With the undefeated Merrion firmly established at the top of Section A of the Lewis Traub-sponsored Leinster Senior League and looking unlikely to be undone by tail-enders Old Belvedere at Cabra tomorrow, the key match of the holiday weekend will be between Clontarf and Malahide at Castle Avenue on Monday. Despite losing by 105 runs to Merrion last week, Clontarf, like Malahide, have a match in hand and both are just 20 points adrift of the leader.

Malahide's morale, meanwhile, should be boosted by the memory of their emphatic nine wicket destruction of Rush last Saturday. South African-born seamer Adriaan Barnard took three for 31, while Damien Ryan also bowled well for an impressive two for 21.

After the early loss of David McGeehan, 70 from Brian Gilmore and 67 from David Fleming helped them score the runs in 41.4 overs. Both Barnard and Fleming feature in the latest Leinster averages. Barnard has taken 17 wickets - a figure equalled only by Merrion's Richard Dowse - for an average of 10.35, while wicket-keeper Fleming has four catches and three stumpings from his four matches.

Merrion men head the bowling, catching and wicket-keeping averages. Damien Poder has taken 13 wickets for 97, for an average of 7.46, just ahead of clubmate Joe Morrissey (14 for 121, average 8.64). Dom Joyce has held seven catches in the field, while skipper and wicket-keeper Gus Joyce has 12 dismissals - 10 caught, two stumped - from six matches.

Clontarf's Brian MacNeice and Andre Botha also figure in the bowling averages, possibly a good omen for next Monday's match. In his five matches to date, MacNeice has scored 156 runs including two fifties. He has a highest score of 81, for a fine average of 78.00.

In Section B, the match of the weekend looks to be between Leinster and YMCA at Rathmines on Monday. YMCA, on 34 points from five matches, head the table, but Leinster on 30 have a match in hand.