Of course we knew it would come to an end sometime. But as the days rolled by we became accustomed to waking up to blue skies and no rain. Thunderstorms over the weekend were a reminder of how vulnerable cricket is to the Irish weather and how difficult it is to predict or to prepare for. Even clubs a close distance apart suffered differing fortunes as the heavy downpours seemed to pick on grounds at random. It was particualrly unfortunate therefore that one of the grounds signalled out by fate for a serious deluge was Clontarf. This meant that the RSA Leinster Senior Cup Final, the domestic regional showcase of the year, could not take place on Saturday and was finally abandoned mid afternoon on the Sunday. It will now be reconstituted as a new match later in the season. Details to follow.
The other tournament affected was the Womens' World Cup T20 Qualifer. In this case the disruptions fortunately did not prevent the preliminary rounds from being completed, even if one match had to be shortened to nine overs a side. With the 'cross-over' matches today it is hoped that the weather will hold off long enough to finish the games. The key match of local interst will be between Ireland and Pakistan at 10.00 in YMCA. So far the weather is holding as I look out the window and see some clouds begin to gather. Fingers crossed.