Many congratulations to this season’s MVP[1], Anto Coates [Ring Commons].
Anto’s last minute push took him past the long-time leader R. Meraj [Laois] by 12 points in the final analysis. The final podium place went to A. Qasim [Balbriggan].
2,159 players appeared this season, an increase of 127 over 2011. Only 27 players did not bat or bowl on their one appearance this season thus ending on 10 MVP points, and 95 players scored over 1,000 MVP points.
For comparison between 2011 and 2012, we have a small table of irrelevant figures.
Category | 2012 | 2011 | Change |
MVP points total | 681,089 | 703,094 | -3% |
Runs scored by batsmen | 199,059 | 227,009 | -12% |
Overs bowled | 54,500 | 56,128 | -3% |
Wickets taken by bowlers | 11,814 | 11,502 | +3% |
Catches held and recorded | 4,284 | 4,261 | +1% |
Stumpings | 286 | 265 | +8% |
50’s scored | 667 | 896 | -26% |
Centuries scored | 60 | 115 | -48% |
A real drop in the number of batting landmarks this season, perhaps due to outfields not being cut as often, or, perhaps we just got better at bowling.
The top ten MVP points scorers
Position | Name | Club | MVP points |
1 | Anto Coates | Ring Commons | 1,818 |
2 | R. Meraj | Laois | 1,806 |
3 | A. Qasim | Balbriggan | 1,712 |
4 | A. Ravi | R&SPU | 1,676 |
5 | M.T. Raza | R&SPU | 1,634 |
6 | Jack Tector | YMCA | 1,623 |
7 | R. Nair | Dundrum | 1,597 |
8 | S. Gallagher | Halverstown | 1,521 |
9 | Andrew Delaney | Clontarf | 1,514 |
10 | J.Toor | Adamstown | 1,507 |
Anto Coates also topped the T20 points table and so double congratulations on a fine season, which saw him move from 513th last year to topping the overall table this season. A fine improvement for which a change of clubs from North County to Ring Commons can not be the only explanation, or can it?
Onto the individual categories and starting with…
Most appearances
Position | Name | Club | Total games |
1 | Fiacha Tucker | Pembroke | 32 |
2 | John Andrews A. Bailey A. Ravi D. McDonagh-Kinkade | North County YMCA R&SPU YMCA |
31
|
6 | M.T. Raza D. Singh Conor Gibbons | R&SPU R&SPU Malahide |
30
|
Fiacha Tucker played for many Pembroke teams this season, being fully available without school examinations, a long summer break and a long suffering provider of lifts in his Mum. Orla would probably top a mileage table with three sons, one daughter and one husband playing for Pembroke this season at under-age and adult levels. Fiacha also made his debut for Pembroke Firsts and took his first Senior wicket. A great season for Fiacha and he is certainly one to watch for the coming seasons.
Top run scorers (over 600 runs)
Position | Name | Club | Total runs |
1 | John Andrews | North County | 828 |
2 | R. Meraj | Laois | 826 |
3 | Anto Coates | Ring Commons | 798 |
4 | M.T. Raza | R&SPU | 774 |
5 | K. Khan | Leinster | 656 |
6 | R. Chhabra | Leinster | 648 |
7 | Theo Lawson | Pembroke | 621 |
John Andrews topped this category by the closest of margins, whilst Theo Lawson’s push to the top was halted after the Senior Cup Final.
Highest scores (limited to one per player)[2]
Position | Name | Club | Total runs |
1 | Robin Kelly | Pembroke | 219[3] |
2 | Anto Coates | Ring Commons | 203 |
3 | R. Meraj | Laois | 199 |
4 | Ben Ackland | Merrion | 170 |
5 | Kenny Carroll | R&SPU | 155* |
6 | V. Gopal | Clontarf | 154 |
7 | L. Jansen | Rush | 152 |
8 | O Saleem | North County | 151 |
No-one managed to better T. Islam’s [Laois] 239* from 2011, but the number of double centurions did rise by the statistically manic 100%.
Most Centuries by a batsman
Position | Name | Club | Centuries |
1 | R. Meraj A. Coates S. Iqbal L. Jansen Simmi Singh | Laois Ring Commons Rush Rush YMCA | 2 2 2 2 2 |
6-55 | 50 players |
| 1 |
R. Meraj finally gets to top a table, even if he has to share it with four other players. Second overall by just 12 MVP points; second highest run scorer, beaten by 2 runs; and third highest individual score (199), it is only fair to place him first in at least one table.
