Some may be glad to hear that this week does not contain a “Grind My Gears” section. Cricket for the author involved a heavy defeat, but in a good spirited match with no irrelevant appeals and no disputes. Of games watched, two came down to last over heroics and the weekend saw some results go one way and others go the other. All very exciting and the weather wasn’t half bad either. It’s hard to be grumpy when your old bones are warmed by the summer sun and your shoulders heavily tanned (or burnt depending on your views on sunscreen). The examinations of Leaving and Junior Certificates do always bring the best of the weather to this island. However, the spell is now broken, probably by too many people complaining about the heat.
In the Club names this week, please note that Dublin University has now become DUCC which is a darn sight easier to type. Railway Union will remain R&SPU, whilst Terenure Titans have reverted to Terenure this season. How should your Club name or indeed any other Clubs names appear in print? Should there be nicknames given? Pembroke have their Foxes and Vixens, but do other Clubs have monikers? Should they? The Hills Alive? North Kildare Lilywhites? Wicklow Wolves? Adamstown Albion?
Upon receiving this weeks spreadsheet of wickets, runs and all other statistics to come from the LCU, one name needed special attention. One player has appeared for eight clubs; Castleknock, Adamstown, Merrion, Rush, Leinster, Terenure, The Hills and Clontarf. He has appeared for Merrion twice and yet has scored most of his fantasy points at Leinster including an innings of 48. He has 158 fantasy points and his haul of points includes a solitary catch, but not one wicket. Player Unregistered would be ranked in 633rd place alongside notable names such as Leinster’s David Lappin and Adamstown’s Adam Keating.
Moving rapidly onto actual living persons, Leinster again figure prominently with Gareth Delany now atop the pile. Gareth is just 24 points ahead of Wicklow’s Khalid Chaudhary with Muhammed Farrukh of Balbriggan in third a single point adrift. The top overall point scorer for each Club is in bold and the top 50 are:
Playing the most matches might not put you top of the fantasy table, but it does help, a lot. Two players have managed to appear in enough games to complete a league campaign, so it must be assumed they are appearing on more than one team. Richard Wing of Malahide and Diarmuid Tucker of Pembroke have both reached 14 games before July. Only one game behind are Castleknock’s Ali Haider and Kasif Ali in North County. A further six players have crossed the rope a dozen times and in all 56 players have played at least ten times. This does not include appearances as twelfth man when you only turn up to sample the magnificent tea at Civil Service and end up fielding on the far boundary for an entire innings because one player couldn’t manage a quick single without pulling up injured.
Whilst 1,631 players, including Player Unregistered, have taken to the field, there still remains the fact that Irish cricket needs to get more of these players out more often. 509 players have only played twice or less. These 509 include some players that we all know can play the game, but are suffering from injuries, Father Time or other activities. Pembroke’s Allan Eastwood would be a first team fixture but for injuries and made his comeback this week. David Drane of Greystones has an average of 56 from his two games, but is not playing the same volume of games as in the past. Even seasoned internationals like Kevin O’Brien have had other commitments that have prevented more than two games for Railway Union.
Top of the run scorers this week is Paul Byrne of R&SPU, although the 400 run mark has yet to be breached. The two other podium places are filled by Balbriggan players with just eight runs separating them.
Six batsmen are averaging in excess of 100, however only one player has played more than three times. North County’s Brian Smith has played seven games and batted every time. His average is assisted by an unbeaten 144 and his other four not outs. Four of these six have registered centuries and a different four have made 50’s.
Merrion’s Dom Joyce remains the top run scorer yet to be dismissed with 114 runs in two innings, whilst Sunil Thomas of Swords is the other to have over 100 runs without dismissal. Adrian Tudor of Laois, Terenure’s Seamus Lynch, DUCC’s Andrew Kane and Dundalk’s pair of Edward Bosan-Andrews and Gerard McKeever have all strode with purpose or trepidation three times and returned without a run.
Bowling a full quota of overs game after game is becoming more unusual these days as more people bowl and captains become far more willing to try new bowlers in games. However there are of course some lynchpins who continue to trundle in and turn their arms over again and again. Way out front in terms of overs bowled is Leinster’s Paul Rodgers who has bowled 86 overs and is just under 18 overs ahead of the next man on the list of all bowlers with over 60 overs under their belts.
However while overs bowled is a measure of toil, wickets taken is a measure of glory. Leading the way with 25 wickets is DUCC’s Vishnu Mohanan. But not only has he 25 wickets, they have come at an average of just 8.8. Paul Rodgers has both toil and glory for he has 22 wickets albeit at a higher average. Swords must be delighted with Manoj Jacob, as much as Adamstown would be with Adam Craig as both bowlers have taken 20 wickets.
George Joseph of Swords has delivered the most overs, 8, without taking a wicket. Whereas Rex Walsh of DUCC has conceded the most runs, 103, without capturing a batsmen’s’ wicket.
Matt Lunson’s 7/5 remains the best bowling analysis, whilst I. Mohammed’s 160 continues to be the biggest score in Leinster cricket.
Four players have more than ten catches.
On a catches per match basis the only players in excess of two catches per match are:
Behind the stumps, Dundrum’s Sojin Kurian has the most stumpings with 5 although three other players are but a single decision behind.
And where are last season’s joint winners, Lynal Jansen of Rush and Pat Collins of R&SPU. Lynal is currently in 192nd place having played five games only. Pat makes the top 100 in 92nd place and also lacks game time with just 6 games played.
Daniel Coffey of Rush is currently in 200th place with 333 points. In his eight matches he has batted 6 times and been dismissed each time. His highest score is 52 and his average is 12.17. Best bowling of 2/11 and a bowling average of 29.43 with 7 wickets and 3 catches. A decent first half to the season and one which it is hoped continues through to September.
Well, that is it for another week’s column. This week there were some regular statistics, some newer categories and some categories missing. The statistics will be taking their mid-summer break now and will not return until late July. Mr. Grumpy may appear anyway. Let’s see how the weekend goes.