CRICKET:An exciting bank holiday weekend of club cricket begins with the quarter-finals of the Dublin Grass Machinery League which take place across Leinster today. The pick of the ties sees North County take on Clontarf at Castle Avenue.

The Balrothery side go in to the game on the back of a thrilling Senior Cup game against Railway Union which finished this week after rain interrupted last weekend's fixtures. North County chased down Railway's 288 to win by one wicket off the last ball of the match.

Other completed games saw Old Belvedere beat Rush by 37 runs and YMCA win out against Phoenix by 64 runs.

The remaining DGM quarter-finals take place at Malahide, Phoenix Park and Anglesea, where Merrion take on YMCA. All games start at 1pm.

Elsewhere there was good news on the international front, as Ireland's matches against India and South Africa in Belfast will go ahead despite the contractual wrangles between the Indian board and their broadcaster.

At a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday, BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi said a new TV partner had been found.

Nimbus, the Indian based broadcaster, will pay $6.05 million per match against South Africa and Ireland beginning on June 26th in Belfast.

Nimbus was awarded the rights after Zee TV, the original broadcast partner, called off negotiations with BCCI for telecast rights to India matches in neutral venues.

The series in Ireland is part of a package of 25 matches India were due to play in neutral venues over the next five years. Zee had acquired these rights for $225 million last year, but post World Cup have judged to have overpaid. The series in Belfast will be called the Future Cup, following a sponsorship deal signed by BCCI last week.

FIXTURES - Saturday - DGM League - quarter-finals (1pm) Malahide v Rush, Malahide; Phoenix v Munster Reds, Phoenix Park; Merrion v YMCA, Anglesea Road; Clontarf v North County, Castle Avenue.

Sunday - LHW Alan Murray Cup - Preliminary Round (11am); Dublin University, Old Belvedere, CYM, College Park; Whitney Moore League (1pm); Section A - Merrion v Rush, Anglesea Road; Railway Union v North County, Park Avenue; The Hills v Clontarf, Milverton.

Monday - Whitney Moore League (1pm); Section B - Leinster v CYM, Rathmines; Pembroke v Old Belvedere, Sydney Parade; Phoenix v Munster Reds, Phoenix Park.