WHEN Jeremy Bray moved to YMCA at the start of the season, many eyebrows were raised. The former Ireland opening batsman had averaged 67 in helping CIYMS to its first ever NCU league title in 2012 and it was believed the incentive package to play up North was bulkier than could be had in Dublin.
But there was one tug that proved stronger - the tug of his old pal from Sydney cricket Trent Johnston. "We always said to each other that we'd play one more season together", TJ said at the start of this campaign.
Watching the pair put on a match-winning partnership of 136 against Pembroke in the third-time-lucky RSA Leinster Senior Cup final at Claremont Road brought home how much Irish fans owe to this pair for the glory years of the last decade.
Bray's masterfully compiled century may not have been in the harsh spotlight of Sabina Park, but with his teammates eating lunch at 114-4 (Bray 30no) there was serious concern that YMCA could post a winning total. Johnston joined him after the curry, and the runs began to flow.
Pembroke were badly hampered by a shortage of bowling resources, with Fiachra Tucker taking 5-17 for Ireland U15s, Middlesex preventing Andrew Balbirnie joining up, and a second hamstring injury of the season knocking his brother Harry out after two deliveries. Bray feasted on the replacements, with one Jack Balbirnie over yielding three maximums. (Harry's absence also opened the door to a historic appearance by Kim Garth as sub fielder for more than 30 overs.)
The pitch was unhelpful too, with no discernible movement and minimal turn. YMCA took first bat, and skipper Albert van der Merwe asked Alan Lewis to open with Reinhardt Strydom.
Lewy's taste for the big occasion is well-known, and for a time the 49-year-old showed some of the shots that gave him a glittering career and four cup final centuries. He had made 27 - his best cup final innings since a ton against Leinster in 1991, all of five finals ago. He clipped Barry McCarthy’s first ball for four, but next ball he inside-edged onto the stumps and walked off with a promise to give it ‘just one more year’.
With an excellent Lightning debut of 76 and 2-21 under his belt last week, and Phil Simmons hovering beside the pavilion, the stage was set for Simmi Singh to further press his claims. But perhaps the occasion got to him, and he battled for 11 off 30 balls including a dropped slip chance by Paul Lawson off McCarthy. He finally perished in the last over before lunch, charging wildly past a Lawson delivery and falling to a sharp stumping by Lorcan Tucker.
It was a rare lapse in a glittering season – perhaps he needs to change his name to Synge to convince some of the xenophobes who play ‘count-the-Irishman’ on representative squads.
The New South Welsh veterans took over after the break, although Allan Eastwood’s despair was palpable when Kevin Gallagher turned down two very credible appeals for lbw before Johnston had reached double figures. Trent was finally out for 62, with the score on 250, shortly after Bray had just reached his 24th senior ton, one behind Andre Botha, and one ahead of Alf Masood, both of whom were there to witness it.
It crowned an amazing weekend for Bray, who had struggled for form in the early part of his career at his sixth Irish club. On Saturday he made an unbeaten 87 to put YMCA in pole position for the league title, and his 130 in the final made it 217 not out for the weekend – in which he also passed 10,000 senior runs in Leinster.
The total of 288-6 was reckoned to be a little above par, but not so much as to totally demoralise the visitors. Ryan Hopkins, who has come back strongly after a Stateside sabbatical and pushing for representative recognition, made a brisk 24 and captain Theo Lawson and Robin Russell took the score to 83-1 just before tea and a promising platform. But the loss of Lawson just before the interval, caught behind off Singh, was a serious blow.
Singh picked up the obdurate Russell shortly after the pizza break, and thereafter wickets fell at regular intervals. A major innings was required by someone, but only Barry McCarthy threatened to make one before he fell to a good running catch by Singh in front of the sightscreen at the Wes Earl End. The YM spin-triplets sapped the batsmen, with Van der Merwe taking most advantage with four scalps for 39, three clean bowled.
In the end the superior force of YMCA ran out winners by 79 runs, but Pembroke’s shavers are on the brink of becoming a major power in the land and high-stakes games will only make them harder. The game was played in a noticeably good spirit, and there was no need for any admonitions in the post-game speeches, with CL President Henry Tighe expressing his justifiable pride in his club-mates skill and commitment.
But it was Albert VDM who collected the historic RSA trophy, and Jeremy Bray the man of the match award. And Alan Lewis went home and tossed his tenth winners medal into the vast treasure chest he keeps at the end of his bed.
Fógra: Cricket Leinster run a good cup final, and their attention to detail always ensures it’s a good day out. But they get no marks for skimping in one important area. For years umpires were given a mere ‘thank you’ in the speeches but now get nice mementos of their achievement in being selected for the game. But the scorers – whose duties have hugely expanded in recent times and need to concentrate on over 700 deliveries – got not a thing. Take a bow Andrew Mooney and Mark Leonard; You – literally – deserve a medal.