THE PRESIDENT’S LOG – EPISODE 9 – FINALS GALORE!

14 August - Based on league positions, The Hills were red-hot favourites for the All-Ireland semi-final T20 game against Cork Harlequins but having seen Harlequins beat a much-fancied Merrion team in last year’s semi-final, nobody at The Vineyard was taking anything for granted. The Hills batted first, and its innings was anchored by Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin who scored 82 runs. Levon Shields (39) and Murray Commins (25) were the other main contributors to The Hills’ total, but there was an unfortunate tendency for batsmen to get out when they were well-set. 175 runs is a reasonable score, but in the modern game, it cannot be looked upon as a winning score.

Harlequins’ reply was very methodical, and they were always well in touch with the required rate. Brandon Kruger (68) starred for Harlequins; there were important contributions from Shivlam Kislay (39*) and Seanan Jones (23), and the winning runs were hit off the 5^th ball of the last over.  This was a tremendous game, played in a very good spirit, and Cork Harlequins have our good wishes for the All-Ireland Final against CIYMS which is being played at The Mardyke. I had a request from Ted Williamson and Joe Moynihan of Cork Harlequins to assist during the live streaming of the game, but word was relayed to me from two viewers in Wales  who are Hills’ supporters that I couldn’t be heard, and it is a matter of opinion whether or not that was a blessing.

On a much more serious note, a very young boy was struck by a ball, and this accident was deeply upsetting for everyone at The Vineyard. Miranda Andrews used her paramedical skills to ensure that the child was looked after very caringly and very competently, and she accompanied the child and his parents to hospital. We received the good news on Tuesday that he had  been discharged from hospital, and we send our best wishes to the boy and to his parents for his continued recovery.

16 August - There was an omission in the last blog for which I apologise. Peter Searson was another one of the people to whom I had spoken during the Typhoons and Dragons game, and not only did I speak to Peter, but he very kindly bought me a cup of tea. Sorry about that, Peter. It won’t happen again.

I drove to the Phoenix Park for the Boys’ Junior A League between Pembroke and Adamstown. Very many congratulations to Pembroke on its win, and very well done to Adamstown on the tremendous strides which the club has made with regard to youth cricket. The two teams were a credit to themselves, their families, their clubs, and their coaches. Well done to Cricket Leinster staff on the efficient manner in which the final was organised.

19 August - The Final of the Girls U19 league between Clontarf and Leinster was played at Observatory Lane. During the past fortnight, I have seen many of the Clontarf players contesting the various women’s finals, and I have had the opportunity to speak with the club’s very supportive parents and coaches. I have not seen Leinster as often but there is always a great atmosphere when the club of one of the competing teams is hosting a final, and it was good to see Leinster well-supported by so many family members, by Paul Delany, the President of Leinster CC, and by Pat Banahan, the President Elect of Cricket Leinster.

We saw a great game of cricket between two teams who played cricket in the manner in which it should be played. Clontarf batted first, and the innings was anchored by Christina Coulter-Reilly who scored a magnificent 101*. Clontarf’s final score was a very daunting 194 in 20 overs, and a lesser team might have given up the ghost, but Joanna Loughran of Leinster CC played a similar role to Christina. She scored 93 runs, and with Abie Melia had a stand of 61 runs which caused a serious level of anxiety among the Clontarf faithful. Leinster’s total was 174 runs, and the victory margin for Clontarf was 20 runs. Very many congratulations to all who were involved with two very fine cricket teams. Thanks very much to the Cricket Leinster staff for organising the proceedings and to Matthew Smith for the photographs.

20 August - With a commitment to attending four games today and the possibility of missing “teas” everywhere due to travelling from one game to another, a cooked breakfast was an essential preparatory element for such a busy day. I was joined at breakfast by Michael Dwyer, President of The Hills CC, who has returned from his tour of the vineyards of the south of France. My first call of the day was to Margaretstown Cricket Ground where Phoenix and The Hills were playing in the Minor A Boys’ Final.

The Hills batted first and scored 94 runs, and there was a perception among The Hills’ mentors and supporters that this might not be enough. Phoenix started slowly, but by the last over, needed only two runs to win. The winning runs were scored with two balls to spare, and that was the prelude to a pitch invasion by the overjoyed Phoenix players. The standard of play in this game reflected the great work being done at youth level by the coaches and parents at both clubs. On behalf of Cricket Leinster, I thanked the Clinton family for hosting the game and for its hospitality and I presented the cup and medals. Thanks very much to Michael Donoghue for the photograph of the winning Phoenix team.

