RSA Division 11
2013 Champion - Greystones 2
Predicted 2013 Champion - Wexford Wanderers 2 (finished 6th)
2011-13 Top run scorer: Jason Magee (The Hills) 478 runs at 39.83
2011-13 Top wicket taker: Dermot Power (Bagenalstown) 41 wickets at 15.10
Another preview, another set of excuses. Division 11 for 2014 is like the first day of school. There will be a number of teams who vaguely recognise each other, but the vast majority have never met before, and will spend the first term warily circling each other.
Only one team is completely new to Leinster cricket - Longford 2. The Newtownforbes club have entered a second team in the leagues, after their first team had a successful first season in Division 6. Division 11 may be a little too high for the first year of trying though, and it may be a tough season.
Cabinteely 1 start their third year in existence in rude health. Plans to start a youth section are well advanced, and their ground in Kilbogget Park is becoming a fixture on the representative circuit. We expect them to have a similar season to 2013, when they finished 7th in Division 11.
North County 5 have struggled in Division 11 for each of the last two seasons, and it may be a similar story this year. They haven't played five of the teams in this league recently, but those they have played have often walked away with a win. The Hills 4 have won their last four matches against their Fingal counterparts, whilst Wexford 2 have won two of the three encounters between the sides.
The Hills 4 are another team who should match their exploits of previous seasons - and those exploits amounted to finishing mid-table. They have good records against North County and Cabinteely, but may find it a bit harder against the top teams. Star batsman Jason Magee stands top of the Division 11 run scoring charts though, with 478 runs, and his performances wil be enough to keep The Hills well clear of relegation.
It's a real pin the tail on the donkey job with Leinster 6. In 2012 they were Division 10 champions, whilst last year they finished 8th in Division 12. A realistic position may be somewhere in between the two, and so we'll plump for another team to finish in mid table.
That leaves four teams who will be jostling for top spot. Wexford Wanderers were our pick for the league last year, and it is safe to say they made the prediction look pretty wide of the mark. Sixth spot was a disappointing finish, but the feeling here is that they should be improving, and will finish 4th in 2014. Fingers crossed.
When the annals of Lucan CC are etched into the cloud in 100 years time, they will proudly be able to say that they were promoted at the first time of asking. A runners up medal (if it had existed) was a great start to life in the league, and there is good reason to think that they may have another good year - perhaps 3rd.
Lucan 1 were beaten to the Division 12 title last year by Adamstown 2. The Corkagh Park club have been growing quickly in the last couple of years, and with four teams are big enough to rapidly progress up the leagues. Three other clubs have four teams - The Hills, Rush and Civil Service, and Adamstown's 2nds are comfortably the lowest, leading to us thinking that they will probably be promoted again.
Last, but by no means least is Malahide 5. Two years ago they finished 4th in Division 10, and although they had a poor year last year, slumping to 9th, they still have the look of a Division 10 team - and hence should romp to the Division 11 title. All will be revealed in six months!
Division 11 sees the very first competitive game of the season, with Cabinteely hosting Lucan on April 12th. Bring your gloves.