The cup that cheers or brings grief, depending on whether you're on the winning side or not, is with us again. The first round of the Leinster Senior Cup - aptly named after Conqueror, the sponsors - will be run off today weather permitting, and given that this is a holiday weekend, we'll be holding our breaths on that particular score.

Pembroke and The Hills, who contested last year's final at Cabra, are both away, to Dublin University and YMCA respectively. Last August, Pembroke won an engrossing match, largely thanks to a superb rearguard action by Ronan Smith, who batted at number nine and hit a magnificent undefeated 72: this time around, the initial challenge will be to get past a Trinity side which will be fortified by the presence of the Joyce brothers, Ed and Dom.

The Hills certainly will not lack incentive as they take on YMCA. This year's final will be staged at Milverton, and Matt Dwyer and company will be especially determined to play in the decider on their home patch, as they did in 1996 when, coincidentally, they defeated Pembroke.

For the match against YMCA, The Hills have brought in their New Zealand-born wicket-keeper Dwayne Dundon, who takes over from the long-serving Mick Dwyer.

Malahide are at home to Clontarf in an all-northside confrontation and it's good to learn that the local community radio service, NEAR FM, is covering the match. In the day's other cup matches Railay Union, Rush and Old Belvedere are at home to Leinster, Merrion and North County, respectively.

The (other) Leinster Senior League - sponsored by Whitney Moore and Keller - begins tomorrow with Munster, taking the place held by Cork County in Section B for the past few years, playing what will be the province's debut match against Rush at Kenure.

Munster captain Ted Williamson will be hoping for a better performance from his players than was forthcoming in last Sunday's Interprovincial Championship against Leinster at College Park, when the skipper himself and John Power were the only batsmen to reach double figures. The rest managed just 35 runs between them, and were it not for the 12 extras conceded, the end result might have been even more embarrassing.

The team shows two changes, as Sangram Sawant and Robert Graham come in for Jamie Carnegie and Niall Howell. Sangram, from Pakistan, is Cork County's professional, and is said to be a very useful all-rounder.

To round off a busy weekend in Leinster, the Senior 50 Overs League - sponsored by Lewis Traub - continues on Monday, with two Section A and three Section B matches to be decided. The Hills, unbeaten to date, are not involved this weekend.