Batsmen extraordinary were Frank Reddy, a beautiful back foot player, and Frank Connell of the high backlift. Reddy made his first international appearance in 1929 and thereafter played on 14 other occasions up to the outbreak of war. In the 1932 victory over Scotland at Greenock he had an invaluable partnership with George McVeagh after Ireland, trailing by 83 runs on first innings, teetered on 98 for 4 on their second visit to the wicket - and carried out his bat for a fine 50

If that was his top international score Reddy also performed favourably when India paid their first visit to this country in 1936, scoring 32 not out in Ireland's second-innings total of 119 at College Park but not preventing the visitors from triumphing by ten wickets.

In 1931 Frank won the Marchant Cup, which was then awarded for League performances only, with 312 runs and 44.57 average. That season Ingram was second, Bookman third, and Connell sixth in an almost total dominancy by Leinster batsmen. Reddy had scores of 101 not out in 135 minutes against Dublin University at Rathmines in 1931, another century against Y.M.C.A at Rathmines four years later and his top score of 123 against Dublin University, again at Rathmines, in 1950

Reddy made most of his 3500 runs for the club by straight driving on both sides of the wicket. He was also a magnificent short-leg fielder and many a "miraculous" catch he gobbled up in that perilous position.

Possessing great wit and a nice line of yarns, he rendered the following verse at a banquet after a match against New Zealand in which the famous C.S.Dempster, was twice controversially given out by umpire Byrne

When Dempster came from Nottingham

'Twas said, on his return

He knelt down, nightly, by his bed

And prayed for 'Mucker' Byrne!"

For Reddy, life without a laugh and a bit of good clean fun was unthinkable. He really loved his cricket - and the Leinster club and all that made it tick.

Born in 1902 Frank Connell made his debut in senior cricket with Civil Service in 1920 and scored two centuries for them before transferring to Leinster in 1928. His senior playing career at Rathmines spanned some 24 years during which every honour came to him.

The abiding memory of Frank Connell is the tremendous power which he applied to his strokes and the perfect timing with which he executed them. For ten consecutive years (1933-42) he scored, mostly as an opening bat, at least one competitive century each season and in 1935 he scored four centuries - a record he shares with Eddie Ingram and E.L.Kidd (and then repeated by Trent Johnston in 2001). In all he scored 18 centuries and 7845 runs in 302 innings in Senior club competitions

He won the Marchant Cup in 1934 and again in 1935 and was promised by T.F.Marchant, the donor, that the trophy would be permanently his if he finished top of the averages again in 1936. But Bernard Bergin, though aggregating only 136 runs pipped him for the award.

Bergin's total would not qualify for inclusion under today's rules. More unfortunate still for Connell was that had account been taken of cup runs, as they are now, his average would have been superior to Bergin's. Ironically, Connell recaptured the Marchant Cup in 1937 to become the first batsman to win the trophy on three occasions. In 1935 he had successive scores of 102, 114, 90 not out (abandoned at tea because of rain), 79 and 119! Of the centuries he hit in ten successive seasons undoubtedly the hardest won was his undefeated 108 out of a Leinster total of 177 against Clontarf at Castle Avenue in 1936. During his career at Rathmines, Leinster won the League ten times and the Cup twice.

Connell would have played more then 11 times for Ireland between 1934 and 1938 but for illness. He hit two fifties - top score 87 - but no international centuries. With apparently plenty of time in which to make his strokes, runs came freely from his bat on all sides of the wicket. Even when he retired from the Senior grade, Frank played on and coached many young Leinster players at Senior 2 and Intermediate level in the 1950s. He was in fact a key member of the 1951 Second XI which brought off the Cup and League double, along with S.E.Law, J.R.Notley and C.Manahan

When his playing days were over Frank turned his energy to the running of the game he loved so passionately. He became Honorary Secretary of the Leinster Cricket Union in 1951 and administered those duties for the next ten years.

Around this time, J.R.Graham came to the fore as an adroit off-break bowler. He led the Leinster Cricket Union averages with 43 wickets for 363 runs in 1934 and the following season again finished at the top of the provincial averages with 65 wickets for 616 runs. He was back again at the head of affairs in 1937 with 52 wickets at 8.51 apiece, but the O'Grady Cup, presented that year for the first time, was won by Jimmy Boucher who had an average of 7.06 for League performances only.

