As Ireland's cricketers play their last two matches against the South African Academy at Waringstown and Eglinton over the week-end - the only other remaining international engagements are next month's fixtures against the MCC and Scotland the Leinster Senior 55 Overs League continues apace today and tomorrow.
Three matches are on offer today, with five more tomorrow, the most attractive, arguably, being tomorrow's Clontarf-The Hills confrontation at Castle Avenue.
The Hills are under-strength, and could well miss the talents of Barry Archer and Paul Mooney, who will both be in action for Ireland at Eglinton. But they still will have a pretty formidable line-up, which includes the likes of Sean Hoare, Gavin Ryan, Declan Moore, skipper Joseph Clinton and the Dwyer brothers, Matt and wicket-keeper Mick, and are certainly capable of giving any club side a run for it.
Clontarf once again include the Australian all-rounder Toby Cohen, who has spent several seasons with Dublin University, and who captained the Irish Universities last month. Cohen played a key role in Clontarf's victory over Leinster at Rathmines a few weeks back, when the visitors overhauled a massive score of 294, thanks to Andre Botha's 133 and a 97-run contribution from Paddy Lee.
Clontarf, incidentally, will again have their excellent club brochure available for Sunday's game, as well as for other upcoming League matches and for the Royal Liver Irish Senior Cup final in September, should Merrion defeat Brigade in the semi-final. This is the sort of initiative which might be usefully emulated by certain friends-in-high-places, but I'll say no more.
Meanwhile, at Sydney Parade today, The Hills, captained by Martin Byrne, will be chasing their third successive victory in the Senior II Cup, with only Leinster standing between them and that achievement. If this final is even half as good as last year's, contested by The Hills and Pembroke at Castle Avenue, there will be no shortage of excitement and entertainment.
This will be The Hills' fourth Senior II Cup final in as many years, Clontarf having beaten them in 1996. Byrne and his men have much to play for, though obviously Leinster, captained by Robert Meaney, will have other ideas, and will not be easily cast aside.
Glendermott and Limavady are joint leaders in the North West League table, with 12 points apiece. Glendermott, well beaten by Merrion in the Irish Senior Cup quarter-final at Anglesea Road two weeks back, are at home to Ardmore today while Bready, struggling to survive in the top division, must travel to take on Limavady at the John Hunter Grounds.
CLONTARF: J Daly (capt.), A Botha, T Cohen, D Gaughran, P Lee, B MacNeice, R O'Reilly, P Ryan, K Spelman, I Synnott, D Vincent.
THE HILLS: J Clinton (capt.), Matt Dwyer, A Farooqui, D Moore, R Byrne, M Clinton, S Hoare, G Ryan, L Clinton, S Archer, Mick Dwyer.
LEINSTER II: R Meaney (capt), H Delaney, G Gilmore, G Satchwell, R Henson, M O'Herlihy, D Clancy, D Lucas, M Brownie, C Hanley, R Kenneally.
THE HILLS II: M Byrne (capt.), P Byrne, P Bennett, M Gavin, L Clinton, A Akhtar, R Hoare, Pat Byrne jnr, R Byrne, J Archer, J Rogan.
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