This week we have another new overall points leader, and is appropriately a man in yellow…. and green. Our leader plies his trade in Cold Blow Lane, but is certainly blowing hot this season. His runs total is also a Leinster leading 827, whilst his average of 91.89 is bettered only by the single innings of 168 by J. Quinlan [Merrion][1]. His five centuries is two more than any other player has achieved this season and three more than any individual player achieved in the whole of last season and add to that he has two half centuries. His best bowling figures of 7/33 is the fourth best in the province this season and his 23 wickets are good enough for 34th place amongst bowlers. He has achieved all of this whilst playing Division One cricket against the best players in the province and has managed to top 1,600 points. His progress to the top has been steady and consistent. Our heartiest congratulations go to Pat Collins [R&SPU][2]. His total is already within 200 points of the winning overall score of 1,806 achieved in 2012. The runs total of 827 is but one run short of the runs scored highest in 2012.
Last week’s leader, Simon Rice [Greystones][3], did not play this week, however he remains Leinster’s leading wicket-taker with 45 victims, a figure which is 12 ahead of the next highest, and slips overall only to second place. Simon only requires a further 8 wickets to surpass the mark of 52 set in 2012 by S. Gallagher [Halverstown].
Further proof that the cream rises to the top is seen with the climb of Eddie Richardson [North County] to third place in the table. 692 runs and 24 wickets reinforce the calls for possible future international honours for him.
Saturday sees the showpiece occasion of the RSA Leinster Senior Cup final taking place in Castle Avenue between YMCA and Pembroke. The last time these two teams met in the final was 1980, played in the Cabra Oval. Current LCU President Henry Tighe was the Pembroke Captain that day, but Ger Siggins’s article on these pages covers that game far better then this columnist ever could. Last year the Final was Clontarf versus Pembroke in YMCA’s ground. This season it is Pembroke and YMCA in Clontarf’s ground. Will the 2014 final be between YMCA and Clontarf in Pembroke’s ground? Don’t rush down to Paddy Powers quite yet on that one, but it would have a nice symmetry to it. The highest ranked player from either team lies in fourth place on our table. Simmi Singh [YMCA] has 1,361 points and as befits his position these points have come from both bat and ball.
L. Jansen [Rush] retains fifth place with 798 runs to date, whilst the highest ranked Pembroke player comes in at 6th. Diarmaid Tucker [Pembroke] is unlikely to make the starting line-up for the RSA Senior Cup final, but his performances at the junior levels of Leinster cricket has highlighted his ability and mark him out as one for the future as he takes 6th place. He will be delighted to have remained ahead of brother Fiachra who stays in 9th place and in fact to have extended his brotherly lead by 8 points. Fiachra remains an outside bet for inclusion in the cup final after his performances in the RSA Alan Murray T20 competition this season, whilst eldest sibling Lorcan[4] looks to be a sure-fire selection given his stunning 16 ball half century last week.
The highest ranked player to also have a stumping[5] is M. Jacob [Swords] in 11th place, whilst the highest ranked player without a single catch is S. Reddy[6] [Merrion] in 32nd place with 992 points. Top ranked without a single wicket is H. Tanveer [Civil Service] in 29th place with 647 runs being the main contribution to his 1,022 points, which is just 21 points ahead of Tom Fisher [Terenure Titans] who is also wicket-less. Simon Rice [Greystones] in second place overall is the top player without a century, but top without a century, or a fifty, is Fiachra Tucker[7] [Pembroke]. Top ranked but without a single run scored is W. Gunnell [Dublin University] whose 12 wickets have gained him 300 points and an impressive 60ppg.
Ignoring J. Quinlan [Merrion], Q. Roux [Greystones], Z. Sandhu [Slieve Bloom], Nicky Fusco [Wicklow], G. Conway [Bell’s Academy] and J. Amin [Cork County] for only playing one game to date, the highest points per game scorer is fittingly Pat Collins [R&SPU] with 14 games played and an average points per game of over 114.
