BIG time cricket will be staged in Dublin next year as Clontarf have been allocated Ireland's one day international with Australia in 2010. The game will be played on Thursday, 17 June.
It is a vote of confidence by CricketIreland in the north Dublin club, who were overlooked for the plum fixtures against England in 2006 and August this year.
The club has worked hard at developing the ground and recently surveyed its capacity in a bid to convince CricketIreland. The club are confident it can accommodate 5,250 spectators, a 30 per cent increase, although it is still 1,000 seats smaller than Stormont.
One strong advantage Dublin holds over the north is that the host broadcaster is more open to covering the game against Ricky Ponting (right) and the boys. Inside Edge understands that RTÉ and CricketIreland have been in discussions to have the fixture televised. The 2010 game will take place 31 years and four days after Ireland's last televised home game, against Surrey. Clontarf president Roger McGreal was delighted at being awarded the game. 'This is a wonderful opportunity for our club to showcase Irish cricket, and I'm sure all our members will rise to the occasion. We have carried out major improvements to the ground over the past year and have increased capacity at the venue. It's sure to be a fantastic game, and I've no doubt that we'll be able to accommodate all those wanting to see Ireland take on Australia.'
It will be the third time Australia has visited the venue: in 1968 they bowled Ireland out for 106 and batted on after they won to score 190. Eric Freeman took 6-15 and scored 75. In 1993 Matthew Hayden and Allan Border scored centuries in a one-sided game, with Angus Dunlop conceding 32 in an over to Border. Of the test nations, only England, New Zealand and Pakistan have yet to play at Clontarf – though all those countries women's teams have done so.
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Competition looms on the horizon for Clontarf however, as the cricket stadium in Malahide passed the latest stage of the planning process last week. The Fingal County Council area committee met to discuss the plan and has heartily endorsed it. Ian Talbot of Malahide CC tells Inside Edge that the plan has been 'warmly received' by the community and, although there were some local objections to the removal of the footpath that current runs behind the wall surrounding the cricket club, it is hoped these will be satisfied.
'The club envisages starting work immediately after the final piece falls into place', says Talbot.
The ground, which features a striking bank for spectators, is expected to be finished by the 2011 season, which could see it in line to host the one-day international against England that summer.
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The final Leinster Cricket Union averages were published last week by the indefatigable Gerry Byrne. Clontarf's sterling pro Rod Hokin topped the tables for batting, catching and all-rounder – and also took more wickets than anyone else, although his average put him behind Naseer Shoukat (Rush) and James Parkinson (YMCA). However, as Hokin is a professional he is ineligible for the trophies handed out by the LCU.
The Marchant Cup for batting goes to Railway Union's Tom Fisher, who scored 623 runs at an average of almost 39. The Kiwi, who first played in 2006, has now settled in Dublin and promises to be a major figure over the next few years.
The O'Grady Cup for bowling was won by Rush's former international Naseer Shoukat, whose 28 wickets at 11.16 was the best in the union, by amateur or professional. As a mark of his consistency, he never took more than a 'three-fer', although he averaged 2.16 wickets per innings.
Hokin and Anton Scholtz both held 15 catches in the field, which meant the Leinster man takes the Solomons Cup. Fisher again featured, taking 13 catches, although the eight he took as wicketkeeper do not count for this award.
Fisher was relieved of duty behind the stumps by Sam Farthing, who then raced to the top of the Hopkins Cup charts in his first season at Park Avenue. His 21 dismissals was one more than Ian O'Herlihy (The Hills) and Conor Armstrong (North County).
The Samuels Cup for all-rounders is awarded on a points basis, with runs, wickets and catches all considered. Hokin was 263 points clear of second placed Anthony Brooks (Pembroke), with Matt Daykin (Malahide) next. Albert Van Der Merwe (The Hills) was thus the highest ranked eligible player and will collect the prize at the glittering LCU awards night.
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There were 24 centuries scored in LCU competition this season, well up on the last two years but a long way behind the record of 41 set in 2006. Over the last six seasons the number of 100s goes: 28, 34, 41, 16, 18 and 24.
Jeremy Bray scored his 21st and 22nd hundreds, which leaves him just one behind the record set by Alf Masood in the 1980s and 1990s. Andre Botha's best of the summer was 65, which leaves him on 21 centuries. Of the other current players, Trent Johnston is best placed with 13. Bray and Reinhardt Strydom were the only players to score two hundreds in 2009.
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As part of its 100th birthday celebrations, the world governing body is handing out ICC Centenary Medals to volunteers who have made a major contribution to the game. Five Irish award winners were announced yesterday: long serving ICU secretary Derek Scott, leading woman's administrator Siobhan McBennett, Lexie Miller of the Derry Midweek League, former NCU and ICU president Cecil Walker and the late John Wright, of whom ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said 'There is no doubt that John his efforts over a long period of time have formed a significant part of the successes that Ireland has enjoyed in recent years.'
gsiggins@tribune.ie