Hills never looked like falling short of this target with most of their top order making contributions. The Hills ended up winners by four wickets.
In the final match – what many had thought to be the pick of the round – YMCA batted first in Claremount Road and they were five down for less than 100. That they got to a defendable total was thanks to 69 from Robbie Garth. YMCS batted their full 50 overs for 205/9
Although the scorecard will show that Clontarf were always in charge and ended up winners by six wickets, in fact the target was only reached in the 49th over, mainly thanks to another captain’s innings from Eoghan Delany [53*].
So the table after two rounds has Clontarf and The Hills on top with 2/2 and Railway Union and YMCA still to record a win.
There is no report on the D2 matches as only one scorecard was submitted. There were wins for Leinster in their first outing, Rush, Dublin University and North Kildare.
For NK this is their first senior win in the modern era. Although it is not the same – Co Kildare last took part in Senior Cricket* in the years 1921 and 1924 when they played 41 matches and won 18.
Apologies to all who tuned in hoping to get Live Scores from D1/D2 matches. There was an issue with the links to the TCS server. Any scorers who are using TCS are reminded that they can still upload scorecards during a match by e/mailing to scores@cricketleinster.ie even if Live Sores is not operational.
*League Division 1 from 1919, the Leinster Senior Cup and Division II from the divide of the D1 league in 1996.