While this game was proceeding, word was coming back from The Vineyard that The Hills had lost early wickets in its IBI Corporate Finance Premier League game against Balbriggan. At 33 runs for 3, things did not look too promising for The Hills, but there were two brief signs of a resurgence with stands of 31 and 63 runs and the home team ended on 162 all out in 43 overs.

During the first innings, I received a call from Kevin Gallagher that my services were required at Inch, so it was back into the car to see some of the GS Middle Cup final between North County 3 and Phoenix 4. Phoenix batted first and scored 136 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. North County needed 15 runs off the last over but ended up 3 runs short in a very competitive game which gave Phoenix its second cup win of the day and completed a very successful day for the Sugrues who had family members on both winning teams.

Thanks very much to Joe Murphy, Chairperson of North County, who provided tea, coffee, sandwiches cakes for the match officials so I was fortified for the trip back to The Vineyard.

“Teas” were over at The Vineyard, but Kay, Karen, Gillian, and Audrey ensured that I didn’t miss out by keeping sandwiches and cakes for me. Thanks very much, ladies. In reply to The Hills’ total, Balbriggan got off to a very solid start, and had accumulated 125 runs before the first wicket fell.

There was then a flurry of wickets, but for The Hills it was too little, too late, and Balbriggan won by 6 wickets. A noteworthy element of this game from a Hills’ perspective was the performance of Ashad Farooqi who took 3 wickets for 15 runs in 3.5 overs, and Balbriggan’s main contributors with the ball were Andrew Darroch (5 for 27), Dylan Lues (2 for 18), while its key batsmen were Connor Fletcher (79) and Ghanim Dara (44*). While I was at The Vineyard, Bobby Swarbrigg, President-elect of The Hills, posed a musical question for a number of us. “Who played the part of Fagin in Oliver?” (Answer is at the end of this diary). When we start asking one another quiz questions, it’s usually a sign that things are not going well on the field for The Hills.

Another phone call from Kevin Gallagher provided the impetus for a return to Inch for the GS Intermediate Cup final between Malahide IV and Leinster IV. Malahide batted first and scored 130 runs with significant contributions from Matthew Langan (34), Hamish Manks (17), Usman Mir (18) and Kapil Mohan (13). In response to the Malahide total, Leinster never got going due to some very accurate bowling and good fielding and finished on 85 runs giving Malahide a very margin of 35 runs.

Thanks very much to North County for the ground and the hospitality, to the Cricket Leinster staff for the general organisation, and to Matthew Smith for the photographs. A noteworthy element of the occasion was how well supported the Malahide team was, and it was obvious that there was going be a good evening/night when the players and supporters arrived back at the Village.

Attending four cricket games made this a busy day but in the words of the great Van Morrison, “there’ll be days like this”, and I’m grateful that it was possible to get around to all the games. Maintaining the musical theme, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to revisit my youth by having a go at the drum kit in Inch. I’m adding in a photo of the school band from the early 1960s.

21 August - Today was less busy; only one ground to visit and trophies and medals to be presented at two finals. It adds appreciably to the sense of occasion if one of the teams playing in a final is from the host club, and in this regard, we could not have been better looked after at Terenure CC by Dan and Madeline Lynch. Cold meat platters, fresh fruit, cakes, and biscuits were provided after each game for all participants and officials. In case you are wondering, I partook of the food on each occasion because I did not wish to appear ungrateful for the fantastic effort which the club put into hosting the finals. (That’s the official excuse for eating two meals!).

The first game of the day was the GS Junior Cup final between Gorey and North County IV. Brady Archer with 66* from 50 balls was the star for Gorey as it compiled a competitive 161 runs for 5 in 20 overs. Talking to members of the Mooney family before the start of the North County reply, they indicated that North County’s hopes rested to a considerable extent on the shoulders of Safdar Ali, but he was dismissed in the first over. Ahmad Khalid (32) and Sherjeel Ilyas (28*) brought North County back into the game, and it needed 16 runs in the last over to win the game. Only 10 runs were scored, and Gorey had won by 6 runs.

This was a fine game of cricket, played in a good spirit with an abundance of enthusiasm from both teams. Very many congratulations to Gorey CC, a very young club, on winning the Junior Cup which is the second oldest cup (1910) played for in Leinster league cricket. During the day, I also had an opportunity to talk with Al Fitzgerald, the Chairperson of Gorey CC, about his hopes for the club, and I wished the club well in all its future endeavours.

