Division 1 review - Cusack’s golden arm

Division 1 stats

Leading all time run scorer (2011-2015) - John Anderson (Merrion) - 1958 runs @ 46.62
Most runs in a Division 1 season - Eddie Richardson (North County) - 737 runs (2013)
Highest score - Ben Ackland - 170 - Merrion 1 vs Clontarf 1 - Anglesea Road - 8 Sept 2012
Leading all time wicket taker (2011-2015) - Eddie Richardson (North County) - 123 wkts @ 15.65
Most wickets in a Division 1 season - Eddie Richardson (North County) - 37 wkts (2015)
Best bowling - Jack Tector - 8-40 - YMCA 1 vs Clontarf 1 - Castle Avenue - 18 Aug 2012
Most matches - Dom Joyce (Merrion) - 65 - (2011-2015)

Highest team score - 353-4 - Merrion 1 vs Railway Union 1 - Anglesea Road - 11 July 2015
Lowest team score - 59 all out - Clontarf 1 vs Leinster 1 - Castle Avenue - 28 Apr 2012

Review

Clontarf 1 - Champions - (Predicted 3rd) - Batting Rating 151 - Bowling Rating 135 - Overall Rating 286 - All Ireland Ranking 2 (+1 on year) - Leinster ranking 1 (+1 on year)

Another dominant season for Clontarf who completed the league and cup double, the league being their 12th Senior/Division 1 title. Whilst the batting was more then dependable, there was one bowler who's return was frankly astounding, and last year kept under the radar somewhat. Since the start of the 2011 season, the lowest average of a bowler who has taken ten or more wickets in a season in Division 1 has been Ian Bertram, who took 21 wickets at an average of 8.62 in 2012 for North County. That record has stood ever since, and was smashed by Alex Cusack, who took 24 wickets this season at an incredible seven runs a piece. In games that Cusack played this year, Clontarf won 7 and lost 1. In games he didn't play, they won two and lost two. Any team with a player taking so many wickets at so low an average will do well - throw in a few more and they getting close to unbeatable. Joe Morrissey took 20 at 15.50, overseas player Michael Granger 21 at 21.38, Stephen Moreton 17 at 19.76 and Conor Kelly 11 at 25.55. I suppose you could say that there was no one turning the ball away from the right hander (Conor d'Arcy only played seven games), but that is as good a bowling attack as you will see. According to our ratings, the batting was even better. Adrian d'Arcy took the plaudits during the season, but many of his record breaking runs were in Clontarf's successful cup run (he only scored 180 runs at 90 in the league). Two Lightning players led the way - skipper Eoghan Delany hit 369 at 52.71 (SR 75.15), and Andrew Poynter had 348 at 43.50 (SR 90.39). Two others passed 200 runs, with Stephen Moreton having 275 at 34.38 (SR 59.14) (making him the only Clontarf player with the 200 run/10 wicket double this year), and Bill Coghlan 241 at 21.91 (SR 78.76).

North County 1 - Runners up - (Predicted 5th) - Batting Rating 103 - Bowling Rating 130 - Overall Rating 233 - All Ireland Ranking 9 (+5 on year) - Leinster ranking 5 (+1 on year)

In the end, County were only a couple of wins from one of the most surprising league wins in recent years, and one that would have been richly deserved. They won six of their first seven games, and were still in with a good shout until the very end of the season. Highlights were many, but the two wins over champions Clontarf were pretty special, with Eddie Richardson's 5-9 in Clontarf's back yard something to savour. Richardson's quality is in a world of its own. Merely a glance above emphasises this - this season he broke the record (his own) for most wickets in a Division 1 season (with 37 at 10), and that sits very nicely with the existing record of most runs in a Division 1 season that he set in 2013. His batting this year was a little less explosive, with only 254 runs at 21.17, and that sums up the County batting quite well. Former West Indies Test player Brenton Parchment led the way with 416 runs at 32.00, ex Ireland international Conor Armstrong hit 281 runs at 21.62, and Adam Coughlan was getting back to his best with 270 runs at 30.00 to go along with 18 wickets at an excellent 16.83. In fact Coughlan is one of only eleven players to have completed the 1000 run/50 wicket double in Division 1. Answers on a postcard please, With Richardson and Coughlan having excellent bowling returns, anything extra was just a bonus, but another three players also took ten wickets - Parchment (19 at 21.84), Terry Richardson (15 at 18.13) and Conor Sheil (10 at 21)

