Division 1 was won by Leinster (having just been promoted after 2011) for the 22nd time (plus one shared) (last time back in 1998). Y.M.C.A. finished runners up. The two teams to be relegated were Terenure and Clontarf. Terenure had been promoted in 2011. Clontarf were relegated following a defeat on the last day of the season, a day on which themselves, Merrion (who they played on that last day) and North County all battled to avoid being relegated.
In Division 2 Pembroke won for the 2nd time and were promoted for the 4th time together with Phoenix (who were promoted for the 3rd time) to Division 1 for 2013. Both these teams had been relegated at the end of 2011. Old Belvedere and Cork County were relegated from Division 2. Balbriggan won Division 3 and were promoted for 2013 to Division 2 for the first time. Merrion 2, for the first time too, were promoted to Division 2.
After the end of the season Old Belvedere made a decision to withdraw from Adult Cricket in Leinster
Senior Cup (RSA) 78th Year
Clontarf won the Cup for the 11th time (last win was in 2009), beating Pembroke (runners up for the 6th time) in the final played for the first time in Claremont Road. This was the first time that the final was contested between teams from Divisions 1 and 2.
The 2013 final will be held in Clontarf C.C., Castle Avenue, the 15th time for it to be held there.
This was the eighth year of the new format Alan Murray Cup. The finals day was held at Phoenix Park . However, due to bad weather, while the two semi finals were played on the scheduled date, 5th August, and saw YMCA and Rush qualify for the final (defeating Clontarf and Terenure respectively), the Final had to be refixed for 26th August when Y.M.C.A. defeated Rush by 9 wickets.
For 2013 the finals day will take place in Y.M.C.A. C.C. Claremont Road.
The runs qualification for the Marchant Cup in 2012 was reduced to 500 following more bad weather.. The winner was Bill Coghlan (Clontarf) who won it for the first time with 562 runs at an average of 51.09. He was in fact the only player to meet the qualification requirement of 500 runs. The last Clontarf winner was Michael Rea in 1991.
A change in the competition rules this year meant that only players in Division 1 were eligible to win the Marchant, O’Grady, Samuels, Solomons and Hopkins Cups. A separate set of Trophies were introduced for Division 2. Also to be eligible to win a trophy in either Division 1 or 2, a player had to be eligible to represent Ireland.
The qualification requirement was reduced to 25 wickets. 4 in all reached this figure but of those only 2 were eligible for the Trophy. The winner was Mohammad Tariq (Railway Union), with 26 wickets at an average of 12.62. The previous Railway player to win this trophy was DB McNeany back in 1945.. The runner up for the O’Grady Cup was Eddie Richardson of North County (who won it in 2010) with 25 wickets at 14.72.
Samuels Cup
John Anderson (Merrion) won this trophy for the first time with 786 points following his clubmate Dominic Joyce who won it last year. John Anderson was in fact second on the list behind J.Leacock (Leinster) who was ineligible to win the trophy.
The winner of the Hopkins Cup was Lee Cole of Y.M.C.A. with 11 Catches and 8 Stumpings. The last winner from Y.M.C.A of the Hopkins Cup was Keith Bailey in 1990. Lee was in fact second in the list behind Zac Scott of Leinster but he was ineligible for the Trophy. Runner up was Tom Fisher of Railway Union with 14 Catches and 23 Stumpings.
This Cup in 2012 was shared between the Railway Union pair of Kenny Carroll and Patrick Collins with 9 catches each. The last winner of this Cup from Railway Union was Tom Fisher in 2008.
The winners of the equivalent trophies in Division 2, all obviously being the first winners of these trophies from their clubs, were
Batting Theo Lawson Pembroke 607 runs at average of 67.44
Bowling Paul Lawson Pembroke 38 wickets at average of 12.63
Catches in Field Bill Whaley Pembroke 11 Catches
Wicket-keeping James King Rush 8 Catches 4 Stumpings
All Rounders Andrew Balbirnie Pembroke 727 points
In the case of Bill Whaley, James King and Andrew Balbirnie they were all second in the relevant list but in each case the player above them was not eligible to win the Trophy.
No batsman in either Division 1 or 2 reached 1,000 runs in 2012. The highest aggregate was 607 for Theo Lawson (Pembroke). However Eoin Delany represented both Clontarf (Division 1) and Dublin University (Division 2) and in all between these two clubs scored 617 runs.
Runs scored over Divisions 1 and 2 at 33,714 were down just under 12,600 as compared with 2011. Average runs per wicket of 21.60 was 3.10 lower than the figure for 2011. Same number of matches were scheduled for 2012 as in 2011 but 20 were no results as compared with 10 in 2011. There were 19 centuries scored in all, a decrease of 12 from 2011 figure.
Only 1 double century was scored in 2012. That was 219 by Robin Kelly of Pembroke against Rush at Kenure. This was the highest ever individual score by a Pembroke player in its history.
2 double century partnerships in 2012, same as in 2011. Jonathan Andrews and Mike Baumgart added 210* for The Hills against Clontarf at Milverton . Lionel Jansen and Shahid Iqbal added 247 for Rush against Old Belvedere at Kenure. Coincidentally both occurred on the same day, 21st July
Leading wicket taker for the season over Divisions 1 and 2 was Paul Lawson Pembroke) with 38, 3 more than the figure for last year. This and Theo’s figure for runs was a very rare double for brothers. Wickets taken at 1,561 were down 314 as compared with 2011.
There was 1 Hat Trick in 2012, the same as in 2011. Saad Uullah (Railway Union) took 3-22 v Terenure at Terenure, comprising batsmen numbered 2, 3 and 4.
Best bowling return of the season was 8-40, achieved by Jack Tector (Y.M.C.A.) against Clontarf at Castle Avenue. 5 Wickets in an Innings was taken on 19 occasions, as compared with 20 in 2011.
In 2012, as in 2011, no player reached 500 runs and 50 wickets. Two players achieved the match double of 50 runs and 5 wickets in 2012, something which had not been done in 2011. These were Ben Ackland (Merrion) who scored 78* and took 5-49 against YMCA at Claremont Road and Mohammad Tariq (Railway Union) who scored 58 and took 5-53 against North County at Inch.
WICKET-KEEPING
5 dismissals in an Innings was achieved once in 2012, the same as in 2011. This was by Mike Hogan for Terenure (2 ct 3 st) against YMCA at Inch.
FIELDING
No fielder took 5 catches in an innings in 2012, the same as in 2011.
Of those who actually played in 2012, the player with the most appearances in Senior Cricket is Alan Lewis (Y.M.C.A.) with 484.
MILESTONES
During 2012 the following players achieved individual milestones:
Shahid Iqbal 4,000 Runs 158 147
Bill Coghlan 3,000 Runs 139 123
Eoghan Delany 2,000 Runs 110 89
Theo Lawson 2,000 Runs 97 90
Max Sorensen 2,000 Runs 83 75
Bowling
Damien Poder 300 Wickets 230
Joe Morrissey 300 Wickets 247