Long struggle pays off for Leinster's Jones

It was a full six days after Leinster's victory over Donemana and Mark Jones was still getting texts like this one: 'Diceys, 6pm, €3 a bottle, JP.' It had been a long week, but then it had been a long quarter-century since the All Ireland cup was first dreamed up by Leinster CC member Murrough McDevitt. ‘Jonesy', JP and their teammates deserved every toast as the trophy finally rested in the Rathmines pavilion. 'It was a great win', says Jones, 'especially as we were without George Dockrell, who has been fantastic. He guarantees you at least 2-30.'

The Irish Senior Cup has been a target for Leinster since 1982, when they lost the inaugural final to NICC. The club lost two more, in 1996 and 1997, when Jones made just a single in each, and as the sole survivor he was delighted to contribute 44 to his team's match-winning 265. 'We've often done well in the competition,' says Jones, 'We've been in the quarters the last two years and it was the only trophy I hadn't won. It's a great competition, the players love to travel as a team to Belfast or Derry and stay over.'

Jones rates the current side as better than the 1996-97 teams. 'Paul Cron was a great pro, but Carlos Brathwaite has been brilliant for us. Pure aggression. He can turn a game in five overs with bat or ball.'

Dockrell has been to the fore in Canada as Ireland under-19s qualified for the World Cup. 'He's a very level-headed lad,' says Jones. 'He struggled a bit with his delivery stride at the start of the season but he worked at it and sorted it out. He's a great talent.' ‘Jonesy', one of the most popular men in Leinster cricket, will celebrate 20 years at senior level next summer, although he reckons he'll struggle to make it. 'The body's failing on me big time,' he laughs.

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The Leinster union's development officer, Briain O'Rourke, has been doing magnificent work recently in sowing seeds and nurturing roots in areas where the game has not been seen for many years. There are currently 35 clubs affiliated to the LCU, but all 13 senior and eight of the juniors are based in Dublin. Outside the capital there are two clubs in Kildare and Westmeath, and one each in Meath, Carlow, Wicklow, Laois and Wexford. O'Rourke recently met with the Louth County Sports and Recreation Officer, Noel Redmond, to encourage local moves towards re-establishing a club in Dundalk. 'I was approached in April by a group of young local Pakistani men who had been playing on a vacant tarmacked area beside one of our older shoping centres,' said Redmond. 'I sought the assistance and expertise of a number of local cricketers and our local sports partnership co-ordinator Mary Browne.'

Redmond and O'Rourke brought all interested parties together and LCU president Matt Sheridan attended a meeting in the town last week. The council will help facilitate the club with grants and training courses. 'Unfortunately the council doesn't have any suitable space large enough to accommodate a cricket area at present but the club will apply for a permanent site on a former landfill site which it is hoped will become available for use as a recreational area.'

O'Rourke is also working with Santosh Nair in a bid to bring Adamstown CC, who play at Griffeen Park in Lucan, into the leagues. 'The upsurge in interest in the game has been evident in recent years', said O'Rourke. 'We are now looking to reach out to a new audience and bring cricket to parts of the province where it has never been played before. Both clubs will obtain full support from the LCU. Site visits have taken place and both clubs have identified areas for the installation of both new playing and practice facilities.'

Another west Dublin club has sprung up in Clonee, although there is still much work to be done there.

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The home of the culchie, Kiltimagh, Co Mayo, plays host to a charity match today. The local soccer team takes on the local GAA team in a match at the Kiltimagh-Knock United grounds. Play starts 3pm.

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A prolific week for Irish batsmen in England. Ed Joyce's 107 for Sussex was his third century of the season while Niall O'Brien's 128 was his first for Northants in a summer ruined by injury. Surrey stumper Gary Wilson scored timely innings of 155 and 124 not out for the 2nd XI just as the club recruited England Lion Stephen Davies. A move from the Oval may still be the Ireland number two's best bet though, as Jonathan Batty shows no sign of retiring.

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The Duckworth Lewis Method album has been the joyous soundtrack to the summer, but in an interview with Inside Edge in June, its creators confessed to never having played the game. I can reveal that Neil Hannon took his first steps to the wicket last Tuesday in Merrion, playing for the Theatrical Cavaliers XI. His long years of study obviously paid off, with two wickets in his two overs, and a respectable 11 with the bat. 'I even loved being bowled', he exulted afterwards.


gsiggins@ tribune.ie