The onset of autumnal weather reminds us that there are only a few weeks to go in the 2013 cricket season. Even at this late stage though only half of the leagues have a confirmed Champion and there are 21 promotion and relegation places still at stake. [See Craig Senior’s article yesterday for details].
For RSA Open Competition D1 and OCD2 there are two matters to be decided this weekend – the overall Champions [D1] and the final relegation spot in D2. For once the issue is pretty simple in both cases.
If The Hills beat Phoenix in the Park tomorrow they are Champions. Any other result leaves them vulnerable to being caught by Merrion or YMCA. Of course given their respective league positions The Hills will be overwhelming favourites to win but Phoenix have nothing to lose and have won their last two matches. But unless their nerves get the better of them, The Hills should be crowned champions [weather permitting] tomorrow night.
The other two teams in the final shake up have to win to have any chance of finishing top of the leader board. Merrion are ahead of YMCA so need only a win to secure the runners up spot. They take on North County in Anglesea Road. YMCA have perhaps the easier fixture against Pembroke in Claremont Avenue. Neither NC or Pembroke have anything to play for but both will want to put on a good show on the last day of the season.
In D2 the key match is that between Balbriggan and Rush. Balbriggan need to win to overtake Merrion II but it is probably fair to say that if they can achieve this they stand a very good chance to staying up as Merrion’s last match is against Clontarf on Sunday. At this point Rush do not have anything to play for but a tightly contested match is expected.
The final matches [and indeed the only games that have no bearing on league titles, promotion or relegation for either team] are those between Malahide and Terenure [D2] and Railway Union and Leinster [D1]. Merrion II will of course be hoping that their match in Anglesea Road on Sunday against Clontarf will also by then be a dead rubber.
If any clubs sends in teams I will put them up.
Railway Union Team [v Leinster]
Team from: Dhruv Kapoor (C), Kenny Carroll, Josh Uddin, Ross Nicol, Mo Tariq, Greg Lambert, Zeeshan KB, Ciaran Divney, Furqan ul Haq, Saad Ullah, Dharam Singh, Eoin Barron.