THE PRESIDENT’S LOG: EPISODE 8 – MORE CURRY THAN BREAKFAST!

31 July - Games between Fingal clubs tend to be very competitive, so I decided to travel to Kenure Park for the National Cup semi-final match between Rush and North County. Rush batted first and lost the prolific Llew Johnston very early in the proceedings. The fight back was led by Neil Rock (73), Aaron McGuire (48), Jarred Barnes (30), Alex Neary (26), and Rush ended on 229 runs which given the early circumstances was a better score than they might have expected. The bowling honours were taken by Seán Sludds (3 for 52), Abdul Ghaffar (2 for 28), and Eddie Richardson (2 for 40).

Despite the loss of an early wicket, it seemed that North County would win this game with relative ease as Eddie Richardson (66), Jamie Grass (64) and Malcolm Nofal (54) brought North County to 202 for 2 in the 33^rd over. One of the great traditions in Fingal cricket is that no victory should ever be easy, and it is a pre-requisite that fans are put through the proverbial “emotional wringer.” North County lost 6 wickets very quickly, and now “dot” balls or “singles” were being greeted with exultant shouts or despairing groans depending on which team had managed the feat and being neutral, I was enjoying the suspense. The bowling honours for Rush were taken by Allan Eastwood (4 for 56) and Jarred Barnes (3 for 30), and North County eventually got over the line in the 39^th over.  

1 August - The Bank Holiday shopping expedition was completed with slightly more haste than usual, and I was able to arrive at Sydney Parade in time for the start of the Women’s Sprint Coatings Senior Cup  Final between Merrion and Clontarf. Before the game commenced, I presented Fintan McAllister with a mounted photograph from the Joe Curtis Archive, and “Finto” asked me to convey his thanks to Joe.

Clontarf won the toss and elected to bowl. This was one of the occasions when it might have been preferable to have lost the toss and the captain would have been spared agonising over a very difficult decision. Rebecca Stokell (70) and Leah Paul (58) batted superbly, and the first wicket was not taken until the 18^th over by which time Merrion had scored 149 runs. Julie McNally took this wicket and then  a second wicket with the next ball, but from a Clontarf perspective, the breakthroughs were too late. To their credit, the Clontarf bowlers and fielders  never gave up, and they managed to restrict Merrion to 160 runs when at one stage, it looked as if Merrion might post a score closer to 200.

There were great pressure on Bhavi Devchand, Clontarf’s overseas player, if the team was to get anywhere close to Merrion’s total. Unfortunately for Clontarf, Julianne Morrissey has a facility for taking vital wickets, and Devchand was out to a catch by Cecelia Joyce off the bowling of Morrissey when Clontarf had only scored 24 runs. Christina Coulter-Reilly (17) was the only other Clontarf player to get into double figures, and Clontarf’s final total was 81 runs.

Michael Dwyer, President of The Hills CC,  arrived shortly after the end of the first game, and I was informed by a usually reliable source, that copper is the correct designation for the colour of his trousers.

During the period between the two Finals, we were provided with sandwiches, cakes, and scones by Bhawna & Philip Byrne, courtesy of Philip Smith and Michael Cotter of Cricket Leinster. At one stage, there was an assumption that I might have to give a speech, but the necessity did not arise, which was a great relief for the people who had gathered for the tea and sandwiches etc. However, I hate having work go to waste, and I was going to quote a statement wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein, and which I think is very relevant within the context of cricket, especially its social dimension: “Not everything that can be counted, counts, and not everything that counts, can be counted.”

Among my other activities during the day were two spells on “Comms” with Isobel Joyce and Seán Hussey, and a chat with Jonny Bell with regard to work which is being done on Pembroke CC’s Archives with specific reference to the twenty- seven scorebooks which Ciarán Sharp presented to the club on Saturday last on behalf of the Sharp family. With the work continuing on the Archives, I came across these photos which feature an array of legends. 

3 August - I went to Sydney Parade for the Women’s Super 3s game between the Scorchers and the Typhoons. The highlights of the game which was won by the Scorchers were 62 runs for Mary Waldron, 5 wickets for 33 runs for Bhavi Devchand and an unbeaten century (103*) for Gaby Lewis. During the day, Paschal Henchy contacted me with the “great” news that the blueberry yogurt stain had washed out of his salmon-coloured polo shirt. I was delighted for Paschal and replied accordingly. Thanks very much to Martin Russell for providing the tea, sandwiches, cakes, and biscuits on this occasion.

