Dave Smith, Malahide CC
Dave Smith played for Mountjoy School (now Mount Temple) on the Malahide Road in the mid 1950’s. He opened the batting with Alan Rubbathan formerly of Clontarf CC. They were “a small (Dave) and tall (Alan)” combination. The highlight was a senior Schools Final.
A printer by trade Dave began his working life with Irish Carton Printers in Glasnevin. AB Robertson (Malahide CC) was a senior figure in the company and it was this connection which resulted in Dave playing for and having a lifelong connection with Malahide. Older brother Syd Smith also played for the Village before departing to the UK where he now lives.
In 1964 Dave was the youngster on the Malahide XI which won the Leinster Senior League for the first time. It was a packed team which included five Irish Internationals Doug Goodwin, Podge Hughes, Joe Caprani, Paddy Neville and Gerry O’Brien. Dave recalls Paddy Neville as “a wonderful player…magnificent clean hitter of the ball”.
In those early days on the senior XI his role was mainly as a young fielder and latter order bat. But he soon graduated up the order and was opening the batting in 1966 in the third of the three in a row Leinster Senior Cup Finals with Old Belvedere. He was joint top score (21) for the Village in the ’65 Final. In the ’66 Final the Irish Times reports “Quite a feature of Saturday’s play was the splendid fielding of Malahide’s C.D. Smith, who took four fine catches.” Long story short, Dave was known as C.D. in the papers.
Dave’s senior cricket career is, as ever, neatly encapsulated in Derek Scott’s meticulous hand written statistics. 1961-1981, 227 matches, total runs 2,830, top score 90*, 7 scores above 50, League Wins in 1964 and 1980, Wiggins Teape League winners 1976. Of course, it doesn’t tell all. No mention of the four Senior Cup Final losses (Pembroke in 1972 in addition to the three losses to Belvo in the 1960s mentioned above).
Like most players there was a peak. It was in 1968 when he scored 369 runs at an average of 26. He featured in the Marchant Cup batting averages that year – qualification was 350 runs (winner = JB Bunworth).
He was an attacking player and didn’t hang about. Favoured shots were pulls, cuts and half volley drives. Batted with a harrow. He enjoyed his cricket but “it always was a game to me” and never became an obsession as it can do.
Dave was also a more than useful keeper. Stood back as there were few spinners in the Village at the time. Could bowl leg spin but due to the dominance of Goodwin, Hughes and O’Shea there was little need for the slow stuff. The spinning gene emerged later with his two sons Stephen (left arm orthodox) and Andrew (left arm chinaman) both of whom played senior cricket for the Village.
In other reminiscences, Dave recalls “Les (O’Shea) hit (the keepers) gloves the hardest…I wouldn’t face Podge in the nets, just too dangerous…Rodney Bernstein was the quickest bowler around…caught Henry Tighe at leg slip off Podge in the ’66 Final, it came like a rocket…best over I ever faced was from Con McGrath (Belvo)…best shot I ever hit was in YM (Claremont Road) for six over extra cover, I misjudged the length but continued on with the shot, it flew off the bat…top score was 98 for the 2s…best catch I ever took was at first slip (Derek Connerton at second), Gerry Ward was the bowler, the ball was in my left hand before I realised…on tour in Scotland, Aussie bowler Terry Alderman playing for Watsonians dismissed me on a tricky wicket, Des Cashell was umpire…never realised how good a bowler Barbara McDonald was until I played with her on the 4s.”
Dave ‘s one Interprovincial cap (Guinness Cup) for North Leinster was in September 1969 in Sion Mills against a title winning North West team that included Scott Huey, Tommy Harpur, Ossie Colhoun, Ray Moan and Clarkie Nicholl.
In Malahide, following his senior playing career, he went down the ranks and captained the 2’s and 4s always with an emphasis of nurturing the younger players. Off the field Dave filled most roles including committee member, selector, social committee, President 1993 and 1994 “I had two good men helping me Paddy Ferris (Hon Sec) and Norman Adams (Hon Treasurer)”. His wife Dee was Chair of the Ladies Tea Committee for 17 years.
Soccer also featured in Dave’s sporting life. He played for Strand United in St Annes Park, Raheny. A busy centre forward who poached plenty of goals. He represented the United Churches League on a number of occasions.
To this day, Dave and Dee continue to support the Club and attend matches. He mentions that the Club has been good to him. But equally, the opposite is obviously true that himself and Dee and family have contributed enormously to the fabric of the Club.
