Keats' "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" is a reflective time of the year, and at Malahide last Sunday, when Leinster defeated the Ireland Development XI in a thrilling match, one pondered - and hardly for the first time - on the near contempt in which the Irish Cricket Union seemingly holds the concept of the promotion of its game.

This was the final match of the Senior Interprovincial Championship, remember, a competition just one step below full international cricket, and a game involving the best young and up-and-coming players on the island. So - typically - there was no scorecard (a match programme? don't bother asking), no public address, no poster to say the game was on in the nearby bustling village, and nothing to tell the small band of faithful supporters what was happening.

The three-day match against Scotland, also played at Malahide earlier this month, was a similar case in point. This out-dated throw-back to cucumber sandwich days, which is about as useful as a cat-flap on a submarine for the future development of the Irish game, is supposed to be "real" cricket, according to at least some ICU men; yet again, there was no programme, no PA, no promotional literature, nothing to tell anyone not in the know that an apparently important match was in progress.

And, naturally, there were zilch facilities for the press, such as a tent, the press in this instance including a contingent of Scottish cricket correspondents.

All of this is not to decry the work done down the years by the ICU for cricket in Ireland. But times have changed, and it is not to be churlish to wonder if the admittedly well-intentioned people within the union have kept pace.

And Irish cricket is arguably at the threshold of a great leap forward, despite the disappointment of not qualifying for the 1999 World Cup. Ireland's under-19 side will contest the equivalent under-age trophy in South Africa next December, the senior national side is likely to have the help of a major, Hansie Cronje-like player in future, the A teams of Australia and South Africa are likely to undertake short tours here next year, and - to its credit - the ICU will strive to activate its development plan.

Meanwhile, this is an important day for Carlisle and Rush in the League Section A race; they are away to Leinster and Pembroke, respectively, before meeting in the final show-down at Kimmage tomorrow week. Merrion appear to have sown up Section B, and the struggle for the second promotional place will be between The Hills and Old Belvedere, whose matches tomorrow against Phoenix and CYM, respectively, will be vital.

Carlisle: R Davies (capt.), T O'Neill, G Molins, J Molins, R Molins, S Molins, W Evans, I Langstaff, P Vella, D Bell, H Solomons.

CYM: B Buttimer (capt.), S Cullen, S Moore, C Moore, M Launders, C Morgan, C Macey, J Singh, F Kelleher, M Wilkins, M Whitney.

Pembroke: T Williamson, B O'Rourke, I Solomon, J Davy, T Dagg, D Butler, R Hastie, D Cox, C Kavanagh, B Whaley, R Smith.

Leinster: C Colleran (capt.), J V Byrne, M Jones, J E Byrne, P Johnson, R Waddell, P Byrne, J P O'Dwyer, P Cron, Y Singh, J Craven.

YMC Hosford, A Dunlop, M Ridgeway, M Nulty, S Barry, M Miller, H Harrison, S McCready, S Barry.

Rush: J Scanlon (capt.), D Armstrong, M Donnelly, N Shaukat, Conor Armstrong, Cian Armstrong, J Carthy, D McCann, C McGee, R Wilde, C Doyle.

Old Belvedere: H Prior (capt.), T O'Gorman, F Synott, A Cousins, S Moore, A Canavan, H Young, D O'Riordan, P O'Riordan, B Tucker, A Dunne.

The Hills: D Moore (capt.), B Archer, Matt Dwyer, Mick Dwyer, M Clinton, J Clinton, B Moore, P Mooney, L Clinton, J Archer, J Andrews.

Clontarf: B McNeice (capt.), J Daly, J Barry, A Botha, A Cullen, B Nolan, D McGeehan, R O'Reilly, M Ryan, K Spellman, D Vincent.

Umpires:

Today: Senior League Section A: at Castle venue: J Ford, R O'Reilly; at Rathmines: B Carpenter, P Thew; at Sydney Parade: L Hewson, D Walsh. Section B: at Phoenix: S McCready, D McGeehan; at Milverton: D Geraghty, L Keegan; at Cabra: S Daultrey, D Thompson. Senior League 2: at Anglesea Road: T Byrne, C Rushe.

Tomorrow: Senior League Section A: at Rathmines: D Brennan, L Keegan. Section B: at Milverton: B Carpenter, S Daultrey; at Terenure: P Boylan, S McCready. Senior League 2: at Castle Avenue: P J Carroll, A J Hughes; at Sydney Parade: A Hughes, S Moore. Senior League 3: G Senior, D Watson.