4 August - Matthew Tighe and my two sons, Pat, and James were among the 22,284 people who attended ‘The Hundred’ game at the Kia Oval between Oval Invincibles and London Spirit. They saw a very exciting game and were delighted that Eoin Morgan showed a welcome return to form with a sparkling 47 runs off 29 balls.

Figure 2, The Kia Oval

6 August - Maintaining the travel theme, Michael Dwyer, President of The Hills, sent me a  photograph from San Sebastian where he is enjoying a well-earned rest. His absence from Ireland also accounts for the lack of references to breakfasts in this log, but I had an invitation from Audrey & Kathleen to join them for breakfast this morning which unfortunately, I had to decline because it was our wedding anniversary.

In keeping with the occasion, I went to Sydney Parade slightly later than usual and promised to bring home a chicken curry. I would not wish to give the impression that I was on scarce rations until the evening’s curry because Mrs Ada Lawson, President of the Mothers’ Union of the Dublin, & Glendalough Dioceses, gave me two slices of her beautiful tea-brack; Audrey had prepared rolls, Kathleen provided the confectionery and Pembroke CC very kindly invited us to partake of sandwiches and scones during the innings break.

Figure 3, San Sebastian

After that extended digression on food, it’s time to mention the cricket. Pembroke won the toss, opted to bat first, and encountered The Hills’ opening attack of Dylan Blignaut and Ashley Bain in superb form. Blignaut took 3 wickets in this spell and Bain took one to leave the Pembroke innings in tatters. Worse was to follow for Pembroke when Jonathan Tall took the wicket of Poonish Mehta, Pembroke’s overseas player, thanks to a fine catch by Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin. At 67 runs for 6 wickets, it appeared that the proceedings would end early, but thanks to a very spirited stand of 97 runs between David Cosgrave (47) and Paul Lawson (61), Pembroke came back into the game with a vengeance. The Hills’ focus was renewed on the fall of the 7^th wicket, and the last three wickets were taken for 12 runs to leave Pembroke on 186 runs all out.

When defending a low score, it is essential to take early wickets so that the momentum is with the fielding side, but Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin and Athar Farooqi (37) gave The Hills a magnificent start, and the first wicket did not fall until the score was 109 runs. Andrew Kavanagh took over from where Athar left off and scored 38 runs off 34 balls, and his wicket fell when the score was 166 runs. Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin (89*) and Murray Commins (18*) did the needful to give The Hills a win by 8 wickets.

7 August - For the second Sunday in a row, I was at Kenure Park, Rush, and on this occasion, it was to attend the Sprint Coatings Minor & Junior Cup Women’s Finals. It was a beautiful sunny day and Rush Cricket Club did the occasion proud with the presentation of the ground and the general hospitality, thanks to Siobhán McBennett, Seán McCann, Derek Beggs, and Ralph Burton.  

In the Minor Cup, Pembroke 2 won the toss and elected to bat. They were given a very solid start of 77 runs by Nicky Bell (35) and Lucy Robinson (19), and the first wicket did not fall until the 14^th over. Pippa Guy contributed 19* runs to the total, and Clontarf 3 conceded 38 extras, of which 28 runs were bowling extras. In reply, Clontarf lost a wicket in the first over, and wickets fell at regular intervals as scoreboard pressure told. The main contributors to Clontarf's score were Hollie Erskine (26), Genevieve Morrissey (19), and Lucy Webster (11). Pembroke’s fielding was of a very high standard, and its bowlers only conceded 3 bowling extras. The successful bowlers were Kimli McDonald (2 for 23), Lainey Martin (2 for 10), Jessica Robinson (2 for 6), and Lucy Robinson (2 for 20). Pippa Guy had a stumping and a catch while Nicky Bell took a superb catch at a  crucial stage of the game, and Pembroke’s margin of victory was 42 runs.

After Siobhán and her assistants had provided us with very welcome tea, sandwiches, and cakes, we were ready for the second Final between Clontarf 2 and YMCA 2. Clontarf won the toss and elected to bowl, and this was to a pattern because in the women’s finals, Clontarf has bowled first in each of them. The Woods sisters, Siúin  (72) and Kate (36) were superb, and a total of 137 runs left Clontarf with a mountain to climb. Hannah Pasley (38) was the main contributor to the Clontarf reply, but this game drifted to an inevitable conclusion because Clontarf never managed to build up any momentum. Siúin Woods (2 for 10), Katie O’Reilly (2 for 22), Kate Woods (1 for 18), and Vanshika Shukla (1 for 21) shared the bowling honours for YMCA, and its margin of victory was 30 runs.

