Division 8 stats
Leading all time run scorer (2011-2016) - Nicky Fusco (Wicklow County) - 1331 runs @ 27.16
Most runs in a Division 8 season - Nadun Srimal Jasinghe (Bagenalstown) - 582 runs (2014)
Highest score - Umar Saleem - 166* - Knockharley 2 vs The Hills 3 - Milverton - 28 June 2014
Leading all time wicket taker (2011-2016) - Khalid Chaudhary (Leinster/Wicklow County) - 56 wkts @ 17.59
Most wickets in a Division 8 season - Ali Qasim (Balbriggan) - 29 wkts (2011)
Best bowling - Chris Siddell - 7-11 - Malahide 4 vs Dundalk 1 - Malahide - 27 Apr 2014
Most matches - Nicky Fusco (Wicklow County) - 51 - (2011-2016)
Highest team score - 293-5 - Balbriggan 2 vs Merrion 6 - Jack Harper Memorial Ground - 12 Aug 2012
Lowest team score - 32 all out - Dublin University 2 vs Knockharley 2 - Kentstown - 30 May 2015
Division 8 will be a seven team division in 2017, and even at this early stage, it looks as if those 42 matches will lead to a table of two halves with a definite top four and a bottom three. To see who we think will be in each half, read on.
2016 brought a pleasant tinge of success to Swords. After a few years of relative stagnation, the season brought about an improvement of four places in their league position, leaving them at the hughest they have ever been. That stagnation should not be read as a criticism - they may have been stuck the mid 70s in terms of league position, but that leaves them as the 30th best first team on the province, and above teams such as Carlow, Dundalk, Slieve Bloom and Ringcommons - al teams that have plaudits thrown at them. But despite the positivity, there remains the fact that Swords' highest position would need to be improved upon by another four places to reach safety. It is of course possible but we think Swords 1 may struggle this year, and finish in 7th.
The Hills 3 fell in the league from 2011 to 2015, but 2016 saw a welcome rise up the league, finishing in 65th place as they took the Division 9 title. Whether that rise is to be a blip or a return to good fortune remains to be seen. It will be at the forefront of many of the finest minds in Milverton that a club of the Hill's stature should have a third team that is playing at a higher level (they finished 10th of all 3rd teams in 2016), and although they can't finish higher than tenth, (there are no other third teams in Division 8) a good season would send them in the right direction. They haven't the best record against any of the other teams in the league though (for example, being 1-4 vs Leinster 4) and will need to find a new zeal if they are to succeed. We're predicting 6th.
Pembroke 4 should be looking at the season ahead with glee, realsing that they can drop down a level, destory the opposition and return to the exalted heights of Division 7 from whence they came. But it may not be that easy. Although they have been between 50th and 57th every year in the league since 2011 (which equates to higher than first place in Division 8), they don't have the record of a team that is far too good at this level. They have lost their only match against Adamstown 2; have lost two matches against Leinster 4, and despite having a winning record against Clontarf 4, they have still managed to lose four of their nine matches against them. It would be tempting to predict Pembroke will bounce straight back up, but it may be a tougher season than many expect. 5th.
In a seven team division with seven teams that are something of an enigma, Clontarf 4 are as enagmatic as any of them. Coming from a club that has first and second teams that are starting to dominate their leagues, it would be short leap of the imagination to assume the other teams would do the same. But since 2014, Clontarf have fallen back from their peak of 53rd. 62nd in the league was where they finished last year - their lowest in the last six seasons. If they should do the same as that, they would be 5th, but surely they are capable of going up at least one position? Four times they have played against the second teams of Knockharley and Adamstown, and four times they have lost. If they are to challenge at the top of the league, they will have to turn those records around. 4th place.
Leinster 4 are the Grand Old Man of this level with 17 league titles across the ages, the last of which was in 2014. It doesn't like look being a "classic" season for them, but shouldn't be much worse than anything recently, and it is one of the (slightly) more interesting facts of this preview that they have finished in 59th place in the league in each of the last three seasons. That is second place in the league, and although they may drop a place, we are still predicting third.
And that leaves a slightly surprising top two in our predictions. It's not so much that these two teams look much stronger than the others; more that there is a convincing reason to talk down the others. Adamstown 2 are difficult to ignore though. Their five years if league cricket have brought improvements of 10, 4, 22 and 5 places, and only another three places are needed to finish top. Of course, past performance may not be indicative of future results - but heck, it's a pretty good guide. The team have winning records against Pembroke 4 and Clontarf 4, and have shared the results of their matches against The Hills 3 and Leinster 4. It is only Knockharley 2 who have presented them with a problem, and that is why we are predicting second place.
It will be a historic year for Knockharley with their first team playing in Division 4, and entering the National Cup for the first time. Whether that will filter through the rest of the club, leading to a glut of silverware is difficult to know. At the moment, there have been no high profile signings to the club, but that is not to say some may have gone under the radar. If they can find a couple of decent new players in the firsts, it will filter down to the second string, and could be the difference. Each of the last three seasons have finished with Knockharley 2 being in a position equivalent to 3rd or 4th in Division 8 this year, but as mentioned - a little bit of improvement will send them to the title. There is one big grey trunked creature standing at mid-off though. Knockharley 2 have played Leinster 4 five times in the last six seasons. and have lost them all. If they are to win the league, it is likley that they will have to start reversing that.
The first game of the season is on Easter Sunday, when Clontarf 4 will welcome The Hills 3 to Castle Avenue. Hopefully for both sides, the only eggs will be chocolate ones rather than zeros on the scorecard.