Although the Leinster Senior League, sponsored by Lewis Traub, gets off to a proper start this weekend (last Sunday's game between Dublin University and Merrion was postponed because of the saturated College Park wicket), attention will be on the international trial match at Castle Avenue today. With the ICC World Cup qualifying tournament in Toronto approaching, the trial will be of vital importance.
The trial was originally planned as the first of a three-match South versus North series. However, national coach Ken Rutherford has decided teams selected on individual rather than provincial strengths would serve his purpose better. This format will also apply to the matches at Stormont on May 12th and at Eglinton on May 26th.
The two teams, plus the lone 12th man Niall O'Brien, as well as Ryan Eagleson (Carrickfergus) and Gus Joyce (Merrion), comprise the 25-man panel from which the 14-man squad for Toronto will be picked. The names of the 14 will be announced after the Stormont game.
The Castle Avenue teams look suspiciously like Ireland versus The Rest as it's difficult to imagine skipper Kyle McCallan, Decker Curry, Matt Dwyer, Ed Joyce and Paul Mooney being left out of the Toronto-bound 14.
However, there are still a few places in the final selection up for grabs. Barry Archer, Conor Armstrong, Peter Gillespie, Dwayne McGerrigle and the Molins brothers could come into the reckoning.
The Beckett Cup - annually contested by the provincial 20overs competition winners - had been scheduled for today, with Phoenix and Limavady in opposition at the Phoenix Park. However, the match has been called off. So apart from the Castle Avenue trial, the only other senior match today is the Malahide v CYM Lewis Traub encounter at The Village. Tomorrow, there is one Section A match and three Section B games scheduled.
TRIAL TEAMS
Kyle McCallan X1 - K McCallan (Cliftonville) capt, D Curry (Limavady), P Davy (Pembroke), M Dwyer (The Hills), D Heasley (Lisburn), D Joyce (Merrion), E Joyce (Dublin University/Middlesex), P Mooney (North County), R McDaid (Limavady), A Rutherford (Brigade), A White (North Down).
Andrew Patterson X1 - A Patterson (Cliftonville) capt, B Archer (The Hills), C Arm- strong (North County), G Neely (Donemana), M Gillespie (Strabane), P Gillespie (Strabane), J Molins (Railway Union), G Molins (Clontarf), A McCoubrey (Ballymena), D McGerrigle (Donemana), M Patterson (Cliftonville). 12th Man: N O'Brien (Railway Union).
