YMCA return to home ground

Cricket: After two years of playing only away games, YMCA return to their spiritual home at Claremont Road today with a €2 million refurbishment programme complete.

The new pavilion comes complete with a gym, office space and recreation rooms (but no bar, of course) and the complex also includes a four-lane net facility, newly-laid square and outfield and astro-turf hockey pitch.

Although many of the old guard such as Alan Lewis and Angus Dunlop are still well capable of making an impact in senior cricket, the club is now looking to the future, particularly through its youth section coordinator Aideen Rice.

Today, though, they have the task of registering their first win in this year's 45 Over League as they take on Railway Union.

Railway have employed the services of 22-year-old all-rounder John Anderson from Durban to head their batting order. He will also be testing out the new surface at Claremont Road today with some of his fizzing leg spinners. With Pete Johnston, Adrian Murphy and Mohammed Tariq in the side, Railway will put YM under some pressure, particularly as they will be without Lewis, who is on refereeing duty in Lansdowne Road.

But YM's new recruits Esham Ahmed and Paul Beacroft have impressed so far and with the likes of Carl Hosford, Stuart McCready and Dunlop also in the runs, it should be a close battle.

Elsewhere, North County's overseas pro Jason Brooker arrived this week from South Africa where he has played first-class cricket with Griqualand West. The 28-year-old all-rounder also had a spell with Glamorgan although never played for the first team.

After his fine half-century for Ireland against Yorkshire this week, it was thought Eoin Morgan might be available for County as they take on Malahide at Inch today and Trinity in College Park tomorrow, but his Leaving Certificate preparations have taken precedence.

The Hills can nail down their place in the semi-finals if they beat Phoenix in the Park today while Rush travel to Anglesea Road to play Merrion.

Pembroke and Old Belvedere fight it out in Sydney Parade with veteran Pembroke wicketkeeper Charlie Kavanagh just three dismissals away from becoming only the second keeper to claim 500 dismissals in Leinster cricket. The other was also a Pembroke man, Harry Hill.

Tomorrow, Leinster travel to the Mardyke, Laois host Clontarf and Railway will entertain Phoenix. All matches are scheduled for 12.30pm.

* West Indies opener Wavell Hinds has been fined his match fee for breaching the ICC code of conduct during the fourth Test against South Africa. South Africa captain Graeme Smith was cleared of misconduct, however, following an incident involving the two players on Tuesday.

The ICC said in a statement on Friday Hinds had breached its code for "intentional throwing and overstepping the popping crease and generally unacceptable conduct".