Before the start of the second game, I spoke to a gentleman who introduced himself as David Kennedy, and he mentioned that he had played for CYM (as it was then) in the 1970s. It was only later that I realised that Mr Kennedy had been the CEO of Aer Lingus for many years, and I apologise for not making that connection when I was chatting with him. While I was working on the 10,000 steps, I met a young man who said that he had read all the President’s logs, and he was always hoping to see a mention of Terenure CC. I trust that today’s report has addressed that lacuna, and I send my best wishes to Dylan Cleary.

The second game of the day was between Terenure IV and Castleknock 111 for the Just Property Minor Cup. Terenure batted first, and there were significant contributions from Manav Saraviya (47), Vinay Bhardwaj (22) and Khizar Jan (16) to give Terenure what was believed to be a below-par score of 148 runs. Ken Brennan opened the bowling for Terenure, and he had the excellent figures of 2 wickets for 14 runs from his four overs. The other successful bowlers for Terenure were Anand Haritwal (2 for 18), Khizar Jan (2 for 26) and Viraj Bhalekar and Mikey Hanrahan who took 1 wicket each.

The main contributors to the Castleknock total were Shakeer Khaja (24) and Hamza Moinuddin (34), and it finished on 132 runs, giving Terenure a victory margin of 16 runs. This was another fine game of cricket, played in a good spirit with both teams well-supported by other club members. I thought that I only had to present a trophy and some medals, but it transpired that there was also a Man of the Match award on which I was asked to arbitrate. I decided that Ken Brennan’s bowling spell of 2 for 14 in 4 overs, one catch and a delightful square cut made him a deserving winner, and I was relieved to hear that the verdict  was greeted with acclamation and loud applause. Thanks very much to Michael Cotter of Cricket Leinster for organising the games, and to Matthew Smith for the work done on the photographs.

During the course of the second game, I had the opportunity to chat with some of the legendary members of Terenure CC, such as Derek Brennan, Paul Farrell, Aidan & Fintan Kelleher about all sorts of topics relating to cricket, association football and social history. It is occasions such as finals’ days  that show the importance of the social dimension of cricket, and I hope that this aspect of the sport continues to have a relevance for all lovers of the game. I reiterate my thanks to all at Terenure CC especially Dan and Madeline Lynch, and Sathish, President, for the welcome and hospitality which we received today. 

22 August - I drove out to the beautiful Ring Commons Sports Centre for the U17 Boys’ Final between Malahide and Clontarf in which Clontarf batted first and scored 141 runs. Malahide needed a big innings from some of its players with Premier League experience, but this did not occur, and Malahide ended on 110 runs, a deficit of 31 runs. The Presidents of Clontarf and Malahide (Dónal O’Sullivan and Barbara McDonald) were present in addition to a substantial number of family members and senior members of both clubs. Thanks to the Cricket Leinster staff for organising the event and to Matthew Smith for his splendid work on the photographs.

23 August - The Girls’ Minor Cup final between The Hills and Malahide was played at The Vineyard today. Prior to the game, Martin Russell ensured that all spectators were served tea and biscuits, while Kathleen Gavin brought watermelons for the players. I had the tea and biscuits, but true to form,  I declined Kathleen’s offer of watermelons. That’s enough talk about food, let us go back to the game. Malahide batted first and had a nett score of 46 runs which was due to excellent bowling and fielding by The Hills. In reply, The Hills had a nett score of 83 runs to give it a victory margin of 37 runs.

Although there was a significant difference in totals at the end, the victory was only assured by the last Hills’ pairing. The game was played in an excellent spirit, and the quality of both teams reflected very well on the work being done by the coaches and players at The Hills and Malahide CC. There was a very big attendance of family members to support both teams, and Barbara McDonald, President of Malahide CC was also present. On behalf of Cricket Leinster, I thanked The Hills CC for hosting the game, the parents for their support of cricket in Leinster, the umpires & scorers and the Cricket Leinster staff.

24 August - The youth finals just keep coming, and today I was at Inch for the Junior Girls’ final between The Hills and Clontarf. In speaking to some of The Hills’ mentors before the game commenced, they hoped that the girls would give Clontarf a good game because they were aware that the opposition was very strong. That was exactly the way things turned out. Clontarf scored 179 runs without losing a wicket, and The Hills finished well-short of this total. Very well done to a superb Clontarf team which looked like the finished product at this level, while the young Hills’ team is very much a work in progress.

