Review of the season - RSA Division 4

How the league was won - Division 4 was very much a league of two halves. However the two halves were not as many would have predicted. Laois have been treading water somewhat over the last few years, and only avoided relagation in 2011 by the skin of their teeth. After losing the first match of the season (by one wicket to Pembroke), many down Togher way may have been considering a tough season. But a remarkable run then saw them winning the next seven matches that escaped the weather. By the time two matches were lost in September, the title was already won.

Beneath Laois though, there was a frenetic battle for the second promotion spot. North Kildare had an up and down season-  although mainly up. At the end of August they had a 5-4 record, which may have been one too many losses. Crucially they had lost to Railway Union twice. By the time they visited Malahide at the end of the season, their promotion hopes had gone.

Railway Union controversially lost out on promotion in 2011, and it looked as if they would atone for it in 2012. By the end of August, they had only lost twice, both times to Laois which was no disgrace. But their last match of the season saw a five wicket loss to Pembroke 3, a result that proved to be the difference between Railway and the eventual runners-up Malahide.

Malahide themselves were also less then consistent. On the morning of August 19th, they took the field with a record of 2-4, and with five matches left, had to win them all to have any hope of Division 3 cricket in 2013. As it turned out, they batted second in each of those five matches, and won by nine wickets, seven wickets, seven wickets and seven wickets, entering the last match of the season with another win needed. In a keenly faught match, Malahide were 70-4 chasing 156, before a partnership of 87 between Mick O'Brien and Neil Boyne took them home and on to Division 3. 
 
How dreams turned to nightmares -  The four teams at the other end of the table had little reason to be glancing upwards. There was nearly a 20% gap between North Kildare in 4th and Pembroke 3 in 5th. 

Rain ruined the season for these bottom clubs. Four of Oakhill's seven home matches were victims of the weather, and even the matches they did play, they lost. After giving Laois a walkover the season was over, and it was all about aho finished in the other relegation spot.

 
Mullingar had a similarly ghastly relationship with the weather. Five of their home games were rained off, and they also managed to lose the first five matches they played. With Pembroke 3 and Phoenix 2 having "ok" seasons, Mullingar looked doomed. However Clontarf's relegation from Division 3, along with Clontarf 3 and Merrion 3 finishing in second and third in Division 5 (concentrate at the back) meant that only one was relegated from Division 4 - and Mullingar survived.

Heroes with the willow - Division 4 has a better return from its batsmen than any of the ten divisions we have already reviewed. 43 scored 100 runs, 16 scored 200 runs, five scored 300 and one topped the 500 list. Extraordinarily, eight players scored 200 runs at an average of over 40 - a decent performance and one that needs to be highlighted.

The eight is ascending order are: Abdullah Hafiz (Railway Union, 216 @ 43.20), Thomas Anders (Phoenix, 226 @ 45.20), Mohammed Ramazan (Laois, 379 @ 54.14), Deepak Rak (Pembroke, 221 @ 55.25), John Fitzsimons (Oakhill, 232 @ 58.00), Mick O'Brien (Malahide, 246 @ 61.50), Rashid Meraj (Laois, 556 @ 61.78) and Ryan Gallagher (Malahide, 318 @ 79.50)


Hell for leather - As is normally the case, strong batting performances in a division lead to weaker bowling. No bowler who took ten wickets did so at less than 10 runs per wicket, but there were still some good returns none the less. Four passed 20 wickets, and two also excelled with the bat.

Ryan Gallagher was the main reason that Malahide 2 got promotion, and to go with his 300 runs, he took 20 wickets at 10.6. Rashid Meraj jostles with Gallagher as the Division 4 player of the season  - he also took 20 wickets at 11.75. Next was Phoenix Dave Ford who took 21 wickets at 13.86, with top spot reserved for Manjeet Singh of North Kildare who took 22 wickets at 11.50 


Days to remember -  Considering the season that Laois and Rashid Meraj had, it is no harm in looking again at one of their performances. Laois can be a hard place to bowl if you don't quite get the ball in the right place. North Kildare defnitely found that on July 29th. After Laois won the toss, the Kilcock men may have been happy with two quick wickets as Laois subsided to 31-2. That was to be the end of the Kildare glee, as first Mohammed Ramazan with 123, and then Rashid Meraj with 199 severely punished the bowling. 

395 to win is never easy. And it wasn't ,as Laois won by 256 runs 

Stat you may have missed - 61 players played only one Division 4 match in 2012. Four of them had quite a good match. Richard Reed of Malahide scored 55*, Matt Lunson of Phoenix took 3-26, Sean Tomlinson of Railway took 3-39 and Kenny Carroll of Railway scored 155*. Only Tomlinson was to play lower than Division 4 after this.

Batting (Qualification - 100 runs)

Bowling (Qualification - 10 wickets)