Graham was not to be denied, however, and in 1939 he took the O'Grady Cup with 47 wickets at a cost of 9.21. With Jimmy Gill winning the Marchant Cup it was the first time in the same season both trophies had been won by players from the same club. As Charles Cuffe was best wicket-keeper with 20 dismissals and W.C.Pemberton, with seven catches, led the fielding with Boucher and Brendan Quinn, it virtually amounted to a clean sweep of the individual awards by Leinster players.

Graham's best figures in 1927 were 7 for 29 against Civil Service at Rathmines and 6 for 14 against Railway Union at Park Avenue; in 1933 he had 8 for 30 against Clontarf at Castle Avenue and in successive matches in 1934 he claimed 4 for 10 against Civil Service at Rathmines, 6 for 10 against Dublin University, 3 for 7 against Pembroke at Sydney Parade and 8 for 31 against Clontarf at Rathmines.

On seven other occasions up to 1939 Graham was to dismiss more then five batsmen in an innings, and in three matches he was to return identical figures of 7 for 26, against Clontarf at Rathmines in 1936, against Clontarf at Castle Avenue in the return match the following season and against Pembroke at Rathmines in 1939.

He took 496 wickets for Leinster and on four times he accounted for more than 50 batsmen in a season.

Now it's time to pay homage to the great Eddie Ingram, affectionately known as "Chicken" to his team-mates. Born in Dublin in 1910 and a member of Leinster from the time he was ten years old, Eddie Ingram almost vies with Bob Lambert for the title of the "greatest all-rounder Leinster ever produced." He came into Irish XI while still at Belvedere College and remained an indispensable member for 25 years.

When Sir Julian Cahn's XI were beaten at Rathmines in 1938 Ingram and Jimmy Boucher took 17 wickets between them - Ingram's haul being 10 for 73 - and against the Australians at College Park in 1938 he skittled seven batsmen for 83 in 34.4 overs. At College Park in 1949 he turned a Yorkshire total of 286-5 into 293 all out, taking the last five wickets without conceding a run. Another splendid bowling performance for Ireland was his 5 for 56 in 33 overs at Lord's in 1953.

Lord's was also the scene of two magnificent innings from him, 78 and 83, in 1935. Never was his flair for aggression more evident than in the second innings. Set 191 to win in less than two hours, Ireland started by scoring 40 runs in as many minutes. Hopes of victory seemed to be diminishing. What could not have been expected was the whirlwind knock soon to be unleashed by Ingram. So merciless an assault did he ,in particular, and J.G.Cooke in a supporting role, launch on the home bowling that the total increased to 120 in an hour and Ireland ran out winners by six wickets - and still five minutes remaining for play!

In relation to his ability to move quickly between wickets, an amusing story is told of an all-run four when batting with another member of the Rathmines club at Lord's. The Headquarters wicket was pitched somewhat off centre, giving a very long boundary on one side. Ingram skillfully placed a shot into the furthest corner. As two MCC fielders scampered to retrieve the ball, four runs were completed. But Ingram was not satisfied, calling for a fifth. His partner, however, was in no mood or condition to come again and in an agitated voice pleaded: "For Christ's sake, no more, "Chicken". I'm shagged!"

Ingram played 48 times for Ireland between 1928 and 1953, scoring ten half-centuries - the last of them came against India at College Park in 1952 - and 1628 runs in all, and taking 151 wickets. The double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets came in 1947 after 31 wickets. He was the second player - Bob Lambert was the first - to achieve this splendid feat.

Ingram won the Marchant Cup in 1932 with an average of 73 and again the following season, when he had a run of 103 not out, 100 not out, 64, 213, 86 and 85. In all he compiled nine centuries in Leinster competitive cricket

When Leinster amassed 506 for 9 against Phoenix at Rathmines in 1933 Ingram scored 213 and aggregated 759 altogether that season. Especially strong in defensive back play and on the leg side, he hooked savagely and ball short of length. As a bowler he kept good batsmen on the defensive over after over with his leg breaks, mixing, in later years, inswing with leg roll at slow medium pace.

Transferred to the Park Royal Brewery in London in 1936, Ingram soon made his presence felt in top cricket circles in that city and his exploits for Ealing, the Club Cricket Conference and for Middlesex, with whom he won his county cap in 1948, always made brilliant reading. On his departure from Rathmines he was presented by club members with a gold cigarette case - a gift he was to cherish for the rest of his life.

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