Remember national coach Ken Rutherford's comments in this column last week about the numbers of overseas cricketers playing for top Leinster clubs, like Merrion and Phoenix? He made a salient point at the time, which was omitted at the time, as follows:

"I feel sorry for guys like Duncan Smythe and John Blakeney, who play at a very good standard for the national under-age teams, but they can't get a game at the weekend, or if they do, they bat number nine and don't get a bowl - it's absolutely pointless," said Rutherford.

But of course Merrion and Phoenix are not the only Leinster clubs who rely on overseas talent. The numbers of Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans and others playing cricket in Leinster has grown steadily, and seems likely to continue.

Gerry Byrne, the former Irish Cricket Union's PRO, has produced some interesting figures relating to overseas players. He has compiled a list of batsmen who have scored 200 runs or more and bowlers who have taken 15 wickets and upwards, and the findings make interesting reading.

A total of 61 batsmen have qualified, and 21 of them are overseas players. And of the 46 qualified bowlers, 14 are from overseas. Overseas players head both the batting and bowling averages; Jeremy Bray (Phoenix) is the top batsman (average 110.70), with Brad Spanner (Merrion) in second place, with an average of 74.31. Andre Botha (Clontarf) heads the bowling averages - 55 wickets, 510 runs, average 9.27.

In fact, of the top 10 batsmen on the averages' list, six are overseas - Bray, Spanner, Chris Torrisi, Adrian Murphy, Botha and Ian Hewett. The four Irishborn players in the top 10 are Alan Lewis (third), Ed Joyce (seventh), Angus Dunlop (eighth) and Ted Williamson (ninth).

There is a two-way split in the 10 top bowlers - five overseas, five Irish. The overseas players are Botha, Kemal Merchant, Justin Kreusch, Spanner and Damian Poder, while the Irish-born are Paul Mooney, Frank Hoey, Conor Hoey, Paddy Martin and Ken Brennan.

It must be emphasised that of the overseas players listed in these averages, the majority have been playing in Leinster cricket for several years.

Still, it's difficult not to agree with Rutherford's view that up-and-coming Irish players are being kept out of top club teams.

But there is another variety of overseas player - those who make fleeting visits to this country and yet get selected for club first XIs. Such players may help out the club in question; but it's on a very short-term basis.

It is difficult to see what, if anything, the Leinster Cricket Union (LCU) could do to put a limit on the numbers of overseas players. A definite registration date might be a help, but the LCU cannot tell the clubs just how many overseas players they can field in their first X1.

Overall, it's a tricky situation, with the inherent danger of sounding racist and introspective.