13 September 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

The 28 points in this match, leave the 3rds with 245 from 360 points - 68%. This is an unbelievable turnaround from the dark days of early August when the league percentage was 49%. Six straight wins later, and the 3rds are looking at a solid top 3 place.

Runs against Bagnalstown for three sages of the game, Charles Richards (39), Paul Delany (57*) and the well travelled Naga Trakulara (31). That was enough for a 40 over score of 178-6 (the game started late after Bagnalstown took a scenic tour of leafy Dublin 6 - unfortunately the game was in Dublin 16).

Gareth Delany then took had his best bowling figures in Men's cricket with 3-36 as Bagnalstown made 134-9 from their allocation. That's the end of a pretty successful season for the 3rds. They're safely in Division 5 for next year, and picked up the YM Salver to boot.

A full review will appear on these pages in the next few weeks.

05 September 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

The 3rd's fifth win on the trot, a run that has seen the team hurtle up the league table. A bizarre game looking at the scorecard.

Rob O'Connor is continuing his golden season, with another four wickets (for 21 from 10) took the floor from beneath The Hill's feet. Malcolm Rule also bowled well to take 3-13, and The Hills had been bundled out for 87 in only 25 overs.

However Leinster didn't find it any easier, and although I don't have the full scorecard, it looks as if the 3rds were about 30-5. Then Imran Mohammed came in, bkazed away, and hit 55 runs to wrap the game up. No one else got in double figures, he scored 31% of all runs in the match, and hence 62% of runs in the innings.

27 points won from a possible 30, which gives Leinster 65.8% (217 from 330). 

30 August 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

The streak continued, this crushing win over Phoenix due to the combined talents of Pete Johnston, Paul Delany and Malcolm Rule. Johnston cracked a superb 134, as with support from Imran Mohammed and Rob O'Connor, Leinster declared after 40 overs on 247-7. The Phoenix tail crumbled to the Laker and Lock of Leinster, as Paul Delany (4-19 from 10) and Malcolm Rule (4-8 from 8.1) made sure Phoenix could only reach 135 all out

22 August 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

The 3rd's August winning streak continued with this possibly not quite deserved victory over Railway Union 3rds in Rathmines. Once again it was down to Rob O'Connor, who scored a career best 40* to help Leinster to a respectable 183-8.

It was looking anything but rosy when O'Connor came to the wicket (I have don't have a full scorecard, but Leinster must have been something like 100-8, but him and Bikram Arora, batted out of their skins to get the Leinster score up to defendability.

It was still going to require a special bowling performance, and when Railway got off to a great start, it didn't look as if it wasn't going to happen. But then third change bowler, Mr DK Lappin turned the game up-side down with another five wicket performance - 5-28 from 9. Railway finished 26 short on 157ao.

One point was dropped, 29/30, and the 3rds move to 190 from 300 (63.3%) and probable 5th in the league

15 August 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

August is becoming a crucial month for the 3rds, as they attempt to grab 6th spot in Middle A. Another win, this time against lowly Rush.

Jason Nagle finally got the runs that he looks as if he is always going to score with 85, and Paul Delany got the runs that he nearly always does score with 54, as the 3rds ran up 229-8 from 45 overs. Niks Nagar and Rob O'Connor weighed in at the end.

Rush emerged from the opening partnership of Sabir and O'Connor easily (one wicket lost), but then ran into the brick wall that is the change attack of Scully (4-24) and Rule (3-37). Rush had no answer to Mick Scully's gentle away swingers, vicious in duckers, quick bouncers, and subtle slower balls, and were eventually all out for 162.

Maximum points for the 3rds to move to 161 from 270 (59.6%) and quite possibly the coveted 6th spot in the league.

01 August 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

David Lappin was the hero, continuing his rich vein of form in recent days as the 3rds beat Merrion in a nail biter in Observatory Lane. The Merrion innings got off to a good start, but Lappin altered the course of the innings bowling with genuine lack of pace from the Mount Pleasant end. Mssrs Scully and Mohammed shared the other five.

149 were needed to win, and Lappin and Mohammed set off in fierce pursuit, until the latter was out. A middle order collapse ensued, with only Bard Ovenden able to help Lappin with some lusty blows. Colleran and Scully added a few, but with wickets constantly falling, Lappin was left with number 11, Rory Geraghty and 13 runs to get.

