CRICKET:Today sees Ireland's cricketer's make a rare appearance in club colours for the first round of the renamed Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup

Bob Kerr, the former ICU chairman and president, passed away while in Jamaica following the Ireland team's progress at the ICC Cricket World Cup, and it is fitting that the event, which brings together cricketers from around the country, should be now played in his honour. The games will be played in coloured strips with the white ball.

Five matches take place in Leinster, with Railway Union, Rush, Clontarf, The Hills and YMCA enjoying home advantage.

Of these, the holders of the trophy, Railway Union, will start as strong favourites in their tie against Cork County. The south Dublin club have their new signing Trent Johnston available to play alongside fellow internationals Kenny Callan, Kevin O'Brien and last week's debutant Roger Whelan.

Rush host Waringstown, a team containing Ireland's most capped player, Kyle McCallan, who will be a threat with bat as well as ball.

His fellow PE teacher Andrew White will be in the Instonians team that visits the Sandymount home of YMCA, whose captain, Simon Wilson Moore, has the former Ireland player Angus Dunlop to call upon.

At The Hills, there will interest in whether Jeremy Bray makes an appearance. The Kilkenny-based Ireland opening batsman has left his former club Eglinton because of the pressures created by the four-hour commute to and from the northwest.

He asked to be withdrawn from the last of Ireland's Friends Provident Trophy matches against Essex, pleading tiredness.

He is, however, named in the squad to travel to Leicester for the four-day final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup against Canada, which starts on Tuesday.

Clontarf welcome Killymallaght from the northwest, who are making their Senior Cup debut, to Castle Avenue.

For the home side, the Ireland A international Alex Cusack will be hoping to impress national coach Phil Simmons.

Elsewhere, Phoenix, led by Dave Langford Smith, will travel to Eglinton, hoping to repeat their Senior Cup win of last year over the same opponents.

An in-form Malahide travel to Lurgan with hopes of an upset, while the strong North County club leave Balrothery to travel to play CSNI.

Merrion, including Ed Joyce's brother Dom, take on Brigade in what may be the tie of the round, with two evenly matched teams.

Merrion's Thinius Fourie has been named in the Intercontinental Cup squad.

Old Belvedere travel to Derriaghy, and CYM, who defeated Pembroke in the preliminary round, meet Ardmore.