THE new season dawns with a buzz in the air not experienced in a while. The opening of the Malahide arena to big time cricket is still some months away, but meanwhile we will have the exciting Pakistanis visiting Dublin next month.
The Inter-Provincials will also bring a new dimension to the sport, and Trent Johnston’s side are sure to do Leinster proud.
And at club level there are the continuing strides being made in development and its fascinating to see some of the newer clubs – especially those outside Dublin – making such rapid progress.
Some of the older ones are also gaining ground and the elevation of Balbriggan to Division Two is a welcome development.
As every season there are plenty of newcomers to excite and invigorate clubs. Perhaps the most significant newcomer is a very familiar face making a return after a season up North. Jeremy Bray has joined his fourth Leinster club – this time YMCA – and will surely spearhead a very strong bid for honours under Albert Van Der Merwe.
But there are also a host of players coming in from overseas, and as usual some will have a big say over the destination of the titles.
Only two clubs in RSA Division One are without an overseas pro, YMCA and North County, while Leinster have yet to confirm their intentions.
Pembroke have geared up for Division One with Brenton McDonald, 28, the younger brother of Andrew who won four test caps for Australia in 2008-09. He’s a leg-spinning all-rounder who arrives having just claimed the Jack Ryder medal as the best player in Victorian Premier Grade Cricket.
McDonald scored 568 runs at 46 and took 54 wickets at 16 for Melbourne, who won the trophies at two-day, 50 and 20 over this winter. He was second in the state bowling averages behind only test player Bryce McGain. A left-hander, McDonald played once for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash in 2012 alongside Brad Hodge and Shahid Afridi. He also turned out for Victoria at U17, U23 and 2nd XI.
Railway Union welcome back Pat Collins who had a good season in Brisbane First Grade with Western Suburbs. Collins made 112 against champions University of Queensland and six other 50s as he averaged 41.4.
The Hills also have their 2012 pro back, wicket-keeper bat Nicolaas Pretorius. He popped up over the winter when he opened the batting for North West against the touring Scotland side, and scored 68.
Merrion welcome Brett Thompson from Port Elizabeth, a former South Africa Under 19 player. In the Under 19 World Cup he played alongside Craig Kieswetter and Wayne Parnell. Thompson played his only first-class game for Eastern Province in 2006, alongside future stars Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe – and Phoenix’s new pro Riaan Jeggles. In his first UK season in 2011, Brett smashed 1,619 runs for Winton CC at an average of 64.76 including seven 50s and six 100s. Over this winter he played for Old Grey CC in South Africa, and scored 394 runs at an average of 56 and a top score of 133.
Pace-bowler Ronan McDonald, who played with Merrion three years ago, returns to Anglesea Road. Now 20, he is fully qualified for Ireland and keen to attract the national and provincial selectors. McDonald had a whirlwind winter – he made his Queensland U23 debut and took 4-46 against Western Australia, which he followed with 4-26 and 3-26 against NSW, which catapulted him into the Queensland Shield side against Victoria in February. His first scalp was a good one – David Hussey – and he went on to take 2-134 as Victoria racked up 536-9. He took the scalp of test player Rob Quiney in the 2nd innings, and two more in the last game of the season against Western Australia, including Adam Voges. He’s also brought along his younger brother Stuart McDonald, who plays 4th/5th grade in Queensland.
Phoenix have also recruited for their return to RSA Division One, with former Eastern Province opener Riaan Jeggels their marquee pro. Known as Dikkis, he played 40 times for the province scoring 1,998 runs at 34 including two 100s. Now 31, he last played in January 2011 and is now with Nelson Mandela Metropole University in the Port Elizabeth Premier League.
Steve Davis of the Burwood Briars in Sydney is also playing up in the Park. A left arm swing bowler, he took 50 wickets in first grade in the Sydney Shires competition last season as the Briars won their championship.
A third overseas acquisition is Nick James, a 24-year-old batsman leg-spinner from the UK who has turned out for Exeter University and Slough and played once for Leicestershire 2nd XI in 2009, taking 3-42.