The Greatest Team?

Picking out the greatest team is fraught with dangers so instead we are saluting the first Clontarf team to win the Senior League in the Club’s history. 

Although founded in 1876, Clontarf were not a Senior Club until 1908.  The club had some success in 1898 and 1905 winning the  Irish Junior Cup wins in 1898 and 1905, while the 2^nd team won the Intermediate Cup in 1926.  However, since cricket had recommenced after World War 1, Clontarf had found it tough in the Senior League, which started in 1920.  There was some optimism as the season began in 1926, as some new players had joined including F.E. Buxton, a wicket keeper/batsman and W.C. Pemberton, a bowler.  Both would have a large say in the fortunes of the team as the season progressed.

Clontarf’s season opened when Dublin University were hosted in May and things did not look good when Clontarf were dismissed for 70.  Even allowing for what the Irish Times called a “dead slow pitch” this was not the start they would have wanted.  At 28 for 2, DU were well placed to take the points.  However the game changed dramatically when Ted Seymour was given the ball, he was only to bowl 7.3 overs but 6 of those were maidens and he took 7 wickets at the cost of just 1 run.

In a remarkable run, the team remained unbeaten through May, June and most of July.  Victories over Pembroke, Railway Union (and Steam Packet, to give them their full title), Phoenix, Civil Service, Merrion and Leinster were achieved, largely through the bowling strength of the team.  Seymour and Pemberton, in particular, were devastating and most of these wins followed the same pattern of bowling first.  One exception to this was the victory over Civil Service when we batted first on a “capital wicket” scoring 161 but dismissing the opposition for 64.  This game marked the 1^st game of the year for J.G. (Jack) Aston, one of the Clontarf greats.  A member since 1902, Jack Aston was the 2^nd Clontarf player to be capped for Ireland and had been part of the Gentlemen of Ireland who had travelled to America and Canada in 1909 and had played for the Irish side the previous season in 1925.

Leading the league table at the end of July was uncharted territory for this team and the first wobble came when Pembroke visited on 24^th July.  Chasing 86, we could only manage 63 in reply.  Pembroke  were on a good run as were defending champions Phoenix and when Clontarf lost to Phoenix in their second last game, it meant that 3 teams were tied on 29 points.   Clontarf were however, the only side with a game to play.  That game was against Merrion, who were mid table, but they threatened to spoil the party when bowling the home side out for only 80.  However, Pemberton who had been very consistent throughout the season was to have the final say and his spell of 8 for 35 (including 5 clean bowled) meant that the league title would come to Clontarf for the first time in its short history.       

At the season’s end, Ted Seymour topped the Leinster League bowling averages taking 34 wickets at 7.47, while Pemberton took 37 wickets at 11.37.  The best batsman was Buxton who scored 326 runs at 32.6.

Perhaps the greatest measure of the side’s achievement was that Clontarf next won the Senior League 55 years later, in 1961 under the captaincy of Johnny Bell.