15 April 2012
Posted in Men 2012 - General

The 2012 season has started in the perfect manner, with all three Leinster teams this weekend recording wins.

Saturday saw Leinster take on Merrion in a pre-season warm-up match, and with both sides having six or seven first team members on show, it provided a useful work out all round. Dom Joyce was the star of the show for Merrion, scoring 97 as Merrion got to 199 from their 45 overs. Pete Johnston scored an impressive 42* to take the chase to the last few overs, after Hugh McDonnell scored 37. A flurry of late wickets meant a tight finish, but Shair Chaudhary held his nerve, as Leinster won in the last over by 2 wickets. The scorecard is on the Cricket Leinster site

Pistol Pete was again the MVP on Sunday and the 2nds warmed up for their first Division 2 season with a match at home to Balbriggan. Johnston scored 99, as Leinster made 178 from 40 overs. Barry Archer anchored the Balbriggan reply, and the Fingallians only needed 30 runs from the last 12 overs with 8 wicket remaining. An impressive collapse followed that was almost entirely down to the guile of Gareth Delany. Delany took five wickets including a hat trick, as Leinster snatched the victory by 3 runs.

History was made in Castle Avenue, as the LCU season was opened by the 8th's inaugral match - against Clontarf 7ths. No news yet, except to report that the 8ths sit proudly a top Division 14, after recording a victory