It was always going to be difficult for The Hills to emulate 2012, but a league win and T20 Cup success meant there were more celebrations at Milverton.

While the club weren't able to defend their Irish Senior Cup, they will have been happy with securing two more major cups for the club trophy cabinet.

The season saw 19 players used at senior level, with 12 players playing 12 times or more, suggesting a settled squad - always a sign of a successful club.

The league was won following a titanic struggle with Merrion and YMCA, with the club timing their run to perfection. There were 11 wins and three losses in the league campaign.

The club won the Alan Murray T20 competition by virtue of having lost fewer wickets against Railway Union in an epic clash.

The semi-final witnessed one of the most destructive knocks in recent times as Max Sorensen took a liking to the Pembroke attack, causing carnage to the surrounding fields.

They were edged out by Clontarf in the Senior Cup, losing by just seven runs in one of the few tight tussles they lost all season.

Their Irish Senior Cup reign ended to a Nigel Jones inspired Civil Service North - the former Irish international scoring an unbeaten 80 to guide the Stormont side to an 8 wicket win.

The batting saw five players score in excess of 400 runs, with four players featuring in the LCU top 20 aggregate list.

They scored 19 fifties, and four hundreds - Nic Pretorius, Mike Baumgart, Naseer Shaukat and Cormac McLoughlin the centurions.

Pretorius topped the runs coring charts with 577 runs at 30.37 (5 x 50s, 1x 100), followed by Baumgart with 542 at 31.88.

Cormac McLoughlin's 522 runs came at 37.29 (4 x 50, 1 x 100), while Max Sorensen made 496 runs at very healthy 55.11 (5 x 50).

Nas Shaukat was consistent making 419 runs at 32.23, while there were vital runs from Mark Dwyer with 253 at 19.46 and Darryl Calder who scored 247 at 22.45.

The bowling unit were also very steady, with four players again making the top 20 in the LCU aggregate list.

Naseer Shaukat with 28 at 21.82 was fifth, with Mark Dwyer's 27 at 16.89 good enough for 8th. Tomas Murphy managed 9th with 26 victims at 19.62, while Luke Clinton took 21 at 22.29.

Max Sorensen and Osama Khan were just outside the top 20 with 19 wickets apiece, at 18.89 and 27.11 respectively.

On the fielding front Nic Pretorius with 32 dismissals (26 catches, 6 stumpings) was almost twice as successful as his nearest rival in the keeping stakes.

Mike Baumgart was one of only 7 fielders to take 10 catches or more in Leinster, while Naseer Shaukat (9), Jonno Andrews (6) and Cormac McLoughlin (6) also did well.

Reflecting on the season a club spokesman said: "2012 was always going to be a hard year to emulate. The Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup was a great achievement for the club- but with success brings pressure and most wanting to take a pop at you! People on the forum said we would go down and be knocked out of all competitions in Round One - paper never reuses ink I suppose!

"Our aim every season start is to be competitive in all competitions. No match is more important than any other. We approach the league in a simple way. Stay up and then look at a top three finish and then take it from there. I remember the boys singing late one night in earlyJune "We're not going down, we're not going down.....!"

"We had a great start to the season - unbeaten until mid June in everything - life was good, cricket was easy. Then bang we lost in the cup, 3 league matches and out of the RSAISC in the space of 20 days! 

"The T20 kept us going. We weren't doing anything different to win or lose, but we just lost. A bit of luck either way and we could have been still unbeaten or been bottom half of Division One. That's cricket.

"We had worked hard since early February so you make your own luck I suppose. Apart for a slip up in Rush in a T20 we went unbeaten from mid July - that's a good run in any man's book.

"The team of no 'stars' they say. We say WE are a team full of stars. Not all twinkle at once. But a few twinkle together and that's what makes us hard to beat. Individual performances that come to mind are Cormac McLoughlins ton versus Leinster. Naz - well Naz all year with bat and ball. Max Sorensen bowling against YMCA in The Hills - quick, real quick and of course his 99* against Pembroke in the semi of the T20 - never to be repeated.

"Nic Pretorius hammering the ball really hard most weekends. Mark Dwyer had a good all-rounders year. Luke Clinton getting valuable runs at the end to win games. Osama Khan taking a liking to Trent Johnston's bowling in the hills. Tomas Murphy hitting the slumps when we needed a wicket and he always did when we needed one. Mike Baumgart getting a great ton in North County.

"The spirit and fun in the dressing room will never be equalled. But having said all that we would be nothing without John Wills. He is simply a great man and a great coach.

"The low point was not chasing Clontarfs total in the Senior Cup. The highs are countless. For next year - well, we will enjoy our winter and start the journey all over again in early February.

"On the wall in the home dressing room is a logo - Players win games, Teams wins trophies."

BATTING

BOWLING