Fantasy table

Fantasy Points as at 22 May.

The top 10 places on the table this week are filled by players from 10 different clubs, Adamstown, Pembroke, Swords, Malahide, Greystones, Cork County, Clontarf, Civil Service, Dundrum and Leinster. It demonstrates a good mix of new and established Clubs.

Club of the week is undoubtedly Adamstown. Their name keeps cropping up no matter how the figures are sorted. Inter-provincial matches used to be held between North and South Leinster. At this rate we could see a move to East and West Leinster.

Talking of Inter-provincials briefly. Firstly, performances are not included in this table and events have been reported elsewhere, but what a start. A three-day game going down to the final over before an honourable draw was reached. A great start in a great setting. Another step towards fulfilling the ICC requirements for First Class Test status. All Cricket Ireland can do is jump through the hoops set for them by the ICC and if this was an indication, then the entire series will be well worth a look and a visit.

Back to Leinster competitive cricket and in the overall fantasy points[ii] table last week’s tie at the top has been broken and we once again have a clear leader. A. Yadav [Adamstown] is now our top scorer with his combination of 265 runs, 12 wickets, 2 catches, 1 half century, 1 century in 7 games for a total of 625 points. This amounts to an average of over 89 points per game. Not quite in the same category as P. Collins [R&SPU] with his points per game of 183.50, but good enough for 48^th place in the points per game category.

So far this season there have been 1,482 players[iii] in action. 1,260 have scored at least one run, 736 have taken one wicket and 525 have held at least one catch.

M. Monteiro [Adamstown] is the busiest player having played nine games already. Eleven players, including another two from Adamstown have appeared eight times. 422 players have only made it out just the once.

Overall, 144,236 fantasy points have been earned in Leinster cricket and over 45,000 runs have been scored (and not all off my bowling, although it has felt that way at times). 170 half centuries have been recorded and a further 25 centuries. No single player has more than one century, but E. Richardson [North County] is the sole player with three half centuries. C. McLoughlin [The Hills], J. Singh [Laois] and MS Tariq [Castleknock] go one better with two half centuries and one century each.

Unsurprisingly E. Richardson [North County] leads the batting averages with a quite amazing 208.00.

 A further three players have averages over 150: A. Poynter [Clontarf], K. O’Connor [Dublin University] and R. Strydom [YMCA].

In addition nine players are averaging over 100; Matt Sorenson [The Hills], C. McLoughlin [The Hills], S. McGrath [Greystones], M. Bauer [Cork County], M. Collier [Clontarf], M. Siddique [Civil Service] and Tom Fisher [Terenure Titans].

2,438 wickets have been taken by bowlers, who have bowled 11,838 overs (they must be getting tired now) and P. Collins [R&SPU] is the only bowler to take seven wickets in an innings, which has been reported on elsewhere.

Nine bowlers have taken six wickets in an innings with analysis ranging from 6/35 to 6/11. A further twenty five players have managed to take 5 wickets.

When it comes to bowling average, statistics can be misleading. T. Monahan [Wexford Wanderers] does not possess an average with his sole wicket not costing any runs. S. Symanivas [Sandyford] has four wickets for six runs in one innings for an average of 1.50. I suspect he causes scorers more difficulties with the spelling of his name than calculating his average. It certainly is driving spell-check to distraction – add to dictionary!! M. Usman [Adamstown] and J. Hammon [Greystones] with three and five wickets respectively also have averages under 2.00. 144 bowlers have managed to keep their averages under 10. That’s a lot of tight bowling.

831 catches have been held. J. Kerrison [Leinster] is out on his own with six, whilst seven players have five each.

38 stumpings have been snared. J. Santosh [Swords] and J. Cassidy [YMCA] lead with three apiece with a further nine keeper managing two.

The favourite player of Paul Reynolds and the OCC, Player Unregistered has played five games, two for Leinster, and once for Adamstown, Civil Service and Pembroke and scored 30 runs, taken two wickets and scored 122 points.

That is a lot of cricket, and a lot of statistics. The weather has been relatively kind and few games have been lost to rain. The advent of computerised scoring and submitting of results has made all of this over-analysis possible. It would not be possible without the co-operation of the clubs, the captains and most importantly, Paul Reynolds.

Finally to this column’s most ardent follower who, with his pre-season friendly 51* not included, still manages to make the top 100. . If we had included the unsubstantiated pre-season knock, which may have taken place in his back garden (over the fence is 6 and out?) for all we know, he would be at up the heights of 31^st place. In his four actual reported and witnessed competitive matches to date he averages 48.75 with the bat, has a highest score of 90, two half centuries, a total of 195 runs, and one catch. You know who you are…. I look forward to this week’s email.

Now onto the overall points table for the season so far. If your name does not appear in the top 100 and you would like to know how your season is going, or if your name does appear and you’d like to know your points breakdown or even if any club would like the figures for their players, please contact me at craig@cricket.ie and I would hope to oblige sooner rather than later.

Now with this done a day early, I am off to Castle Avenue to see the Boys in Green take on the Boys in Green in a repeat of the most incredible days cricket it has been my pleasure to ever watch: Sabina Park, St. Patrick’s Day, 2007. Could we be saying in years to come, “Castle Avenue, 2013”?? Let’s hope so.