A noteworthy element of the day was the fact that senior members of all three clubs were in attendance in addition to many family members which is a very good reflection on the development work being done in the clubs, and the extent to which it is valued. In passing, I must congratulate Clontarf on reaching three women’s Finals, and although they have not won any cups yet this season, the players are a credit to themselves and their club.

8 August - Many years ago, in my day job, we got great educational value from an initiative called “Follow the Fleet” which involved checking out where different ships were located and then plotting their voyages on a map. We now have a modern version which we can entitle “Follow the President of The Hills CC”. We’ve already seen that he was in San Sebastian and our hero has now moved on to a chateau, and to quote him, “it’s a hard life”.

9 August - For the past fortnight, it has been emphasised to me that as President of Cricket Leinster, I am expected to be strictly neutral, but this neutrality was put severely to the test for the final of the LHK Alan Murray Cup between The Hills and Clontarf which was played at The Vineyard on a beautiful Summer’s evening.

The biggest crowd to attend a domestic game in Dublin for seasons was in expectant mood as Clontarf won the toss and elected to bat first. They had a dream start with 11 runs off the first over, 16 runs off the third over and 11 runs off the fifth over. The usually vocal Hills’ supporters were muttering about its team having to chase at least 200 runs, but the sixth over changed the course of the game as Ashley Bain took the wicket of the very dangerous P J Moor (36) thanks to a splendid catch on the boundary by Athar Farooqi.

Gradually, The Hills’ bowlers and fielders began to impose control of the game by taking wickets at crucial times and by reducing the number of runs conceded per over. Clontarf’s final score was 135 runs for 7, and the consensus among the Clontarf supporters was that the score was about 30 runs short of a competitive total.

Supporters of sports teams are a strange amalgam of extreme optimism and extreme pessimism, with the moods alternating depending on the particular circumstances. The Hills’ supporters were in buoyant mood after the first innings, but when a wicket was lost in the second over, optimism was then replaced by grim foreboding. This feeling of gloom was heightened when Murray Commins after an imperious knock of 21 runs was out to a catch by Paul Ryan off a relatively innocuous ball from David Delany.

However, Levon Shields maintained his composure, and played some beautiful shots in his innings of 31 runs. More wickets fell, and The Hills’ supporters began to wonder if a winning position was going to be thrown away. Dylan Blignaut (42*) and Tomás Rooney-Murphy (17*) allayed these fears, and Dylan finished the game in style with a towering 6.  

This was one of the great evenings at The Vineyard. We had sunshine, great cricket, very knowledgeable, passionate supporters, a big gathering of neutral spectators and the event was staged very efficiently by The Hills’ members and the staff of Cricket Leinster. Thanks very much to Matthew Smith for the brilliantly evocative selection of photographs.

10 August 2022 - To paraphrase the late Tony Sheehan, my game today was at Castle Avenue where the Typhoons and the Dragons were in opposition in the Super 3s  Cup. The competition has already been won by the Scorchers, but pride was at stake and also an opportunity to stake a claim for a place on the international team in the future.

The Typhoons won the toss and elected to bat, and Robyn Searle (143*) and Sophie Strickland (78) took full advantage of a good wicket and a lightning- fast outfield to help their team to a daunting 308 runs for the loss of only 3 wickets. The target became even more daunting when the Dragons had accumulated only 53 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. Arlene Kelly (87), Cara Murray (75) and Kate McEvoy (45*) staged a brilliant rear-guard action, and the Dragons ended on 280 runs which was a deficit of only 28 runs.

During the course of my steps, I engaged in dialogue with Stella Downes, Dick Forrest, Seán Hussey, Pat Banahan, Angela Mooney and Helen Caird.  Now to culinary matters, the question which I am asked most frequently on my rounds is what did you have for breakfast this morning? I didn’t have a cooked breakfast but thanks to Stella Downes, I dined on crispy chicken with sweet chilli sauce which was a complete departure for me from my customary preferences.

11 August - We remembered with great respect Tom Murphy who died on 11 November 2021 and would have been 99 on this day.

I was back in Kenure Park, Rush for two Finals, and on behalf of Cricket Leinster, I thank Rush for providing its ground for a number of finals.  The first game was between Clontarf Colts and Merrion Colts and having been involved in four presentation ceremonies after games which Clontarf had lost, the Clontarf players and mentors may have been under the impression that I was the common factor in bringing its teams bad luck. I watched a very good game, played in a fine spirit, and Clontarf won by a reasonably comfortable margin after a very strong batting performance.

