CRICKET: It's semi-finals day in the Conqueror Senior Cup tomorrow and, on paper, the results should be pretty easy to predict. The favourites for every competition, Clontarf, take on Pembroke at Castle Avenue, while the top Section B team, The Hills, have home advantage over Leinster. A repeat of last weekend's 45 Overs League final between Clontarf and The Hills is surely the bookies' favourite.
But that prediction probably suits the others quite nicely, and there is certainly a self-belief within the Pembroke camp that isn't reflected in the broader cricketing community.
"We have read and heard a lot about Pembroke's determination, grit and competitive attitude, but nothing of our ability," said opening bowler Alan Eastwood. "If we win on Sunday it will be seen as a huge shock, although not everyone in the club would think that. We have a good side this year," he said.
Eastwood (25), is not long back from a productive winter with the Van der Stel club in Stellenbosch, near Cape Town, where he received specialist coaching from former South African seamer Henry Williams, the man best remembered for taking money from Hansie Cronje to under-perform in a one-day international. Van der Stel play in the Boland Premier League and Eastwood feels his winter of cricket at that level is paying off.
"I am bowling a little bit quicker but a lot better than last year. My lines have improved and I am bowling nothing down the leg side," said Eastwood, who has been bowling particularly well in tandem with opening partner Emmet Whaley.
With others such as Bill Whaley, back from Australia this season, Scotsman Chris Hillyard and their South African professional, Andy Northcoate, in the side, along with the likes of Peter Davy and Richard Hastie, Pembroke will be no pushovers.
"No one gives us a chance against Clontarf, but if we bowl and field well I think we can cause an upset," said Eastwood.
It will be a similarly difficult proposition for Leinster in Milverton.
Despite their poor showing in the 45 Overs final, The Hills are still a formidable outfit, and with Will Lennon and Ken Taylor out, Leinster will be under real pressure.
Meanwhile, today is the first full round of the inaugural LHW 20/20 Cup at four venues around Dublin. The now familiar 20/20 rules apply with each bowler restricted to four overs, free hits for over-stepping no-balls, white balls, coloured clothing, black sightscreens and all the fun of the fair.
Play at the Phoenix Park, Claremont Road, Anglesea Road and Terenure gets going at 11am.
FIXTURES
Saturday: LHW 20/20 Cup (11am). At Phoenix Park: Phoenix, Dublin University, Malahide; at Claremont Road: YMCA, Railway Union, Rush; at Anglesea Road: Merrion, North County, Pembroke; at Terenure: CYM, Clontarf, The Hills.
Sunday: Conqueror Senior Cup (11am), Clontarf v Pembroke, The Hills v Leinster.
Australia's pace battery is confidently expecting to erase memories of Taunton misery and click into gear against hapless Bangladesh in today's NatWest Series match at Cardiff.
Michael Kasprowicz, hoping to be an important part of a likely four-man Aussie pace attack on his "home" ground, says the Ashes tourists' self-belief is undiminished by chastening defeats in their last two fixtures over the past week: against England and then Somerset.
Asked how long he believes the famed Aussie confidence can stay intact, he predicted: "We should be okay until around the end of September.
"That is when I suppose it could start hurting a bit, but I do not expect that to be the case."
