Almost a fortnight back, after Ireland had lost to England at Malahide and completed a miserable Triple Crown tournament, a change in personnel looked absolutely essential. That and a change in attitude.

Remarkably, only three players - Angus Dunlop, Peter Davy and Barry Archer - involved in the Malahide debacle are in the Ireland line-up for their three-day match against South Africa's Development side, which begins this morning at Castle Avenue.

This major clean-out is certainly not all attributable to the national selectors, who had a few changes forced upon them for various reasons, but from the side that played at Malahide Dwayne McGerrigle and Peter Gillespie have been dropped, while Matt Dwyer's sudden decision to retire has resulted in another change.

Four more players subsequently dropped out of the team originally announced for the three-day match - Ed Joyce, Ryan Eagleson, John Davy and Gordon Cooke. Yet in spite of all the departures, there are only two newcomers to the team - the Limavady pace bowler Richard McDaid, and that notable cricketing bird of passage, Jonty Rhodes.

McDaid bowled well for the North West, albeit a trifle expensively, in last month's Interprovincial Championship match, which Leinster won convincingly at Malahide. Coming on as first change, McDaid took 3 for 51 off eight overs. Wicket-keeper Alan Rutherford gets a recall, not before time. Stephen Smyth, who missed the Triple Crown series because of rugby commitments (in South Africa, coincidentally), should also make a difference, while the performance of Rhodes will, as always, be worth watching.

Little - or more accurately, nothing - is known over here about Rhodes's compatriots whom Ireland will face in the various matches, this week in Dublin and next week up north. Pat Symcox is the only name that rings a bell, as it were, and there have been some dark mutterings to the effect that this is not anything as strong a squad as had been promised.

Maybe a strong South African A side was wishful thinking. Given Ireland's miserable form in the Triple Crown campaign, the national South African women's team would probably have given Ireland a run for their money, so nobody should dismiss these current tourists.

Weather permitting, some good cricket should be played over the next fortnight. After the three-day match, the sides meet in two one-day encounters, at Castle Avenue on Saturday, and at Rathmines on Sunday.

A second three-day match will be played at Pollock Park in Lurgan next week, starting on Tuesday.

Merrion, the only southern club left in the competition, will be away to either Brigade or Donemana in the semi-final of the Irish Senior Cup. Limavady will be at home to Fox Lodge in the other semi-final. Both matches have been scheduled for Saturday August 7th, with Friday August 13th the reserve date.