Dundalk Cricket Club Selected As Part of The John Murray Show Underdogs 2012 Series

In the John Murray Show Underdogs 2012 Series, in which clubs of all sporting ilk's, from all around the country, applied to have their clubs followed for the season, the two Clubs chosen have finally been announced. The Clubs which are to be followed are Dundalk Cricket Club and the Kerry Camogie Team. John Murray and Damien Lawlor are joined by a delighted PRO for Dundalk Cricket Club, Gerry Murphy.

John Murray:   Damien Lawlor from the Sunday Independent joins me as always. Damien how are you doing?

Damien Lawlor:   Morning Sir.

John Murray:   Now as I said this morning, we got loads of entries from clubs around the country, last year regular listeners will know that we followed the fortunes of two GAA Teams. And this year we got applications from all over the country, from different Sporting Codes, suggesting they be part of our underdog series. But we've come to a decision after long deliberation Damien, and we have chosen, do you want to announce the two teams?

Damien Lawlor:   Yeah well I'm delighted first of all, Dundalk Cricket Club are first in, and it's great to see a bit of variety in the Sports, and secondly delighted to see the Kerry Camogie Team involved in the Underdogs 2012 as well John.

John Murray:   Right, you wouldn't associate Camogie or Hurling with Kerry. And of course we've seen with Cricket and the exploits of the Irish Team in recent times, a much greater profile given to the game. But Gerry Murphy from Dundalk Cricket Club is on the line, Gerry good morning.

Gerry Murphy:   Good morning John.

John Murray:   I think you were the man who sent us an e-mail on the first day Gerry?

Gerry Murphy:   I did indeed John, yes I did.

John Murray:   And are you happy now to be chosen as one of our Underdogs for 2012?

Gerry Murphy:   I was delighted, and we hope to prove that we're Worthy Underdogs, and not remain Underdogs at the end of the season.

John Murray:   And tell us about your A Team Gerry, tell us first of all how the Club came into being, and what stage of your development you're at?

Gerry Murphy:   Ok, well the Club came into being John, we did have a Club here in Dundalk about, in the eighties, and because of the rather delicate political situation and our geographical location, we came under a bit of pressure and the Club actually disappeared. But we're know around town, a few of us as ex-cricketers, and we heard back in 2009, that a group of young Immigrant Lads were playing cricket in a disused car park beside a supermarket. So went along, met the lads, and through the support of the Louth Sports Partnership, we called a meeting, we got some of the old guys who had been involved in Crusaders, which was our team previously, and the new lads, and some new blood as well, and we registered. We played our first season in 2010, played it all friendly's. Last season we affiliated to the Leinster League, Division 12. And won it undefeated.

John Murray:   Wonderful!!! Wonderful!!!

Gerry Murphy:   And we have an eclectic mix of all nationalities. It feels a bit like the UN our dressing room at times. And we are now, this year we have now two teams, the team you're going to focus on is our A Team which will be playing in Division 9 of the Leinster League and we also have Schoolboys Team, we played today. We have another team as well, the B Team will be playing in Division 13, so it's upwards and onwards.

John Murray:   And before we get to the eclectic mix that is the Team in Division 9, you mentioned there that you came under pressure, the Club back in the eighties. Are you saying that there was intimidation of the Team and the game it was playing?

Gerry Murphy:   There was yes, there was. At that stage, as you well know that Dundalk had a certain reputation, and it certainly wasn't as a cricket playing town. Because of our location near the border.

John Murray:   So you just decided it would be best . . .

Gerry Murphy:   For everybody's sake, we decided that another time it might be better to try to float cricket in the area.

John Murray:   Yeah, and it is, and it's going well. So just tell us about the team then, you mentioned the different nationalities. Tell us about the first eleven, the A Team in Division 9.

Gerry Murphy:   I'll give you an idea John of our likely first eleven, we play our first match against Adamstown on Saturday next here.

John Murray:   Great.

Gerry Murphy:   And the likely make up is four native Irish, two English born, one Welsh born, two Indian, one Pakistani and one Nepalese.

John Murray:   Wonderful, that is truly multinational and international.

Gerry Murphy:   It certainly is, and we also have edging for places, we also have an Aussie and a South African and a lot of young Irish lads who are coming through now.

Damien Lawlor:   The Australian guy won't lack for confidence I'd imagine Gerry, they usually fancy their sport?

Gerry Murphy:   They certainly do, and we'll put a stop to that Damien on the 23rd of June in Stormont when we play them, when Ireland play them in a One Day International.

John Murray:   That's right, and give them a whipping. And just explain the league itself, how many games do you play and is it limited overs, one day cricket, or what?

Gerry Murphy:   It's forty overs, one day. Just briefly there are fourteen divisions in Leinster Cricket Union.

John Murray:   Is there, that's remarkable isn't it.

Gerry Murphy:   And just to give you an idea again John, we play sixteen fixture, eight home, eight away. We have mostly against the bigger clubs in Dublin, we're playing their Seconds, Thirds, and against North County we're actually playing their Fourth Team. So I mean the upsurge of interest, thanks to the performance, which I've been privileged to see of Our Lads in both Kingston in Jamaica against the Pakistani's in '07 and last year, thank God again in Bangalore, I was privileged to be there, to see us beat our Auld Enemy from across the water.

John Murray:   Great and we've been in touch with Cricket Ireland, and they are delighted to lend any support to you Gerry, during the course of the season. And we'll be paying a visit up there shortly to meet the team, and to find out how they're going. But we're, as I said we're delighted to have you onboard, and we'll keep our fingers crossed for the upcoming season.

Gerry Murphy:   We are delighted to participate as well John, and can I also wish Caroline and the Kerry Camogie Team all the best for the season as well.