Unlike the Pembroke game a fortnight ago, Gero duly completed his duties, and Leinster had won by 1 wicket.

Lappin finished on a heroic 60 odd. How is the league position affected I hear you ask? They've now won three from eight, 131 points from 240 (54.6%). Still 7th spot, but it's looking a bit more rosy.

01 August 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

Another loss for the 3rds, who are now losing wheels all over the place, with a two wins from seven matches ratio. CYM scored 187-9, and I can't for the life of me work out whether that was a good score or not. The mat should mean that the par score is roughtly the same every week, but it rarely works out like that.

Imitiaz "The Power" Nazir took 3-46, and Dave Lappin, a pretty stunning 2-17 from 10. Whether it was a good score or not didn't make too much difference, as Leinster's batting was on the poor side bloody awful. Only Will Rolfe (37) and Rob O'Connor (33) offered any form of respectability.

Leinster got 10 points from the match; 103 from 210 overall and 49.0%. That gives 7th spot, and the gap between Division 6 (7th) and Division 5 (6th) is getting larger. Bagnalstown are now 7% ahead, but with the Leinster vs Bagnalstown clash possibly not going ahead, it may be difficult to catch up.

25 July 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

Spectacle of the season so far in Sydney Parade on Sunday, although unfortunately the 3rds lost by the odd run.

Pembroke had the first dig, and got up to a respectablish 174-7 from 40 overs. Imitiaz Nazir the pick of the bowlers with 3-23, Lappin (2-24) and Geraghty (2-32 (but from 4)) also had some success. When Leinster's turn came, Nazir quickly fell and Sabir, Miller and Arora quickly fell after minor contributions. But with Paul Delany holding steady at number four, there was hope.

It needed middle order contributions from Lawlor (22), Godfrey (17) and Lappin (11) to get close, and when the final over began, Delany was on strike and unbeaten on 65, with Malcolm Rule on 4 at the other end and five to win. Ball 1 saw a single for Delany, and Ball 2 two for Rule. Two to win, four balls to do it and Leinster in the driving seat.

I haven't heard who was bowling for Pembroke, but under pretty extreme pressure for Middle A, he/she reeled off four decent deliveries - a dot, then getting Rule caught behind off the fourth ball. Geraghty missed ball number five, and then was stumped off the last ball, leaving Pembroke as victors by 1 run.

From my calculations, Leinster have now only won two matches from 6 games (and four matches lost to rain), and have a percentage of 51.67% (the Merrion victory isn't in the league tables either. That is probably still 7th spot and would see Division 6 next year. Top 6 is the aim for Division 5.

18 July 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

The first trophy of the season for the club, and the first YM Salver victory since 2004. Peter Johnston was the hero, with another inspiring knock of 80 not out. The lad will go far.

Not too much in the way of atmospheric reporting as I was round the corner in Park Avenue, but a high scoring encounter by all accounts. Civil Service scored 132-9 with Imitiaz Nazir taking 4-21 and a certain Michael Scully 3-23. The total must have been about 50 runs too short though, as it was knocked off in 14 overs for the loss of one wicket.

17 July 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

The 3rds league campaign got a much needed boost with this win over Merrion's fourth string. They've now won two from five, and need to keep on winning to get that coveted top 6 spot, to ensure Division 5 cricket next year.

The instigators were two Leinster men who have had contrasting cricketing careers. Pete Johnston has risen to the higher eschelons of the country's coaching network, and is still good enough to be Senior cricketer, but the call of the Irish set up is often, and Pete is currently turning out for Leinster whenever he can. However, he made the most of his day in club colours with another 80 odd (88) which he seems to have specialised in over the last couple of seasons.

With that spring chicken Clive Colleran scoring 45, and Gavin Miller (surely only a few years away from veteran status himself) 34, Leinster reached 215. And now enter stage left that other player in our tale, Bikram Arora.

Disco has been like a yo yo of recent years, a starring performance in a Senior Cup match against Clontarf, being mixed in with a good few (much) lower performaces as form deserted him. However his 6-23 in this match showed him on the way back up, and saw Merrion collapse to 151 all out.

