THE weather prospects for today's Lewis Traub League semi-finals are not what you'd call bright. The players of Old Belvedere, YMCA, Pembroke and Merrion seem likely to spend much of this afternoon pavilion-bound.

YMCA's mid-week defeat of Carlisle eased them past the reigning 50 Overs League champions, The Hills, into today's semi-final and Stuart Taylor's men will present Old Belvedere with a formidable challenge at the Cabra Oval.

YMCA suffered two successive days of misery courtesy of The Hills last weekend at home. Now, with Angus Dunlop, Alan Lewis, John Hoey, Jonathan Garth et al in action, Hugh Prior and Old Belvedere may suffer without the varied talents of Owen Butler and Peter O'Reilly.

Butler has gone to the United States for a spell, and will not he playing for Old Belvedere again this season. The semi-finals apart, the only other senior game scheduled for today has Malahide and Phoenix getting Section B of the Senior League - last season titled the Riverhouse League - under way. Malahide will be in action again in the same competition tomorrow, away to Merrion, and will show one change, as Andrew Smith comes into the side instead of his brother, Stephen.

For their Senior League Section B match against The Hills at Milverton tomorrow, Old Belvedere will bring in Kevin O'Malley, Paul Dunne and John Quinn for Shane Moore, Paul O'Riordan and Fintan Synott, respectively.

Butler has been bested in the current Leinster bowling averages only by Damien Poder, who heads the table with 19 wickets at a remarkably cheap average of only 6.84, and who is certain to play for Merrion against Pembroke at Sydney Parade, in today's other Lewis Traub semi-final.

Pembroke have brought in Dixon Butler to strengthen their batting, as Ronan Malin stands down. Merrion will field all four Joyce brothers; for tomorrow's home Senior League match against Malahide, Kevin Allwright comes into the side instead of Dominic Joyce.

Rush will be at home to Leinster in one of tomorrow's two Section A matches. YMCA and Railway Union meet in the other game, at Claremont Road.

Tomorrow's third Section B match features CYM at home to North County. The Fingal team's hopes can hardly be high.

Back to the current Leinster averages. CYM's Joss Singh has taken the most wickets - 22 - but with a 11.68 average, he is some way behind the table-leader Damien Poder (Merrion) and the runner-up, Owen Butler (Old Belvedere).

Peter Davy (Pembroke) heads the batting table, with an excellent average of 69.75, closely followed by Clontarf's Andrew Botha, on 68.40. Botha's haul of 342 runs in seven innings - highest 102 not out - is just two runs behind top- scorer Angus Dunlop's (YMCA) aggregate of 344, accumulated in six innings.

Barry Archer (The Hills) is the top catcher, with six victims in eight matches. Dara Armstrong (Rush) heads the wicket-keeping table, with 14 dismissals - 10 caught, four stumped - in seven matches.

Last week's Alan Murray Cup aborted match between Leinster and Clontarf will now be replayed at Rathmines next Tuesday evening.