Annual Report of the Honorary Secretary to the members 2006

The 2006 Leps season was a busy one, notable for listed fixtures not taking place and for the success of extranious ones. The St. Columbas match was a solid opener. Norman's side, backboned by oldboys(Mike Beamish the long distance traveller) drew. Leps 160/9 Gibbs 40, Cron 36. College 158/8 Henk 46, Dunne 28, Gibbs 4/27. A "GXL" Leps XI arrived at a wet Rathmines for the Southern Schools fixture, sadly, despite efforts to move elsewhere, wet won. My thanks to Conor Mullan, John Anderson & Tim Townsend of Railway. (They had a GXL season afterwards !)

Around this time the phone rang, "Denis Walker here, Ballyeighan C.C. Are the Leps still in existance ? If so would you give us a fixture ? ................

Here started

The trip to Tipp.

Sunday 2nd July was agreed as matchday, that was the easy bit !! With the Leinster U13s playing in Cork the following day it was hoped a few fathers and sons would help out on their way south. Popular idea but soon the cry offs came one by one (or in this case 2 by 2!). With 20/20 on in Dublin that day and Allen Smith featuring for Leinster 7s the phone calls were many but the players were few.( As my better half was sure I was driving her son directly to Cork these calls had to be made/received in the coal house). After 75 or so calls and only 4 players and a maybe, I rang Denis...game off... sorry. As I retreated from the coal house the phone rings..."Philip Black here... Stan Mitchell & myself playing". As one NEVER says no to Stan Mitchell I rang Denis... game on! It was time to shake the Clontarf tree a little harder. My elder son and his twin friends got me to 10. The 11th was found walking down The Stiles Road eating an icecream. "Hello little boy, like to play cricket on Sunday?" says I kerbcrawling. "Where?" " Knockshegowna" I replied. "I'll ask me Dad" Luckily(very) I know his Dad!

Lunch in Rackett Hall (5 soup+sanger,6 sausage+chip) preceeded the most interesting bit of the journey, the cross country bit, as the drivers try to follow the sec. from county to county and him on automatic pilot. In the match itself we made 174/8 Adrian Darcy 50 & the said Stan Mitchell 28, the constant running of 2s with Robert Forrest brought about his early retirement! Ballyeighan got home in the last over(having needed 6), G. Kenny 45, R. Kenny 35 & that man John Kenny 32, his on field heroics matched only by his efforts to get Stan to buy one of the horses dutifully looking over the fence. A great days cricket! As I turned right out of the ground (all others turned left), I said to my son "Not a word about this to your mother"

If the weather was good in Birr it was even better for our trip to Halverstown two weeks later. Charles Lysaght led a handy XI to a one sided victory. Leps 238/6 N.Wilkinson 45, M. Carson 38, L.Goulding 32. R.Harris 2/39. Halverstown 101 P.Cron 7/23.

Due to a 1st XI refix the Nantwich game was moved to Rathmines where we made 239/4 Umar Abrahams 103*, Paul Cron 77*. Nantwich replied 197 Jack McGreal 3/18, Allen Smith 4/44. We also played B.B.C. Radio News at Rathmines again posting a good score, 244/7 R.Reid 5O, O. Gravenstein 56. B.B.C. 161 J. Weymes 83, C.Darcy 3/10

Around this time the phone rang (again)....... would the Leprechauns play .....The Free Foresters? If Denis Walker's call marked the start of a long journey for the Leprechauns this call marked the end of one.

The Windmill Lane sponsored match took place in Phoenix (by kind permission) and was one of the most competitive in recent years. Less than 10 phone calls produced a side all of whom had senior experience. Allen Smith who agreed to be 12th man & scorer was claimed by the opposition!! (He might have been busier in the scorebox). Despite an overcast morning Free Foresters elected to bat and were restricted to 173/7, Matt Dwyer 11.5.25.2 being tormentor in chief. We chased for 7 and inspite of a mid innings wobble were seen safely over the line by Jim Gallagher (he would not have been busier behind the bar). Amid much blazering and no little celebration Phoenix hospitality clicked in . The Leps are indebted to Eugene Ward and in particular Liz Fleeton for a lovely supper.

September as ever brings us South East. In Bagenalstown we made 149 A.Nixon 51 D.Dockrell 40. Exhausted from a long spell in the field Bagenalstown replied with 46. Allen Smith 5.0.12.3. Nigel Pyne 8.3.11.2. Exausted from a long night in Kilkenny (helping to celebrate their U.21 hurling All Ireland.....any excuse!) Mount Juliet got the better of us on the Sunday. Inspite of the presence of by now best selling author Godfrey Graham in our attack we could not contain M.J. and went down by 6 wickets. Poacher turned gamekeeper was Andrew Nixon who got 53. On a most beautiful afternoon play was held up momentarily as a pair of swans made their graceful way up the Nore valley. Time stood still , and so did we.

Dick Forrest Honorary Secretary. 2006