CRICKET/Domestic leagues: With several players away on international duty, three Leinster clubs will be below strength for the next round of the Leinster Senior League, which resumes today. Clontarf are badly hit and must take on Railway Union in Castle Avenue without the services of the prolific Trent Johnston and Dom Rigby.
While Johnston will be playing for Ireland in their European Championships opener against the ECB in Utrecht on Sunday, Rigby has been recalled by the Scotland side following his excellent form for Clontarf this season.
Bill Coghlan has been brought back into the Clontarf side as they try to exorcise the demons of losing in amazing circumstances to Railway in the Alan Murray Cup final earlier in the week. With Clontarf needing just three runs to win off the final over, Railway's Mohammed Tariq remarkably bowled a maiden and with just one bye coming off the last six balls, the Park Avenue side got home by a single run to take the title.
The European Championships have also taken their toll on Phoenix, who must travel to the Mardyke without openers Jeremy Bray and Jason Molins. Also, it looks likely they will be without Thinus Fourie, who this week was handed a two-match ban for breaching the code of conduct in relation to an umpire's decision.
Fourie has the right to appeal but at the time of writing no appeal has been received by the LCU.
If Munster are ever to beat Phoenix, now is the time. Their South African all-rounder Morne Bauer scored 132 in the Reds' last game (against The Hills) and maintained his good form with a ton for his club, Midleton, against Harlequins in the Munster Senior Cup semi-final last weekend. Also in the runs in that game was Bruce Koch, whose 131 for Harlequins ensured that his clubthey got home by just two runs.
So with Munster players riding high and Phoenix seriously depleted, a home win could be on the cards. Mind you, with the likes of Anu Bhandari, Chris Torissi, Eric Godward and David Langford-Smith still there, Ted Williamson's Reds still have their work cut out.
With North County not playing this weekend, Malahide can go top of Section A if they beat The Hills this afternoon, and in Section B, Pembroke take on CYM at Sydney Parade and Rush, without Naseer Shoukat, are in Cabra.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday: Leinster Senior League: Section A: Clontarf v Railway Union, Malahide v The Hills, Munster Reds v Phoenix. Section B: Pembroke v CYM, Old Belvedere v Rush.
Sunday: ECC European Championships (Utrecht, Holland): Ireland v England. Leinster League Senior: Section B: Leinster v YMCA.
