It's been quite a week for Andrew Poynter. In the space of eight days he went to the wicket five times, and each time he returned with at least a fifty to his name.
It’s quite a hot streak for a man who specialises in them. “Things are coming together well in the last couple of weeks” he admitted to Inside Edge.
“I’m a bit disappointed not to have been able to turn a couple of them into hundreds but that’s difficult from the middle order.”
Poynter followed his 75 and 54 for Clontarf with 54 and 62 for Leinster Lightning against the Knights in College Park. On Saturday he wasn’t needed to bat as Tarf whipped Cork by nine wickets but he was back in the runs next day with 89 against Terenure.
That’s 334 runs in a week – it’s a pity there are no Ireland games coming up to continue the run. “The calendar is a bit blank this summer,” he admits, “but I’m happy to be there scoring runs for the club and for Leinster, and winning games for them too.”
The London-born nephew of Tarf and Ireland legend Deryck Vincent had a spell at Middlesex as a youth but moved to Dublin to enhance his chances of wearing the shamrock. He had a poor 2013 but turned around his season – and arguably his career – with another purple patch in the very last week of last summer.
A match-winning century in the Irish Senior Cup final was followed by 113 for Leinster Lightning up in Waringstown. “It did change things – I went into the Irish Cup final feeling that I needed to do what I was supposed to do – which is score a lot of runs for Clontarf and win games of cricket.
“I followed it up with another ton against the Northern Knights – everything just clicked at the right time and it happened that the national coach was there to watch!”
The Interpros have been a boon to players like Poynter. “What I love about them is that they’re really tough cricket. You have to be playing well to just get into the team and that gives you confidence”, he says.
“It’s a great way for the guys not playing county cricket to get a chance to show what they can do.”
With the World Cup just eight months away, he must be confident of making the plane?
“There’s a lot of people with an eye on a spot in that squad”, he laughs.
“I’m just got to keep scoring and get things right in other parts of my game like fielding, bowling and fitness.”
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THE storms of winter 2012/13 put paid to Merrion’s historic old clubhouse. The club set about an ambitious rebuilding job which has now been completed and is a wonderful adornment to one of the prettiest grounds in the land.
The pavilion will be officially opened on Friday week by CI President Joe Doherty, and a celebration T20 game will take place – including a rare chance for Irish fans to see the skills of Phil Simmons in action.
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THE economics of setting up the stadium in Malahide mean that for the moment, only the very biggest games will be played there. Even then profit margins are wafer-thin.
With both England and Australia coming in 2015 – one will go to Stormont – the club has been looking creatively at the issue.
Lancashire and Hampshire have hosted major pop concerts in recent years and Inside Edge hears that a one-off gig in the same week as the match would make the effort erecting the stands worthwhile.
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HOT on the heels of the news that former Leinster rugby mouthpiece Peter Breen has got a big job in ICC comes the news of another Irishman heading to Dubai.
Andrew Leonard, late of Cricket Ireland, has landed a post in the marketing and digital media department and is off in a fortnight.
He will be missed down Pembroke way, but even more in the presenter’s chair on the excellent podcast The Slog Sweep.
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Photo of the week: If you were watching Sky Sports News last week, you may have thought Ed Joyce was a little edgy when answering the reporter’s questions.
There was nothing out of order on either side, but Ed was just a little distracted by something. His wife Fran tweeted the reason – their son Georgiou (2) was hanging on daddy’s every word.
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Selfie of the week: “Look who's decided to invade my space in the changing room. I'm 4 and he is 5 hahaha”,
Trent Johnston tells Brian Lara who’s boss when they played for MCC in the Lord’s bicentenary game on Sunday. In the end Lara got 56 while TJ didn’t bat – but took 3-38.
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THE Interpro in College Park last week was blessed by great weather and the crowds came out at lunchtime to watch the action. Sadly, come 1.15pm the players toddled off for their own lunch leaving over 1,000 supporters and potential converts at a loose end.
Surely a 12-2.15pm first session would not be beyond the pale?
But the tournament moves off now to Malahide in front of three men and their dogs and a huge PR opportunity missed. The players certainly deserve better.
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GARY Wilson’s brilliant career best 160no v Notts on Monday makes him the fifth Irishman to make a county century this season – which is the most ever in one English season.
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Fixtures
Thursday: Women’s Div1: Clontarf v YMCA, Pembroke v Leinster, North Kildare v Malahide, Merrion v The Hills
Saturday: Men’s Div1: Terenure v Merrion, Pembroke v The Hills, Railway v YMCA, Clontarf v North Co; Div2: Rush v Leinster, Phoenix v Pembroke II, Merrion II v Balbriggan, Malahide v Cork Co
Sunday: Irish Senior Cup quarter-finals: Clontarf v St Johnston, Pembroke v Merrion, Coleraine v North Down, Railway v The Hills;
National Cup QFs: Woodvale v Laois, Limerick Raiders v Dundrum, Carrickfergus v Co Galway, Killyclooney v Cliftonville