LITTLE TIME TO CATCH BREATH AS MORE CUP AND LEAGUE ACTION LOOMS

It's been an endless run of fixtures and postponements for the North West's cricketers over the past fortnight with league games scheduled to continue last night and tonight and things get no easier this coming weekend with a double set of fixtures in both cup and league. Cup action has dominated proceedings recently and it's more of the same on Saturday when the Northern Bank competition reaches the quarter final stage. Donemana will travel to Sion for the one outstanding match in the second round and if they win, as they should, Richard Kee's men will play their last eight tie at Fox Lodge 24 hours later. Also on Sunday it's a welcome return to action in the Billy Henderson Properties league and the chance for some at least to claw back the lost ground. Here then is a sighter of what's happening over the next few days-

NORTHERN BANK SENIOR CUP

COLERAINE V EGLINTON

Coleraine have really started to fill out this year and the Bannsiders have a true mix of youth and experience in the ranks as they build a team around the likes of Scott Campbell, Rishi Chopra, Paul Douglas and Sami Prakesh. Stephen Dunn continues to bowl well and the addition of David Cooke and Charlie McCrum hasn't weakened them too much either. They were certainly made to work hard in the last round by Drummond but with a semi final place up for grabs you would expect them to give this their full attention. They will have to of course because the visitors will be on a high after wins in this competition against Ardmore, in the Irish Senior Cup against Cork and of course at Donemana in the league but skipper Andy Christie has been around long enough to know that they are only as good as their ongoing match against Glendermott. New professional Ryan Butterworth has added real impetus to the squad and he, Richard Wylie, Chris Pierce and skipper Christie will all need to be at the top of their game if they are to progress. The hosts start narrow favourites on the back of home advantage. Champions Strabane are due at Eglinton on Sunday while the Bannsiders are at home to Bready so it is a certainly a testing couple of days for both clubs.

BRIGADE V BREADY

You never quite know what to expect when these sides meet and the Magheramason men often seems to reserve their best for visits to Beechgrove. With Chris Dougherty and Trevor Britton both now firmly encamped on Limavady Road the visitors certainly won't need much in terms of motivation from Trevor Hamilton, however they will surely be concerned by their early season form and need to put a few recent dents behind them. They have been very suspect in the middle order more than once this year including when these two sides met at Bready in the league at the beginning of the month. For their part the hosts have talent in spades; Dougherty and Britton just the tip of the iceberg as Iftikhar Hussain, Johnny Thompson and Ata-Ur-Rehman join Mark Simpson, Ryan Brace and company in a quality line up. The home side's batting looks compact enough but their bowling is their real strength as they proved last week against Glendermott and they will start favourites. Brigade have Glendermott on their back again on Sunday as they strive to maintain a perfect start domestically while Bready are on their travels down the coast.

LIMAVDY V STRABANE

The start of a very big weekend for both clubs and although nothing will be won or lost just yet the winners here will surely be putting down a marker for the summer. The Roesiders will feel they have hit form at precisely the right time if Sunday's stunning Bob Kerr Cup win at The Hills is anything to go by and they will of course also be buoyed by the Akmal factor. Des Curry, was pivotal in Sunday's win in Dublin whilst with Andrew Riddles, the McDaids, Stuart Thompson and their Pakistani International in the mix too their quality is obvious. Strabane though aren't champions for nothing and despite being without Ryan Gallagher this season they are arguably stronger than last year when they are at full strength, with the addition of Niall McDonnell and Mark Roulston. For all Limavady's quality Strabane aren't shabby either; Jonathan Beukes, Kevin Martin, Peter and Mark Gillespie added to McDonnell and Roulston give the visitors a top six that for my money isn't matched by anyone. Phil Eaglestone and Martin Deans are an excellent new ball team but the Red Caps' support act still remains their Achilles Heel. If they bowl well, Strabane have the class to win this but if they don't then expect Limavady to take advantage. It is that tight. With Strabane at rapidly improving Eglinton on Sunday and Limavady unlikely to have to negotiate a tricky day at the Holm just yet this could be a defining couple of days, especially for the champs.

BILLY HENDERSON PROPERTIES DIVISION 1 (SUNDAY)

All things being equal you would expect Fox Lodge and Donemana to be locking horns for a place in the semi finals of the Northern Bank senior cup on Sunday therefore only the games mentioned above, Coleraine v Bready and Eglinton v Strabane seem set to go ahead in the league. Strabane will attempt to keep the pressure on at the top when they visit Eglinton and after their opening day defeat at home to Donemana the champions have been slowly starting to get it back together. Even without Niall McDonnell the Red Caps put up a solid show in defeat at Railway Union and with the opener back in harness after his call up to the Ireland squad, Strabane will be confident of picking up the points in this. Bready have a very difficult cup tie to negotiate on Saturday and Trevor Hamilton's side can afford few more slip-up's in the league if they are to stay in touch with the leaders. It will be interesting to see if Mohammad Salman makes a return to Coleraine colours or if the Pakistani wicket-keeper sees his future in the Test arena.

Brigade and Bonds Glen are both in Irish Cup action when they travel to the NCU to play their re-arranged fixtures against North Down and CSN. It won't be easy for either, but Brigade will be hoping the early season form of Chris Dougherty and Ata Ur Rehman continues. With five representatives already in the next round, it has been a good start to the competition for NW sides as they look to claim the trophy for the first time since 2004.

Hopefully the weather holds to allow action to be completed on both days and we will have a full run-down on all the goings on in Monday's paper.