2007 was a good year for Irish cricket. The national side, supported by many Leprechauns(including the Hon.Sec. despite the best efforts of Air Jamaica) aquitted themselves admirably all round the Caribbean, for cricket people St. Patrick’s Day will never be the same again! One is tempted to confine my report to the goings on out there but with two hardback volumes on the subject I will confine myself to one anecdote :- On hearing that Ireland were off to Guyana, Big Stanley was heard to say “ Sure that’s only up the road(2 syllables) from Rio”….. you can take the boy out of Donemana…!!
Those who went to the world cup brought the weather home with them. The said column in the scorebook reads
glorious for our return to College Park after 20 years or so. The match wasn’t bad either. Leps 230/6 K.Meth 83,
R.Hoken 68, R.Budd 25*+. Trinity 207/8 G.Baugh 71, B.Dunk 63; N.Pyne 2/26, J.McGreal 2/44. A 23 run win in a 45
over match(at Trinity’s behest!)
*denotes not out +amateur!
Norman Lush brought us to St. Colombas as usual, where Leprechauns made 182/6 R.McDonald 74, Liam Canning 37. A reply of 174/9 meant a drawn game.
By the time we played the Leinster Schools in June the weather had turned more wetsuit than calypso, sadly on the field the Leps were wearing the wetsuits and the schoolboys beating the drums!! Leps 170/9 Kenny Carroll 62, Conor Darcy 26; B.O’Farrell 3/36. L. Sch. 176/2.
Charles trip to Halverstown was like half the country washed out but we did manage to get to Ballyeighan where the mat saved the match. Thanks to 34 from Richard Forrest and a last wicket stand of 30 between his father and Lingard Goulding we got to 120, this despite a fantastic 7/37 from Des Walker. Ballyeighan replied with 78. This match marked Charlie Swan’s return to the “Big Time”. With several youngsters in the party the obligatory chip stop was made in Roscrea. I was met in the queue by fans of several counties returning from Croke Park. A lad in a green and white hat asks was I at the match. When I replied that I was down in Tipperary giving cricket lessons, he says quick as a flash, “ Tis hurlin lissins dey want!”
Our 130 in Bagenalstown, M.Carson 28, Ben Dunne 23, was not enough. Despite tight bowling from Philip Black & Nigel Pyne (& a direct hit run out from Charles) we went down by 5 wickets. The following day 175 Derek Dockrell 80. Peter McMorran 22, looked like being enough until a quickfire 40 from the left hander Pat Gardiner turned the game Mount Juliet's way.
So ended a great season in spite of 3 months constant rain, but I cannot finish without remembering the one who did not make it back from Jamaica, the nicest man I ever met through cricket, Bob Kerr.
Dick Forrest, (Hon.Sec.)
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