122 players average 10 ppg[8], which means they have appeared, but with no runs, no wickets and no catches. Two[9] of these 122 players has played four games, but there will be no naming them here, but it is hoped that should they play again, their captain will ensure that they get a go somewhere on the field.
The top 31 players have now all passed 1,000 points for the season and include players from 16 different clubs. In total, 547,591 points have been registered, with 181,816 runs scored by the bat and 8,934 wickets for bowlers. Over 100 centuries have been reached and over 700 half centuries. More than 43,000 overs have been sent down and 3,393 catches held behind and in front of the bat. 155 stumpings complete the totals this week.
Looking at which club has scored the most points, season to date, unfairly favours the clubs with the most teams and the most players. Taking an average number of points per player per club is probably the most convoluted way yet used in this series of articles, but does throw up some interesting results. Of the two RSA Leinster Senior Cup finalists, Pembroke have scored a total of 30,292 points and have had 95 members playing. YMCA, with 64 players, have scored 20,392. However, total points divided by players gives a co-incidental 318 points per player for both teams. Pembroke’s 318.8632 ppp[10] is just ahead of YMCA’s 318.6250 ppp. Less than one quarter of a point per player. Of course this has no significance to the Cup Final or its result, but if it does, it has as much as relevance as a litre of diesel oil does to a seagull. The leading clubs in this meaningless statistic are R&SPU with 361 ppp, which is less than one ppp than second rated North County with 360 ppp.
2,070 people, male and female, young and old, have now appeared in the Leinster leagues and cups. Merrion have used the most players with 115, whilst other clubs with player numbers over 100 are Leinster with 113 and Clontarf with 111.
Finally for this week, let us run the rule over the recently announced Leinster Under 13 party to travel to Taunton and see how they are faring in adult cricket. Captain Harry Tector [YMCA] is the second ranked YMCA player in the overall table (45th) with 265 runs and 20 wickets. Ian Anders [Phoenix] has 282 runs and five wickets. Sean Currie [Clontarf] 208th, has 347 runs and JJ Garth [Pembroke] has 22 wickets. Sanil Gupta [Pembroke] has 190 runs and 13 wickets and Stephen Keane [YMCA] has a top score of 66*. Josh Little [Pembroke] has the pace to hurt wicketkeepers[11], even dislocating a finger for the hapless Guy Chilton and certainly deserves more than 102 runs and 6 wickets. Rory McGovern [YMCA] has over 100 runs and Max Neville [Merrion] has played just the one game to date. Matthew O’Meara [North Kildare] has 4 wickets at 12.75 and Aaron O’Neill has collected 11 scalps in his 10 games. Neil Rock [Rush] already has a half century and Aviral Shukla [YMCA] has best bowling of 3/33. Finally Andrew Vincent [Clontarf] has 13 wickets, 5 catches and is 1,043 places ahead of D. Vincent [Clontarf]. A fine talented bunch of lads who undoubtedly will do Leinster proud in games versus Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, Cheshire and Kent in a very intense 5 days, lead by an excellent management team of O’Gorman, Strydom and Ackland.
As usual, all of the figures are available upon request to craig@cricket.ie on an individual, club or overall basis. All you have to do is ask.
[1] We received correspondence that after his knock of 168, J. Quinlan took holidays and is expected to return and bat again. We congratulate him on what must be a record debut score and look forward to seeing him back on the field of play soon.
[2] Pat Collins has climbed from a low position of 274th on 21 May to top spot now.
[3] We were informed that Simon Rice has only this season taken on the skill of spin bowling. If correct, it has certainly been a successful change.
[4] Lorcan has 611 points, and is fast becoming a regular for Pembroke’s First XI.
[5] We assume that with a stumping this makes him the top overall ranked wicketkeeper in Leinster cricket.
[6] Insert your own punch line here.
[7] Fiachra has a top score of 47 so far.
[8] Points per game.
[9] Both players come from the same club too!
[10] Point per player.
[11] Personal experience for the author. It shall not be repeated.