Most 50’s[4] by a batsman
Position | Name | Club | Total 50’s |
1 | John Andrews | North County | 7 |
2 | M.T. Raza A. Kumar K. Khan R. Chhabra T. Lawson B. Coughlan | R&SPU Adamstown Leinster Leinster Pembroke Clontarf | 6 6 6 6 6 6 |
8 | Patrick Byrne MS Tariq C. Hosford | The Hills Clonee YMCA | 5 5 5 |
John Andrews’ consistency and availability (31 games) puts him top of this category as well as being the top run scorer. John will have to work on his fitness over the winter to enable him to start converting his 50’s to full centuries.
Top averages
Position | Name | Club | Average (games played) |
1 | S. Hughes | Knockharley | 106.00 (1) |
2 | V. Singh | Old Belvedere | 79.00 (4) |
3 | Kevin O’Brien | R&SPU | 73.25 (6) |
4 | S. Dempsey | Halverstown | 71.75 (16) |
5 | Andy Balbirnie | Pembroke | 66.71 (10) |
25 players averaged over 50 this season, compared with 49 in 2011. Batting was obviously more difficult this season with longer and wetter outfields, and tracks of variable conditions. S. Hughes’ average would have only placed him fourth in 2011. However, seeing both Kevin O’Brien and Andy Balbirnie in the top 5 would suggest that the cream does rise to the top anyway.
Top wicket takers
Position | Name | Club | Total wickets |
1 | S. Gallagher | Halverstown | 52 (@9.38) |
2 | A. Ravi J. Toor | R&SPU Adamstown | 49 |
3 | A. Qasim Stephen Langton | Balbriggan Sandyford | 46 |
44 players managed to capture 30 or more wickets, some with most impressive (or in at least one case, most surprisingly) averages. Five players managed to take at least 30 wickets and maintain an average below 10. S. Gallagher [Halverstown], A. McDonald [Clontarf], R. Singh [Sandyford], V. Walia [Adamstown] and me!! [Pembroke].
Best Bowling Analysis
Position | Name | Club | Best figures |
1 | P. Crosse | Wicklow | 8/9 |
2 | Jack Tector | YMCA | 8/40 |
3 | R. Chalissery | Ring Commons | 7/6 |
4 | K. Varghesse Paul Lawson | Dundrum Pembroke | 7/12 7/12 |
6 | Stephen Langston | Sandyford | 7/16 |
130 players did manage to take five wickets in an innings at least once, which is below the 2011 figure of 145. Long gone are the days of 25 over spells. Which brings me to a point I have wanted to make to the OCC for a while. The restrictions on youth bowling as they presently stand; would it not be easier for all concerned if everyone was limited to five over spells? Surely the younger players with all of their natural energy are more able to bowl longer spells and the older, sorry, more experienced, players are the ones to need a break? It would be easier to administer for umpires and scorers, and make captains think more about rotating their bowlers. Anyhow, an issue for the OCC and Training Division rather than here.
Most Overs Bowled
Position | Name | Club | Over Bowled |
1 | R. Nair | Dundrum | 201 |
2 | P. Flanagan | YMCA | 188 |
3 | A. Qasim | Balbriggan | 174 |
4 | J. Singh | R&SPU | 173 |
5 | Conor Gibbons | Malahide | 172 |
Talking about over-worked bowlers, 106 bowlers passed the 100 overs mark. 1,448 players did bowl, even if 12 of them did not complete one over. This will lead us nicely to one of the most irrelevant categories, but one that I am delighted to say includes a man who took his first ever Adult wicket in Leinster cricket under my captaincy and who went on to take his second in the same over. We will be calling him Dublin Bus after this...
Best Bowling Averages
Position | Name | Club | Bowling average (wickets taken) |
1 | S. Jose H. Kazmi | Swords Clonee | 0.00 (1) 0.00 (1) |
2 | S. Nair | Terenure Titans | 1.00 (1) |
3 | T. Ranasinghe | Wexford | 1.33 (3) |
4 | G. Abraham | Bally | 1.50 (2) |
5 | Nigel Poff O. Field | Pembroke Mullingar | 2.00 (2) 2.00 (1) |
Special mention here to P. Crosse [Wicklow] who had an average of 2.74 in the course of taking 19 wickets, aided by his 8/9 of course, but still, brilliant.
Most dismissals, by a player who had a stumping as well[5].
Position | Name | Club | Dismissals (c+s) |
1 | D. McDonagh-Kinkade | YMCA | 27 (20+7) |
2 | Z. Scott | Leinster | 25 (20+5) |
3 | R. Watkins | Merrion | 24 (20+4) |
Last season Rohit Bahl [Pembroke] led this category with 32 (17+15) and would have done well this season, but his return to India after the Leinster Senior Cup Final put paid to that and he was left on 19 (11+8).
Most catches, by any player who did not have a stumping[6].