There was a lengthy interval between the two Finals, and Eddie Scanlan came to my rescue by inviting me to partake of light refreshments at his home. Thanks to Eddie and Avril, his wife, for the lovely tea, sandwiches, and biscuits which ensured that I was totally refreshed and ready to return to Kenure Park for the second game.

The second Final of the day was between The Hills and Pembroke in the Minor Girls’ Competition. This game was closely contested, and the outcome was in doubt until the last ball had been bowled. Congratulations to the players and coaches of both teams for the manner in which the game was played, and very well done to Catherine, the coach, and the players of The Hills for bringing a second trophy to The Vineyard this week.

In addition to the wonderful contribution that Siobhán McBennett made to the organisation and hosting of the Finals, I thank Michael Cotter of Cricket Leinster who umpired both games, and organised the medals and trophies, and Matthew Smith who did such splendid work in having a great selection of photographs of both events organised so efficiently.

I called into The Vineyard on the way home and saw The Hills Minor Boys reach a Final by beating Terenure. As luck would have it, Audrey had cooked a beautiful curry for the players, and she insisted that I partake because in her own words, she had never known me to refuse food!

12 August - I was back in Sydney Parade for the Women’s Sprint Coatings Division 4 Cup Final between Pembroke W3 and Phoenix W2, and it was suggested to me that I might consider taking rooms on the Southside in view of the number of times that I had been seen in Sydney Parade during the past fortnight.

On another beautiful evening, we were treated to a very good game of cricket played in a very fine spirit with Pembroke coming out on top. Well done to the players of both teams, and thanks very much to Alan & Michelle Maginnis of Sprint Coatings who are the sponsors of women’s cricket competitions in Leinster. The very good news from Alan was his announcement that this sponsorship will continue for next season. It would be remiss of me not to thank Philip & Bhawna Byrne for the lovely curry which they provided for me at the end of the game (curries on three successive days, which was pointed out to me when I arrived home).

13 August - I drove to The Vineyard for the key IBI Corporate Finance Premier League game between The Hills and Merrion which was going to have a going to have a vital bearing on each team’s aspirations between now and the end of the season. It was good to meet up with John Heavey, Chair of Cricket Leinster, and to have a chat about general cricketing matters.

The Hills won the toss, elected to bat, and had a very poor start with  two wickets down, and only 3 runs on the board.  Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin and Murray Commins set about repairing the damage, and a partnership of 70 runs went some of the way towards allaying the fears of The Hills’ supporters. Cormac scored 35 runs and Murray scored 42, but their wickets fell without 14 runs of each other, and a further sense of gloom enveloped The Vineyard. Mark Donegan was The Hills’ saviour, and he batted brilliantly for his 88* runs. In partnership with Dylan Blignaut, he added 30 runs to the total, and he was the main scorer in all the other partnerships which brought The Hills’ total for the innings to 221 runs.

Some very knowledgeable observers at The Vineyard suggested that the par score was about 250 runs, but the only score of practical relevance is the number of runs that the team batting second can accumulate. The first Merrion wicket fell when 23 runs had been scored, but the very dangerous Jack Carty was scoring runs steadily at .the other end. Jonathan Tall is in a rich vein of form, and his caught and bowled on Carty enabled The Hills’ players and supporters to breathe a little easier. From that point onwards, Merrion had no significant partnership as wickets began to be taken on a regular basis, but the return to The Vineyard of Max Sorensen who had served The Hills so brilliantly over many seasons was a major cause of concern because he always had the ability to take a bowling attack apart. He had scored 12 runs when Jonathan Tall struck again, and with Max’s dismissal, Merrion’s hopes of winning diminished appreciably. Michael Lewis was out shortly afterwards to a brilliant stumping by Mark Donegan off the bowling of Levon Shields, and that effectively ended the game as a contest.

These are wonderful days for The Hills CC with successes in adult and youth cricket, and I am in the privileged position of having the honour of presenting the trophies in my role as President of Cricket Leinster. I apologise for this epistle being even longer than the previous ones, and one person has told me that the logs put him to sleep. Things will slacken off to a great extent in the coming weeks and it will be a relief to all concerned to know that the next missive, if there is one, will be shorter. Until then, it is onwards and upwards.