Merrion 1 - 3rd - (Predicted 2nd) - Batting Rating 117 - Bowling Rating 92 - Overall Rating 209 - All Ireland Ranking 3 (+1 on year) - Leinster ranking 2 (+1 on year)

A difficult season to work out for Merrion. Winners of the Alan Murray T20, and Irish Senior Cup runners up, they came up short in the league, losing their first and last two matches of the season. The oddness of the season extends to the individual performances - especially for those that are "missing". Five players passed 200 runs (but that excluded Dom Joyce and Tyrone Kane); John Blakeney had a much better season with the bat than John Anderson, and two leg spinners (Anderson and Rhoda) dominated the bowling. All that shouldn't be seen as negative - different players contributed in different ways, and as can be seen from all Merrion sides, it tends to be a team effort and an argument could be made for giving six different players the man of the match award in Merrion's nine wins. The two leggies that dominated the bowling, John Anderson (20 wickets at 19.80) and David Rhoda (24 at 15.79), filled the hole left by the pace attack. Anglesea Road is fast becoming a seam bowler's graveyard, and home games can be tough - Dom Joyce battled well for 15 wickets at 26.80, Tom Stanton had 10 wickets at 43.9. The batting was (perhaps obviously) much stronger, with the South African triumvirate of Robin Smith (439 runs at 36.59, SR 93.21); Rhoda (568 runs at 81.14, SR 86.98); and Lennard Bester (243 at 20.25, SR 101.67) leading the way. Anderson had a quiet year with the bat with 230 runs at 28.75 and John Blakeney was excellent with 252 at 63. 2016 will depend on how many of those players are still in Dublin 4, and how many new ones will be attracted.

Pembroke 1 - 4th - (Predicted 4th) - Batting Rating 107 - Bowling Rating 114 - Overall Rating 221 - All Ireland Ranking 7 (+4 on year) - Leinster ranking 4 (+1 on year)

A season very much of two halves, as anyone in Sydney Parade will know. Only one win from the first six matches left relegation a very real possibility. There was no real reason behind that run of form - Jono Cook and Paul Lawson started the season well with the ball, and a handful of batsmen were in good(ish) nick. But each of those matches were lost by small margins - 24 runs, 10 runs, 3 wickets and 4 wickets (only the Clontarf game was by a wide margin). But when the corner was turned, with a four wicket won over North County, there was no stopping the Broke. The last seven matches were won, and Pembroke ended with a top half finish. The return of the batsmen was below what it perhaps should have been, with no one averaging over 40. Jono Cook was top with 458 runs at 35.23, Lorcan Tucker had 358 at 32.55 and Theo Lawson also ended up with over 300 (317 at 26.42). Skipper Ryan Hopkins was the other member of the 200+ club with 262 runs at 23.82 (and at a strike rate of 92.91 - the third highest in Division 1 by anyone with over 200 runs). We reckon that the Pembroke bowling attack was the third best in Division 1, and possibly the best spin attack. On top of Cook's 27 at 13.48 (the most league wickets by a Pembroke 1 bowler since the start of 2011), Paul Lawson had 24 wickets at 17.54, and Jack Balbirnie 16 at 16.50. Throw in 10 wickets for up and coming star Josh Little, and 17 wickets for the very exciting David Murphy, and there is the makings of a title winning bowling attack.

YMCA 1 - 5th - (Predicted 1st) - Batting Rating 115 - Bowling Rating 94 - Overall Rating 209 - All Ireland Ranking 4 (-3 on year) - Leinster ranking 3 (-2 on year)

N one has scored more runs in Open Competitions Cricket in the last five seasons than Tom Fisher. For YMCA, Terenure and Railway Union, Fisher has plundered 3388 runs at 42.35. This year was no different, with the Kiwi having a massive 631 league runs at 52.58 (SR 68.66). Three others also passed 300 runs, Albert van der Merwe (383 at 34.82, SR 63.31), Jack Tector (313 at 31.30, SR 67.6) and Simmi Singh (349 at 38.78, SR 71.52). So if runs weren't the problem, the issues behind YMCA's disappointing season must be elsewhere. And although four bowlers all passed ten wickets, they were all at over 20 - and perhaps crucially in terms of an all round attack across a league season, they were all spinners. Yaqoob Ali forced his way into the extended Irish squad with 22 wickets at 21.82, Simmi Singh took 17 at 22.29, van der Merwe 15 at 26.80 and Ruadhan Jones 15 at 23.53. In the games that YM lost, the opposition chased 181, 213, 261, and 165 (for the loss of one wicket). The attack just seemed to lack penetration - no surprise considering the loss of such illustrious names as Johnston, Gamble and Garth. That needs to be corrected before 2016.