Position | Name | Club | catches |
1 | M. Ellison | Malahide | 19 |
2 | M. McDonagh | Phoenix | 17 |
3 | R. White | Ring Commons | 16 |
Last years leader in this category, G. Hay [North County] would have made third this year with his 16 recorded catches. Any one who feels that they took more than this can apportion the blame to the people not entering their names with the result cards. Always make sure your captain/scorer fills out who took which catches.
Award Winners
Award | Name | Club | Qualification[7] | Actual figures |
MVP | A. Coates | Ring Commons | Most points | 1,818 |
Batsman of 2012 | S. Dempsey | Halverstown | 400 runs to qualify then highest average wins | 475 runs at 71.75 |
Bowler of 2012 | V. Walia | Adamstown | 30 wickets to qualify then lowest average wins | 31 wickets at 7.06 |
Leading MVP point scorers by club
Club | Name | MVP points | Ranking | No. of players in top 100 |
Adamstown | J. Toor | 1,507 | 10th | 2 |
AIB | C. Curley | 210 | 1,085th | 0 |
Bagnelstown | S. Charles | 656 | 311th | 0 |
Balbriggan | A. Qasim | 1,712 | 3rd | 3 |
Ballaghardeen | A. Muhammed | 58 | 1,628 th | 0 |
Bally… | D. Walker | 193 | 1,141 th | 0 |
Cabinteely | N. Bhanrdari | 1,053 | 13th | 1 |
Civil Service | G. Seghal | 1,093 | 77th | 1 |
Clonee | F. Khalid | 1,153 | 48th | 2 |
Clontarf | Andrew Delaney | 1,514 | 9th | 9 |
Cork | M. Saddique | 415 | 659th | 0 |
Dublin University | Asrar Khan | 828 | 162nd | 0 |
Dundalk | A. Williams | 990 | 97th | 1 |
Dundrum | R. Nair | 1,597 | 7th | 5 |
Evening Herald | D. Robbins | 37 | 1,754th | 0 |
Garda | R. Harris | 298 | 899th | 0 |
Greystones | David Drane | 587 | 381st | 0 |
Halverstown | S. Gallagher | 1,521 | 8th | 3 |
The Hills | Malcolm Byrne | 1,154 | 47th | 3 |
Knockharley | R. Pollock | 797 | 179th | 0 |
Laois | R. Meraj | 1,806 | 2nd | 5 |
Leinster | Susheel Kumar | 1,492 | 11th | 10 |
Malahide | R. Gallagher | 1,483 | 13th | 6 |
Merrion | S. Saharan | 1,390 | 19th | 5 |
Mullingar | E. Feely | 860 | 149th | 0 |
North County | T. Richardson | 1,491 | 12th | 5 |
North Kildare | M. Singh | 1,070 | 63rd | 1 |
Old Belvedere | S. Nethula | 1,127 | 52nd | 2 |
Pembroke | Sean Smith | 1,472 | 14th | 6 |
Phoenix | M. Gibson-McKenna | 1,233 | 32nd | 3 |
Ring Commons | Anto Coates | 1,818 | 1st | 2 |
Railway &SP Union | A Ravi | 1,676 | 4th | 6 |
Rush | L. Jansen | 1,333 | 25th | 3 |
Sandyford | V. Jacob | 1,471 | 15th | 5 |
Swords | S. Thomas | 663 | 304th | 0 |
Terenure Titans | Daniel Hogan | 1,197 | 39th | 3 |
Walnut | G. Whelan | 243 | 1,005th | 0 |
Wexford Wanderers | S. Sheik | 592 | 374th | 0 |
Wicklow County | M. Sisley | 707 | 258th | 0 |
YMCA | Jack Tector | 1,623 | 6th | 7 |
So that just about wraps up the 2012 LCU Season, on the field at least. The OCC will be looking at the league structures and who will be in which league next season. That is before they even start to look at the fixtures for Divisions 1 & 2, or even the starring lists and the various issues that arose this season.
The Grounds Committees work never ends with pitches needing work, renovation, renewal etc. and grounds-men receiving assistance and training.
The LCU&SA will be providing training for new and existing umpires. John Bristow will be announcing details of the various courses over the winter. I’d recommend (specifically to a few) attending one of their courses and if you have decided to hang up the pads, consider turning to the dark side.
There is a band of merry men, and women, who toil endlessly on our behalf unseen, unappreciated, largely unnoticed and certainly un-thanked. As one, of the more heavily penalised, captains this past year, I can say that the LCU do a near impossible task with fairness and without favour, to all of us. My hints for next year: do register all of your players asap, do communicate with the other captains in your league, do report full result cards and do enjoy it all.
I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to Paul Reynolds for providing the statistics and being a source of information all season long. I’d also like to thank Eddie Lewis for allowing me to publish these articles without censorship and editorial control (well until now anyway)
Finally thank you everyone who has provided feedback and let me know that someone somewhere is reading this.