The game was attended by a strong representation of parents, family members and senior officers of both clubs, among whom were Donal O’Sullivan, President of Clontarf, and Tom Prior, Past President of Clontarf, Cricket Leinster, and Cricket Ireland. With the game drifting to a predictable conclusion, the discussion veered to a variety of topics not related to cricket, and Tom Prior asked me if I knew the musical in which the song, I’ve grown accustomed to her face, was sung? (More discovery learning, the answer is at the end of the diary). On a point of information, I was able to answer that question and the previous one because some members of my family were participants in lots of musicals, and I attended the shows as part of my familial responsibilities.

Well done to Kevin Gallagher of Cricket Leinster on the organisation of the game and thanks to Martin Russell for his assistance with the presentation ceremony.

25 August - The perennial question from children during a journey was “are we nearly there?”, and that was my query as well as I headed out to Balbriggan for yet more finals. I’m fairly sure that these are also the sentiments of any person who has persevered to get this far in reading this lengthy epistle.  Clontarf and Malahide were contesting the final of the Girls’ Colts Cup, and  Clontarf continued its dominance of girls’ cricket in Leinster with a fine team performance to emerge as winners in a game which was played in an exemplary fashion.

The Boys’ Colts final was between Malahide and Phoenix, and this was a very close game. Phoenix batted first, and James Sugrue (50*) was the main contributor to its score of 137 runs. In a very spirited reply, Malahide scored 133 runs, with Aaron Doyle (32) and Hugo Fitzgerald (31) being its chief run scorers. Many congratulations to the mentors and players of the three clubs who contested the finals, and it was tremendous to see how well-supported the teams were by the senior officials in their clubs and many family members. Thanks very much to the members of Balbriggan CC for the wonderful hospitality which was in evidence throughout the two games.

At that stage, I thought that I might make an appearance at home, but word came from HQ that if Merrion beat The Hills at The Vineyard, they would win the league. I was greeted with gasps of amazement as I arrived at The Vineyard complete with blazer and tie, but in the words of Robert Burns, “the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley”, because The Hills had restricted Merrion to 119 runs, and with Robyn Searle (45*) anchoring the innings, it was evident that a surprise result was on the cards. The Hills achieved the target in 19.3 overs, and it appeared that Merrion had been deprived of the Sprint Coatings’ Division 1 League title.

The tie was removed, and I sat around for a while as we waited for the result of the Pembroke game. Merrion’s disappointment at losing the game turned to elation as word filtered through that Pembroke had lost to Leinster. The tie had to be put back on for another presentation ceremony.

I called into the clubhouse and as luck would have it, the traditional Thursday evening food session was occurring, and with the hospitality for which The Hills CC is renowned, I was asked if I would like a burger? It would have been churlish to refuse, and so being well-fed after three presentation ceremonies, I headed for home eventually.

26 August

This morning’s Zoom conference was dominated by a discussion on the challenges involved in being an adjudicator for Person of the Match awards or at a Fleadh Cheoil especially the marching bands competition. This reminded me of an unfortunate experience of my school days when the band of St Mary’s CBS, Portlaoise, was deprived of an All-Ireland title because one member of the band (me) was out of the step for the duration of its performance in Gorey. In those less enlightened days, the adjudicator had no bother in singly out one person for critical mention whereas today, I would probably be given an award for a display of individuality.  

The second last final of the Youth cricket season was the play-offs for the U19 Boys’ League which was played at Claremont Road between YMCA and Merrion. This is the age group for which many of the players have the strongest attachment because it is the last time that they will play together as a group. Merrion batted first and scored 131 runs, a total which was definitely below par.

In reply, Tim Tector got YMCA off to a solid start, and the target was reached with relative ease despite the wholehearted efforts of the Merrion bowlers and fielders.  Thanks very much to YMCA for hosting, thanks to Conor Austin & Dale McDonough for looking after the general preparations, thanks to Seán Hussey for minding the cup and medals, and thanks to Michael & Killian for scoring and umpiring.

This has been my busiest fortnight since I retired from the day job, but it was a privilege and a pleasure to meet so many members of the cricket community in Leinster. I am very grateful to the various clubs and their members for the courtesy and hospitality which I encountered everywhere.

On my reckoning, there will probably be scope and material for one more log, but I can guarantee that it will be appreciably shorter than this one because as Joe Morrissey pointed out to me recently, “brevity is the soul of wit.”

Answers:

Q1       Ron Moody played the part of Fagin in Oliver

Q2       The song is from My Fair Lady

Q3:      Boys’ Band photo – I’m the drummer on the right of the front row.