It is a season that Gareth Delany will never forget, primarily because he was on the absentee list for 11 weeks following a horror injury, but it could still end with a League winners’ medal and his 100th appearance for Ireland.

Leinster may trail Clontarf by five points going into the final weekend of Premiership action and are just 2½ points ahead of third place Pembroke, but the title is in their own hands as they play their two rivals in the last two games.

Then, on September 17, Delany will hope to take his usual place in the Ireland short format line-up for his 79th T20 international but, more significantly, his 100th overall when England come to Malahide for a three-match series.

But back in the first week of June, that landmark, or indeed a return to any form of cricket, was the furthest thing from Delany’s mind as he spent 48 hours in hospital with a messed up face and the danger of losing sight in one of his eyes.

"It was the bank holiday Monday, Leinster were playing out in North County and I just going for a catch,” he recalls. “I was at mid-wicket, my team-mate Saqib (Bahadur) was at deep square leg, unfortunately neither of us called for the catch, both of us with eyes on the ball.

“Next thing I remember I was on the ground, in bit of a daze and out of it for a while. It took me a while to come round but North County looked after me very well. It was the Mooney sisters who were very kind, waited with me until the ambulance came and I was taken to Beaumont (Hospital), first to A & E and then kept in for observation for 48 hours.

“I had fractured my cheekbone, my eye socket and a bit of my nose and there was also a bang to the jaw as well. I had a very small trace of a bleed to the brain but thankfully nothing too serious. The doctors’ main concern was my vision so I had to go back into St James Hospital the following week where I learnt I was going to require surgery on the cheekbone – they had only told me in Beaumont that I had fractured the eye socket. So that was a bit of a surprise.

“But, thankfully, later in the week I got the surgery, it went pretty well. They said it would take six weeks to heal which lined up with the concussion protocol mark as well. So by the six-week mark everything was in place, which was good.”

By that stage, Delany had already returned to some light exercise, determined to get back on the cricket field.

“It was nice to get back in the gym around the lads and back into a normal routine and at weeks six to eight I progressed to the physical side and conditioning and around that time there was a light return to skills, underarm throws and walk through bowling wise. There was no rush, though, because I had missed the inter-pro festivals so there was no need to rush back.

Yet, remarkably, just 76 days after the collision in Balrothery, Delany took to the field with his Leinster team-mates in Park Avenue, helping them defeat Railway Union.

“I didn’t get too many runs, took a couple of wickets but it was just nice to get back. It’s a little bit unfortunate the last few games have been rain affected but, no complaints, just glad to be back playing and no real after-effects.

He certainly proved that by turning out for Munster Reds for their last two I-Cup games and last Monday, in the first Emerald Challenge game at Stormont he top scored for the Raiders with 71.

Delany has said playing his 100th game for his country “will be a great  honour and if I’m picked in the squad it would be great to make it at home in front of family and friends”.

From his first 99 matches still his “favourite moment was the first T20 international against West Indies in Grenada in 2020 when we won in the last over (Delany taking them to within six runs of victory after Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien’s still record 154 runs opening partnership). It was so early on (his 20th cap) but it was our first win against a top 10 team and an incredible day.”

Before his return to Ireland colours, the full focus is on Leinster and a huge weekend, with Clontarf the visitors to Rathmines on Saturday before Pembroke visit on Monday afternoon for the rearranged game that Delany hopes will be the title decider.

“Obviously we are playing the other two teams going for the league so neither is going to be easy but I guess if we get it done it will make it more special. Both games are at home so hopefully we will have a little advantage and support but it would be a great way to finish off the season,” he says.

Delany describes Leinster’s season as an all-round team effort “as it always seems to be. But Ben Mitchell, our overseas (professional), has put in some great performances with bat and ball, Jai Moondra, up top with the ball, has been incredible throughout the season and even with Lightning he has shown that as well.

“Then we have the usual stalwarts, Joey Carroll, Bilal Azar, Monil Patel and Saqib Bahadur have all put their hands up throughout the season.

“So no one particular individual, just a team effort which hopefully can continue into the last two games and hopefully we will have something to celebrate on Monday evening.”