Railway Union 1 - 6th (Predicted 7th) - Batting Rating 78 - Bowling Rating 85 - Overall Rating 163 - All Ireland Ranking 18 (+1 on year) - Leinster ranking 8 (unchanged on year)

Three wins from the first eleven matches looked to have consigned Railway Union to Division 2 cricket for 2016, before two backs to the wall wins against Merrion and Malahide gave them the lifeline that was needed. One more deserves credit than all others, as time and time again Kenny Carroll delivered with bat or ball to get Railway over the line. Perhaps his best innings was 86 against Merrion in September, dragging his side to 223-8 before Merrion were bowled out for 129 . He scored 459 runs over the season at 38.25, a phenomenal achievement. He wasn't completely without support - Adrian Murphy only played seven games, but scored 228 runs at 32.57 early in the season, and Mo Tariq was his usual dependable self with 263 runs at 21.92 (as well as 11 wickets at 31.09. Tariq is one of the 11 players with the 1000 run /50 wicket double in Division 1. Only nine to go!). The rest weren't great though, and only Kevin O'Brien averaged over 20 of the rest (he only played twice due to his international commitments). Rachit Gaur put in a decent season with the ball, leading the attack with 23 wickets at 17.61, but again, there wasn't much support, as Dhramendra Singh, Tariq and Saad Ullah all took wickets, but at averages over 20. A great escape, but one that may be even harder next year.

Cork County 1 - 7th (Predicted 8th) - Batting Rating 77 - Bowling Rating 78 - Overall Rating 155 - All Ireland Ranking 22 (+8 on year)

Wins against Malahide, Railway Union and YMCA signalled what might have been, but at the end of their first Division 1 season, Cork County fell a good bit short of safety. It would be easy to gloss over the cracks, but both the bowling and the batting struggled, with a couple of glorious exceptions. Stephan Grobler had a glorious season, hitting 551 runs at 50.09, joining an illustrious list of ten players who have scored over 500 runs in a season at over 50 (Richardson, Poynter, Collins, Carroll, Fisher (twice), Thompson, Rhoda, Anderson and Mooney being the others). Morne Bauer chipped in with 232 at 21.09, but unfortunately that was it with the batting. The bowling was a similar story, with only three taking ten wickets or more. Muhammad Saddique was best with 12 at 26.00, Grobler completed a fine all round season with 11 at 25.73, and Bauer bowled quickly, but had 11 wickets at only 42.45. There's no shame in coming 7th in a tough league. More worryingly for the powers that be is how hard it is for promoted teams to stay in Division 1.

Malahide 1 - 8th (Predicted 6th) - Batting Rating 80 - Bowling Rating 80 - Overall Rating 160 - All Ireland Ranking 17 (-1 on year) - Leinster ranking 7 (unchanged on year)

It is now over ten years since a Malahide team finished above the bottom two in the top division. That is not necessarily a problem, as many clubs would have a worse record. But for a club of Malahide's size and status, that must be a touch frustrating. In would be a lie to say anything other than Malahide struggled. They beat Pembroke and YMCA in a mid summer purple patch, but apart from those beams of light, it was tough. Fintan McAllister was head and shoulders above any one else, with 528 runs at 48.00 (although with a strike rate of 57.89, the lowest for any batsman this year with 200 runs). Apart from Finto's talents, there wasn't too much else on display - Calum Riches was the only other with 200 runs (at 17.77). Riches also had a good return with the ball, with 12 wickets at 19.33, but as with other teams at the bottom of the table, taking enough wickets for not many runs was the problem. Pete Saville had 16 at 23.31, Reinhardt Strydom took 13 wickets at 30.15, Alesandro Morris took 14 at 23.21. So it will be back down to Division 2 for Malahide, with the gap to Division 1 safety as big as it has ever been.

Division 1 batting averages 2015 (Qualification 100 runs)

Division 1 Bowling averages 2015 (Qualification 6 wickets)