League - I could really just repeat the lines from last year's review. A pretty solid season from the 5ths. Siz wins from eleven matches is never going to be title winning form, but solid enough. It wasn't even as if there was a period of weakness or strength. Games were won and lost throughout the year, as there was never any real stability, but the quality was talways there
Cup
- The hardest possible draw in the Intermediate Cup, with run away winners of Inter A, away. A valiant effort all round in a two wicket defeat.
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20 Over Whelan Cup - Mea culpa. I managed to misread the draw for the Whelan cup, and thought we had a bye. We didn't. Cup run over before it started.
Review
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It was the old story really. 42 players used, but none played mnore than Charles Richards 9 matches. League winning sides are not built around a different team every week. Amir Khan was the undoubted star, but he slowly went up the sides in the second half of the year. Top run scorer (284) and wicket taker (11). In support only Khizar Khan and runs (although many more of would have if they had played more often). The bowling was the same story, 21 bowlers taking wickets but none only Amir Khan in double figures. Promotion in 2009 will depend on the re-organisation of the leagues for 2010, but it would be a start if the nucleus of a side could be found.
November 11th - No not an incredibly late refix, but I finally have all the 5ths stats. The review of the season will be up in the next day or so.
August 23rd - Rain. Still clinging on to 2nd spot, but with the 3rds needing several miracles to get promoted, the 5ths can't move up.
August 2nd - Another great win for the 5ths, against a Laois team whose minds were probably on the Senior 2 cup final in Rathmines (without taking anything away from the performance of the 5ths!) The bowlers set the game up, the pick being James Downey with 3-28 from 9.2. In pursuit of 105 to win, Irfan Khushid and Paul Delany plouged on after the early loss of Kizhar Khan, with Delany scoring 55, and Khushid 29, a 9 wicket win resulting. It leaves the 5ths in second place, with three games currently remaining. Next up is the crucial home match against third place Phoenix. A win in that and either Merrion or Halverstown will be enough to confirm runners up spot.
July 19th - A convincing win over Avondale. The class of Luke Ginnell was on show with 79,with a rare(ish) Rakesh Dixit fifty (65)in support at number 8 as the 5ths ran up an impressive 257-9 friom their 45 overs in Rathmines. Avindale were always going to be up against it, the wickets being shared around as the Wicklow side succumbed to 117 all out. The 5ths have been badly hit by other teams cup commitments - the latest to be postponed were last Sunday's match away to Knockharley, and the already postponed match away to Avondale on July 26th. The game in Clontarf on August 9th has also been a victim of other refixes, this time a Clontarf 1st XI match in Castle Avenue.
June 15th and June 28th - A win over Merrion in the league kept up the good league campaign. Batting first, Leinster ran up 260, with 50's for Khizar Khan, Amir Khan and Charles Richards. In reply, Merrion were undone by the wile of Charles Richards (3-21) and the guile of Ifran Khushid (4-15) as they fell 60 short. The cup was less successful, as they fell to a two wicket defeat last week in Laois. Batting first, the 5ths could only muster 177, with Amir Khan scoring yet another 50 (60 this time) and Irfan Khushid scoring 31. Although wickets were regularly taken, Laois were well up with the run rate, and passed the total for the loss of 8 wickets, with 13 overs left. That bowler extraordinaire, Charles Richards was the pick, with 4-21.
June 8th - 5ths return to winning ways. Captain Rakesh Dixit reports as follows, "YMCA won the toss and elected to bat. I opened the bowling with Amir khan
but to no avail, as we went wicketless, with YM scoring 35 runs from the first 11 overs. Irfan who replaced me got the
break through in the first over by a stunning catch by Imran at mid
wicket. Bharat bowled in tandem with Nayeem and Kaiser and Nayeem got
few wickets. Derek Dockrell came to the middle and started to play
his shots and gave us lots of chances but we did not take any of them
and he went on to make 106 until he was finally clean bowled by
Imitiaz. So YMCA lost all the wickets in the last over with the target
of 227 to win. Imitiaz and Imran opened the batting and Imran fell cheaply giving a skier to the gully filder.Then Paul Delany came in to bat,
batting sensibily with Imitiaz who was on the rampage with plenty of boundaries all
over the ground. He raced to a quick 81 and was finally out to 13 yrs old
kid who got him caught at short fine leg. We lost few more wickets and then
Amir Khan came to the rescue who once again showed that he is not a
basher and played cautiously and fired quick 69 and was out with only 2
runs to get. Charles hit the winning runs with Ifran. That leaves the 5ths solidly in the play-off positions, in a division so far dominated by Laois 2nds and Merrion 5ths
May 31st and June 2nd - A disappointing weekend for the 5ths, who are maybe missing their skipper who is in even sunnier climes. Saturday saw a defeat to a sort of Leinster B XI, Laois fielding a brace of Leinster players to enliven proceedings a bit. No details, apart from LCC collapsing from 200-2 to be all out shortly after. Monday saw a bit of a non event, Clontarf dismissing the 5ths for 135, before knocking them off for the loss of 4 wickets. Phil Pomery offers his thoughts here - and remember that the views expressed on this site do not neccessarily reflect the views of Leinster CC.
May 25th - A performance for which the phrase "it's going to be a lot easier to beat this lot if a good few of us perform today" could have been invented. Deciding to bat after winning the toss, Phoenix were bowled out for 196, with wickets for Amir Khan (1-33), Michael Scully (1-37), Bharat Sharma (3-42), Howard Block (3-43) and Paul Delany (2-17). Then all seven batsmen who were needed got in to double figures - Kenny Byrne (11), Gary Lawlor (13), Paul Delany (24), Graham Whelan (44), Amir Khan (52), Charles Richards (20*) and Mick Scully (12*). Kevin McPhilemy did neither, but took a catch, and the TFC award went to Irfan Khurshid who neither batted, took a wicket nor catch.
April 27th - Justin Story blazed his second LCC century for the 5ths yesterday (and surely deserves promotion finally for the 4ths) as the 5ths opened their 2008 account with an 81 run win over North County in a sun drenched Rathmines. With temperatures hitting the low 60's, Storey drove powerfully, although without much support from his comrades. Only Ciaran Casserly had the technique and commitment required to hang around, and his 27 was the only other score of note. Storey took a while to get going, and with the final over commencing was still six short of the magical mark. A single first ball didn't help, but the old head of Howard Block, tipped and ran ball number two. Five needed from four balls, and only one was needed as a straight six conincided with Nigel Owens awarding Munster the penalty that terminated Saracen's hopes. 192 was not an impossible task, but that was without reckoning on the skills of one Michael Scully. Combining with Phil Benson, Scully drew three men from the safety of their crease, and another two to take a handy five wicket haul. Vikram Singh helped with 3-30,North County finishing on 110 all out.
April 13th - With the Slovenian Ambassador in attendance (who in an interesting role reversal, was heard to mutter, "Colette, with these sausage rolls, you are really spoiling us."), Mezica CC inserted the motley assortment of Leinster players, most of whom filled their boots in this friendly
friendly. It was one of those days that typified the spirit of
pre-season friendlies - a chance to catch up with friends, and to catch
up on the latest on the competitive world of Slavic cricket. It was
also cold and miserable. By late afternoon, every run was being cheered
by the large travelling support, and eventually the visitors got to
around 100 for the loss of their 14 wickets (Eight of which fell to ace
lob bowler Casserly). Many stories were swapped in the bar, before
promises were made to travel to Eastern Europe next year
RHB, RM, DOB: --/--/--