Another concern for those who guide the women's game is the need to hold on to their status as a test nation. Ireland were elevated in 1999 and played their first test at College Park in 2000. That game saw Ireland thrash Pakistan in two days, bowling them out for 53 and 86.

And then. . . nothing. Seven years later that remains the only test played by Ireland, and new ICC regulations could see that status being lost. Unless a nation plays one test a year (or two in a two-year period), they will no longer be eligible to play test matches.

"Holland agreed last year to play us as we both needed to fulfil the commitment, " explains Siobhan McBennett, chair of the ICU's women's committee, "but then they backed off say they didn't think they wanted to play tests, that they were for the top nations only."

Sorely disappointed by their attitude, the Irish mood turned to fury when the Dutch turned around and invited South Africa to tour there last month . . . and scheduled two ODIs and a test match. The Dutch were utterly outclassed . . . they scored 108 in 123 overs and were bowled out for 50 when a draw seemed certain . . . but have now retained their test status while Ireland cling on to theirs.

"We were hopeful that South Africa might come to us early next summer, but that's not looking likely now. But the European office won't allow us to lose out", reckons McBennett, "they will ensure we get a game in before time runs out in June." The dream scenario would be a test match against England, but it is unfortunate to say the least that it has taken a fast-approaching deadline for Ireland to get a chance to play a second test, eight years on.

ALREADY this season we have seen a sprinkling of celebrities at matches, notably Snow Patrol and Lisa Hannigan at Castle Avenue.

Merrion's fourth XI game against Bagenalstown last week was not quite the plum fixture that you would expect the stars to flock to, but sure enough sitting on the bench at the Ballsbridge end was Daniel Radcliffe (right). The Harry Potter star was spending a break in a nearby hotel and dropped in to see what Irish cricket was like.

There are several Potter fans on the home team and Radcliffe was invited to join them in the pavilion. He proved a keen and knowledgeable cricket fan and spent three hours chatting before signing several copies of JK Rowling's recent book.

THE Irish record books will have to be completely rewritten this year after the busiest programme in the game's history. The current game against Scotland is the 28th match . . . and that doesn't include four games in South Africa, two World Cup warm-ups and the three FPT games that never started. With a fourday game still to play against Bermuda, William Porterfield has already set a new mark for runs scored. The Rush batsman has 872 already and has his sights on the 1,000. Eoin Morgan, too, has passed Jeremy Bray's 2005 record of 722.

The bowlers have a longway to go, however, with Kyle McCallan and Trent Johnston picking up 32 scalps before yesterday. The most wickets in an Ireland season is 47 taken by the great Dermott Monteith in 1971 . . . when he played five (albeit two-innings) games. Monty bowled 204 overs that summer, more than Johnston has in 25 games this year.

McCallan, Porterfield and Kevin O'Brien are currently playing their 27th game of 2007, with Johnston one less.

THERE was a mystery side in the semi-finals of the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup last weekend, if you read theDaily Telegraph. According to the London newspaper, North County won by a whisker from Real Reunion.

FERGUS Carroll will again be behind the mic at the Antalis Leinster Senior Cup Final between Merrion and Clontarf next Saturday. NEARfm, 90.3fm, will be broadcasting live commentary during the day from Rathmines.

The station will also be on the air with ball-by-ball commentary from Castle Avenue on Friday 31August for the all-Fingal Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup Final between The Hills and North County.

THE dismal weather has proved a disaster for several clubs, and returned with a vengeance yesterday. Leinster Cricket Union junior secretary Michael Sharp estimates that the situation is twice as bad as he has ever seen it in a quarter of a century in the post."About 40% of scheduled league matches have not been played.

Some of these did not fall victim to the weather directly but had to be called off to allow for the rescheduling of a cup match which had been so affected."

Happily, most of the cup competitions are on track and approaching a climax.

"However this is being achieved through relaxing the regulations to allow reduction in the number of overs in matches and quite a few bowl-outs. The junior 20 over finals day (Tillain Cup, YMCA Salver and Whelan Cup) was a complete wash out and the matches have had to be rescheduled. Of the two 50 over finals scheduled for last weekend, the Senior 2 was washed out entirely (to be refixed) and the Middle interrupted and to be continued. I am crossing my fingers about the Middle 2 and Intermediate this weekend."