Over the past few weeks a further few landmarks were achieved for players that I would like to bring to your attention.
All landmarks are important for players but some are more important that others. In “the more important than others” category undoubtedly comes reaching 5000 runs. Once a player has achieved the target of 5,000, provided he has achieved an average of at least 22.00 he will feature in the permanent hall of fame, long after he has ceased playing. This target was achieved this year by Kenny Carroll of Railway Union.
Kenny made his debut for Railway in 1996 and entered 2013 needing 190 more runs to reach the magic 5,000. He did it in style with an innings of 140* against Leinster and sharing a double century partnership of 237 with Patrick Collins. At the end of that match he had 5,059 runs in 205 matches, 187 innings, with 23 not outs, and an average of 30.84. He has scored 9 centuries and 24 Fifties.
The next to reach a landmark was Mike Baumgart of The Hills. Mike made his debut in 2006 for CYM. Subsequently in 2008 he moved to The Hills for whom he has played since. He came into 2013 needing 132 runs to reach his landmark of 3,000. His sixth innings of the season was the crucial one where he scored 37 against Clontarf in the second round of the Cup. At that point he had scored 3,035 runs in 105 matches and 102 innings, of which 11 were not out, and had an average of 33.35. He has scored 3 centuries and 20 Fifties.
Then we have a Bowler reaching a target of 300 wickets. Over the last almost 20 years it has become much more difficult for Bowlers to achieve Landmarks with the reduction over that period in the number of overs Bowlers are permitted to bowl in a match. Joseph Clinton of The Hills ended 2012 on 299 wickets. He has not played regularly for The Hills in 2013 but when he played against Phoenix he took the opportunity to grab 2 wickets and pass the landmark of 300, in so doing joining his brother Luke who got there in 2012, as well as creating a 2013 landmark double for The Hills with Mike Baumgart. Joseph has played 280 matches for The Hills for his 301 wickets. He has taken 5 or more wickets in a match on 4 occasions.
Another “more important than others” landmark is 2,000 runs. That is because those who reach that figure will, for so long as they play in Leinster, and have an average of at least 20 appear in the annual career figures for cricket in Leinster. Recently Craig Mallon of Leinster reached this figure. Craig, who made his debut for Leinster against Pembroke at Rathmines in 2005, started the year on 1,819 runs, leaving him needing 181 to get to the magic 2,000.
He reached that target against Merrion, again at Rathmines, when he scored 17. That meant he has reached 2002 runs in 98 matches, 96 innings of which 7 were not out. His average as of now is 22.49. His highest score is 92 and in all he has reached 50 9 times.