Cricket/Weekend previews: He is a man central to Ireland's hopes of qualifying for the next World Cup with the ICC Trophy less than three weeks away but today Trent Johnston will have a more parochial outlook as his side Clontarf do battle with The Hills for the first piece of silverware on offer in Leinster this season.
The 45 Overs League final takes place in Sydney Parade today and Johnston knows that his team go into the match as firm favourites.
"We have some excellent players at the moment with about 14 blokes trying to fit into 11 places," he said.
"But every team is beatable. There are always going to be times when players have bad days and we have to make sure that doesn't happen," he said.
What has been particularly pleasing for Johnston this season though is that whenever the top order fails, there are always players coming behind to save the day. The likes of Ronan O'Reilly, Ian Synnott and Andy Cullen have stepped up on the rare occasions that Dom Rigby, Alex Cusack, Greg Molins or Johnston himself are dismissed cheaply.
The misery doesn't stop for the opposition whenever Clontarf take the field though, with Johnston heading up the attack alongside an in-form Conor D'Arcy and Neil Blair, a medium-paced Yorkshireman.
Despite going into this match as underdogs, The Hills have shown why they are odds-on to get promoted from Section B of the WMK League this year.
Michael Lax, Barry Archer, Bryn Thomas and Keith Peinke have all been in the runs of late, as has Ian O'Herlihy, who is just back from a very successful Leinster Development XI tour to the north-east of England.
The bottom line is that The Hills don't give away much, no matter who they play against. What they may lack in superstars, they make up for in a competitiveness that means the game is never over until the cup is raised above someone's head.
Play starts in Sydney Parade at noon.
In the only other game today, Munster Reds take on CYM in the Mardyke in the WMK League.
Meanwhile, tomorrow there is a full programme of league matches with North County hosting Malahide and Phoenix travelling to Kenure to play Rush in Section A.
In Section B, Merrion play Leinster at Anglesea Road, The Hills are at home to YMCA and Pembroke go to Cabra to take on Old Belvedere.
CLONTARF: T Johnston (captain), D Rigby, N Blair, J Bray, B Coghlan, A Cullen, A Cusack, C D'Arcy, R Maybury, G Molins, R O'Reilly, I Synnott.
THE HILLS: J Clinton (captain), B Archer, M Lax, B Thomas, K Peinke, I O'Herlihy, L Clinton, N Akhtar, D Byrne, M Dwyer, G Morgan.
LEINSTER TOUR MATCH (40 Over, final) Durham University 197 for 9, 40 overs (C Kelly 4-15, N Mullan 2-29, R McGuire 2-49) Leinster Development XI 198 for 7, 37.3 overs (K Carroll 69, C Kelly 36, P Blakeney 27 not out) Leinster won by 3 wickets
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