30 June 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

 In a similar kind of scorecard to the quarter final, the 3rds progressed to the YM Salver final, after Imitiaz Nazir scored 66 out of 149 to set up a commanding total against Railway Union in Park Avenue. Niks Nagar contributed a typically quick knock of 32, and 150 is a tough total to chase in Park Avenue. It looked good for Railway to begin with as O'Connor and Nagle were expensive, but Sabir and Nazir took wickets aplenty, as the final spot was booked. 

27 June 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

In a pretty abject performance, the 3rds were ejected from the Middle Cup by 63 runs at the weekend. Not too many came out of the game with their head's held high.

Purely by the scorecard, Pete Johnston (66), Bikram Arora (22) and Imitiaz Nazir (3-30 from 8) would have been happy with their performance. Malahide got off to a pretty explosive start, with the normally reliable Rob O'Connor going for 22 from 2, and after that only Nazir went for less than four per over, as the Villagers clocked up 231-6.

The repsonse never really go going, with only Johnston providing the resistance, the cup run ending (and only lasting so long because of a bye) at 168 all out.

16 June 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

Jason Nagle's first 50 for Leinster was the cornerstone of this exciting quarter final YM Salver encounter with Dundrum 1sts. The YM Salver is probably the one competition that we've had the most success in in the last few years, a win and then a runners-up spot last year, and this was the first step on the road to another final.

Nagle's knock saw a total of 127 posted, below average one would think, and Dundrum finished excruciatingly close (125-6) by the end, the work being spread around by the bowlers. Railway Union await in the Semi.

13 June 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

Another defeat (1-3), but a few semblances of recovery. Jason Nagle finally got some runs under his belt (42) and Ifti Sabir (4-31) and Paul Delany (3-22) more wickets. In truth though, this was a game that should have been won , after Pembroke were bowled out for 161 in Rathmines.

I'm not sure which square this was played on - on the main square 160 is 60 short of par, on the bottom square it's about par. Even then, 120 wasn't what the doctor ordered. Nagle was the only batsmen past 20 - more application needed from the others!

01 June 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

A less than impressive batting performance saw the 3rds slip to 1-2 with this 4 wicket defeat to Mullingar. No one passed 20, as Scully's men, were shot out for 104. Even with a decent bowling attack this was going to be too few, and Mullingar passed the total for the loss of six wickets, Rob O'Connor continuing his excellent start to the season with 4-27 from 10,

24 May 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

A crucial 65 from Imitiaz Nazir, after four wickets from Paul Delany were enough to tilt this early season tie against Phoenix in Leinster's favour. Nazir's knock, along with Pete Johnston's 24 and Mark Kenny's 25 were the only substantial innings, as the 3rds pursuit of Phoenix's 146 stuttered somewhat.

There were five ducks (Mssrs Delany, Miller, Kenealy, Scully and Sabir please stand in the corner), but Kenny's unbeaten knock was crucial. Earlier, Ifti Sabir's 3-22 from 8.1, and Paul Delany's 4-31 from 7 had set up the victory chase.

04 May 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

Following in the footsteps of the 2nds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths and 7ths; the 3rds also managed to lose their first league game.

Batting first, 131-3 looked promising for Leinster, after 46 from Clive Colleran, and 20s from Paul Delany, Imitiaz Nazir and Steve Kenealy. As has been the case all season though, it isn't easy for those who come in at the end to swing straight away, and another collapse ensued, the 3rds closing on 164-9 from their 45 overs.

In reply (and based purely on my interpretation of the scorecard) the bowlers plugged away, without ever seeming to be able to inflict enough damage. Rob O'Connor was the pick with 3-29, Paul Delany next best with 2-39.

01 April 2009
Posted in Mens 3rds

Now the 2nds have moved to Senior 2, the 3rds can restart their quest to get to Senior 3 (or at least Division 3 as it will be in 2010). There will be a late start to the season, with the first game not being until May 4th, at home to CYM. After that it's cricket virtually every week, a bye in the cup leaves a second round match in Malahide. It all finishes with the hosting of Bagnalstown on September 13th. As far as the new leagues go, it may be that the top 7 in Middle A will make Division 4, with the bottom 3 being put in Division 5