Two has been a lucky number for Merrion recently. Last Saturday at Castle Avenue, they needed two to win off the final ball of the day, and got it, courtesy of Robbie Stanton, to defeat Pembroke and capture the Lewis Traub League title; the following Tuesday at Milverton, Merrion beat The Hills by two runs to secure an Alan Murray Cup semi-final place.

But it's safe to assume that even a one-run victory over Glendermott in today's Royal Liver-sponsored Irish Senior Cup quarter-final confrontation at Anglesea Road would be sufficient to keep the Merrion faithful happy. "We're definitely up for this one," says skipper Gus Joyce, "we've had two good wins over Pembroke and The Hills, morale couldn't be higher and we've also got the benefit of home advantage."

The team shows two (another omen?) changes compared to the side which squeezed past Pembroke last Saturday. Merrion's overseas player, Brad Spanner, is not eligible under the rules of the competition, while Damien Poder is away; in come Ian O'Herlihy and Ed Joyce, who will be playing his last match for the club this season, before joining Middlesex.

Merrion are the only Leinster club still left in the Royal Liver, which has been dominated by the Northern clubs since its inception in 1982.

It should be to Merrion's advantage that Glendermott's strike bowler, Johnny Thompson, is in some sort of dispute with the club, and will not be playing, while their professional, Shad Iqbal is ruled out. Even so, Glendermott have some notable performers, among them former international Charlie McCrum, opening bat Gareth Watson, and left-arm spinner Gregory McIlhatton, who also bats at number four.

Gordon Cooke (Brigade) and Ed Joyce (Merrion) are out of Ireland's team for next week's threeday match at Castle Avenue against the South African Development X1 and have been replaced by Paul Mooney (The Hills) and Greg Molins (Railway Union), both of whom had already been added to the squad for the other games against the tourists. Meanwhile, another replacement, for pace bowler Ryan Eagleson, who has been offered a trial by Derbyshire, will be named later.

Ireland's women's team will play Denmark on July 19th, Netherlands on July 20th and England on July 21st in the forthcoming European Cup in Denmark.