5th Team LCC

The 5ths have been the Real Madrid of LCC, with a trophy cabinet groaning under the weight of the silverware won. Finding themselves in Junior A at the start of the 1990's, two promotions in 1995 and 96 saw the 5ths move up to Intermediate A, a position that cannot be bettered until higher sides get promoted. In cups, the glorious 5ths have been winners of the Junior Cup (1991 and 1995), the Intermediate Cup (2005 and runners up in 2003) and the Whelan Cup in 1997.

Leinster Cricket Club

Imran Mohammed, Michael Lenehan, Vikram Singh, Ikram Niazi, Bard Ovenden, Khizer Khan

Leading 5ths run scorer (2001-present)

Leading 5ths wicket taker (2001-present)

League - Records are a bit scarce, as the multi captaincy issues meant that scorecards were hard to come by. However, batting didn't seem to be the problem. Imran Mohammed had his famous blitzkrieg against Halverstown, adding another 96 runs to finish with 201 @ 40.20. Khizer Khan was also useful with 198 @ 39.60, Ikram Niazi scored 170 runs whilst onlky being dismissed once, Michael Lenehan 131 @ 32.75 and Bard Ovenden 126 @ 31.50. You don;t tend to finish 3rd from bottom in the league with figures like that, so the problems must have been elsewhere. Only four bowlers took more than three wickets - Imran with 11 @ 6.45, Bharat Sharma ((9 @ 12.78), Rakesh Dixit (8 @ 20.88) and Vikram Singh (8 @ 13.25). Those perennial bugbears of lack of leadership, and an unsettled squad didn't help either

Cup - A fine 1st round performance to beat Pembroke by 8 wickets (Scully, Maybury-Thornton and Lenehan starring), followed by a many time postponed match against YM, resulting in a bowl out victory. The run came to an end with defeat to North Wicklow/Avondale.

20/20 - A match that has disappeared into the mists of time due to not being able to get the scorecard. I've heard that Pembroke won in a match where the scores finished level

Review - It's been said a thousand times that success doens't come to teams without a settled team or a settled captaincy. The 5ths struggled on, cobbling together teams throughout the season. Of the 49 players used, only 27 were members of the club, a situation that won't be allowed to happen again.

Although the new season will bring opportunity to many, Leinster 5ths will still miss out, as they have the 4ths in the division above them, and hence won't be able to move up. There is though the carrot of the Intermediate Cup Final in Rathmines, with the 6ths also competing. What price a 5ths vs 6ths final in Observatory Lane? Probably about 1000-1. There're plenty of other reasons to get excited though. Division 8 is a mix of the former Inter A, Inter B and even a couple from Junior A, but despite that, it is hard to predict. Sandyford 2, Wexford, YMCA 3, Clontarf 4 and Leinster 5 are the five teams from Inter A, and should remain known quantities. Wicklow County 2 could be anything (but should be fairly strong) and even the two teams from Junior A should be able to hold their own. Balbriggan 2 should benefit from the gradual strengthening of that club, and Ireland Women are now a vastly more efficient outfit than they were when getting relegated for several seasons. Rory McMahon takes over the reins, possibly a tough task for someone who only came back to the game last season. But two 50s to finish off the season confirmed his pedigree, and there's no reason why the 5ths shouldn't be competitive. The fixture list is a little lopsided - after the inter club match that will be the Ireland Women game in Observatory Lane, they travel to Wicklow, Marlay Park and Wexford, before seven home games across June, July and August. Trips to Clontarf, Balbriggan and YM close the season. Prediction? 4th out of eight.