Stu Daultrey

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If the North County team that pitched up in Castle Avenue on Wednesday looked depleted (no Harper, John Mooney, Richardson, Strydom), the Clontarf team was barely recognisable: skipper Ian Synnott and his deputy Greg Molins were away on business; Conor Darcy was with John Mooney on the U23s in Scotland; Theo Lawson and Eoghan Delaney were away with the under somethings; Trent Johnston was resting his dodgy Achilles; and Andrew Cullen was unavailable.Ê Acting captain Dom Rigby won the toss and asked County to have a hit.Ê Conor Armstrong went early on, and then a heavy shower reduced the match to 46 overs.Ê Shane O'Connor and AndrŽ Botha took the score to 71 when Neil Blair was introduced into the attack after 13 overs.Ê Blair, who has worked his way up from the 5th XI this season, needed only two deliveries to get his first Senior wicket, O'Connor miscueing a long hop back to the bowler.Ê Paul Mooney never really got going, but Botha was sailing along until the 24th over, when he was missed behind theÊwicket and then missed to lose his wicket.Ê He made 66 and the total was 130.Ê Darragh Armstrong, confirmed his membership of the primary club,Êlbw first ball in the next over, and soon after Paul Mooney became Blair's third victim to leave County on 143/5.Ê Sensible batting from Nathan Palmer (36) and John Andrews (24) took the visitors to 200, but a clatter of wickets saw them 225 all out in 45 overs.Ê Blair finished with an excellent 3 for 35, Cusack with 2 for 43, Bill Coghlan chipped in with 2 for 35 off seven overs and Paul Ryan 2 for 41 off eight.
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If Clontarf were to chase this down, their regular batsmen would have to do most of the work.Ê Alex Cusack fell lbw in Paul Mooney's first over, and Bill Coghlan holed out to cover in Botha's 7th over to leave Clontarf on 44/2.Ê Dom Rigby took the game to the County bowlers, while Ronal O'Reilly nurdled away quietly.Ê With 20 overs to go 'Tarf needed 100 runs with eight wickets in hand andÊRigby on 70.Ê Then the Scottish international got caught betwixt and between an attempted pull off Nathan Palmer, and lobbed the ball to a grateful mid-on.Ê Johan Johnson (14) tucked into some pies from Cian Armstrong, but he and Paul Ryan were dismissed in the same Palmer over.Ê With Conor Armstrong pulled up lame, O'Reilly and Ross Maybury (13) kept things ticking over.Ê 51 off the last five overs was a big ask, as was 16 off the last.Ê Clontarf finished 7 runs short on 218/7, with Redser O'Reilly 73*.Ê Palmer took 3 for 24, Mooney 2 for 37 and Botha 1 for 42.Ê For such an understrength side, it was an excellent effort from Clontarf.ÊÊLooking ahead toÊSaturday's Irish Senior Cup semi-final in Strabane, all the absentees will be available for selection, with the added incentive that if they win, the final will be in Castle Avenue.
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North County's win stretches their lead at the top of section A of the Whitney Moore and Keller Senior League, and if they can see off second placed Malahide at the Inch on Saturday, the title is theirs to lose.Ê Of Wednesday's absentees, only Reinhart Strydom (broken thumb) is unavailable at the weekend.Ê Malahide are in good nick, but they don't have County's strength in depth, so I have to forecast a home win.Ê I've referred before to Railway Union's good performances at the Inch, but I'll be very surprised if they avoid defeat in their rearranged match on with North County on Sunday.Ê But, as we saw last Sunday, the weather can make a big contribution to upsetting the form book.Ê The other Section A action will be in the Phoenix Park, whither the Munster Reds will lug their coffins up from Kingsbridge Station ready for burial by Phoenix, weather permitting.
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Section B of the WMK is very interesting.Ê I got my knickers in a twist last week over a YMCA refix, and was quite properly taken to task by an email from a Pembroke connection who pointed out that pitch preparation had nothing to do with the non-occurrence of the match on Saturday, and I apologise to all Sydney Paraders for my mistake.Ê I really should have known better: the source of my erroneous information was via my umpiring connections and, despite fifteen years doing the job, I still haven't got it into my head that the primary function of umpires is to get it wrong!Ê I am assured Pembroke will be prepared for this Saturday's visit by Old Belvedere, and I confidently predict a home win for the 'Broke Boy Scouts.
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This weekend YMCA definitely do have two fixtures, against Leinster on Saturday and Merrion on Sunday.Ê The Rathmines outfit just can't get it together this season,Êso I have to fancy the YMers, and over the years they've often had the upper hand in matches with Merrion, particularly cup matches, tempting meÊtowards calling another YMCA win.Ê But it isn't a cup match, and I forecast a home win.Ê That leaves the visit of league leaders Rush to Terenure. ÊI don't recall ever having umpired the Russians on the magic carpet, but I think Naz might quite fancy bowling up the hill, and so I'll chance an away win.
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