It has been brought to my attention (read - I didn't realise) that Will Lennon has become the 12th Leinster player to have completed the 1000 run/100 wicket league double.

It was acheived in the momentous Pembroke match, when a truly spectacular 70* from Lennon ripped victory from the Sandymount side. When Lennon moved onto 18, the double was probably the last thing on his mind, but he joined only 11 other Leinster players since 1919 in achieving this feat. It was his 90th match.

The list of 12 players takes in most of the greats of Rathmines cricket. The first to get to the milestone was R.H.Lambert, who passed it sometime on the mid 1920's.

He was followed by possibly Leinster's greatest player Eddie Ingram, who bestrode Observatory Lane between 1928 and 1948. Paddy Mannion and Martin Burke followed in the late 1930's. Number five to reach this point was current legend, Gerry Duffy, who famously played for Leinster in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70's, 80's and 90's. I suppose he would have passed 1000/100 some time in the 1950's. He is of course the only player to have also achieved the 9000 run / 900 wicket double (and scored 10264 runs and 944 wickets!)

Bobby Harris was next to the mark, joining Leinster from Cremore in 1960. Then come the players from the modern era (or at least those I've played with!)

Gerry Delany and Tom McDonnell were vital components of the great LCC teams of the 70's, and whilst Gerry would have been the better "allrounder", averaging 23 with bat and 21 with ball (as opposed to Tom's 14 and 19), Tom was a decent batsman as well, whose batting got better as his career advanced.

Finally to those who are still playing(ish). Peter Byrne was a possibly underrated allrounder and left arm spinner, who was a much better batsman than given credit for (currently batting 10 and 11 for Pembroke in his occasional appearances). Next was Richie Waddell, another player who got limited batting opportunities in the trophy winning teams of the late 1990's. The final name on the list before Lennon arrive was our very own Gavin Gilmore, who currently has 1246 runs and 135 wickets.

So Duffy is out on his own with a 9000/900 double, Lambert, Ingram, Mannion and Delany, the 3000/300 mark, Harris and McDonnell the 2000/200 mark, with the others at the 1000/100 mark. Can Gilmore and Lennon move upwards? Who will be the next to reach 1000/100?

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