It was the longest of long weekends, with Women's international Twenty:20, Irish Senior Cup, Leinster Senior Cup and Leinster Senior League to watch and report on. The Irish Women's team played in an RSA-sponsored triangular Twenty:20 competition with Pakistan and Nottinghamshire (late substitutes for South Africa ) over two days in Malahide C.C. and Leinster C.C.

The six matches have already been reported on elsewhere on the website, and as I saw only two full matches and two part games, I'm not going to be able to add much that hasn't already been written. However, I do want to comment on one particular aspect of the umpiring, which I shall do at the end of this column.

Pakistan won all four of their matches, seven or eight of their players making major contributions to at least one match. Their fielding was the best of the three teams. Ireland and Notts each won two matches. Ireland 's Celia Joyce won player of the tournament, much to her own surprise, for her very steady batting. I was delighted to renew my acquaintance with England 's Jane Smit, a lovely lady, still a fine wicketkeeper and a capable bat.

I had to leave Rathmines late Friday morning as Ireland began their vain pursuit of Pakistan 's score to travel to the Phoenix Park to watch the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup refix between Phoenix and CSNI. A fine Friday before a bank holiday weekend meant the traffic was even busier than usual. The home team were close to full strength, but the visitors were missing Regan West and Nigel Jones, away on international duty.

Allen Coulter couldn't get the ball anywhere close to the stumps, despite changing ends, and was very disappointing. Kieron Noema Barnett was steady, and induced Rory Flanagan (19) to chase a widish one, keeper Rob Arthur taking a good catch. Then Robert Mitchell ran himself out, and Graham Flanagan wafted Neil Black to cover.

52-3 became 73-4 when Corie Dickeson miscued Black, and it should have been 85-5 when Andrew Downton, then on 20, skied one to deep cover, but Pat McMorran spilled the catch. The Aussie pro continued on his merry way, tucking into the offering of assorted pies, ably assisted by David Langford Smith, another exponent of the drive.

Pies turned to jam tarts when Ben Adair was introduced to purvey his leggies. His third ball, an attempted googly, was a half-tracker at which DLS swished, missed, and was bowled leg stump. 'That was emb. .arr. . assing!' was the muttered comment as his bat preceded him into the dressing room. Lanky had scored 28 out of 144-5.

In came Matt Plunkett-Cole, and he batted very sensibly for 29 to help Downton add 95 runs for the sixth wicket. Then Downton reached his ton with two very big straight sixes, and was eventually out for 111 as the innings closed on 273 with one ball left.

There were 36 wides out of 48 extras, and the best of the generally very ordinary bowling was from Noema Barnett, with 4/44 off his 10. Neil Black got away with 8-0-45-2 and Gareth McKee 6.5-0-33-2.

McKee and Beverland gave CSNI a rapid start, but once the latter nicked off to Paddy Conliffe for 11, and Noema Barnett likewise for 0, it was all over. A bit unlucky, really, as these were the only two good deliveries Conliffe bowled. McKee was bowled by Conor Kelly for 18, and there was a late flurry from Wayne Horwood (27) and Allen Coulter (24).

CSNI were all out for 128 in 28.3 overs, Kelly helping himself to 4/32, Conliffe 2/19, and Steven Neill and Masud Ahmed were more than flattered by 2/34 and 2/5 respectively from their cream buns. It was cricket, Jim, but not as we know it.

I fought my way through Garda diversions and the traffic back to Rathmines, but missed the ceremonies, so I bade farwell to Jane and went home to watch Have I Got News For You, Reggie Perrin and Later with Jools Holland, which featured the Pretenders. Now there's another lady, Chrissie Hynes, who could have me if she only played her cards right.

As you've probably gathered, I'm a BBC man, and I was reminded over the weekend of the late Ian Richardson's character in the series House of Cards, Francis Urquart, who started out as Chief Whip and schemed his way to become Prime Minister. He never spoke ill of his colleagues, preferring his questioner to propose some calumny and then reply 'You might think that . . . I couldn't possibly comment.'

On Saturday morning I went down to Claremont Road to watch YMCA play Pembroke in the first round of the Lewis Hohn Williams Senior Cup. The umpires were Alan Tuffery and John Bristow, not the strongest pairing that the LCUSA could put out, but there were six cup matches and a league match to cover, and one of them anyway would be in the top fourteen.

Pembroke batted first, and quickly lost Brian O'Rourke, run out by 'Wazza' Armstrong's direct hit when the non-striker backed up too enthusiastically. That was 19-1. Andrew Balbirnie was in excellent form, quick to pull anything short for four. Anthony Brooks was settling in, and survived a very confident appeal for caught behind.

'I could have sworn that he smashed that,' I said to my friend Francis. 'You might think that . . . I couldn't possibly comment,' came the reply. The Pembroke score had advanced to 65, and that of Balbirnie to 45, when the youngster missed a pull and up went the appeal closely followed by the umpire's finger.

'I could have sworn that was going over the top,' I said to my friend Francis. 'You might think that,' came the reply, 'I couldn't possibly comment.' Five runs later, Graham McDonnell did nick one to the keeper, and two runs after that Theo Lawson prodded at one from Simon Wilson-Moore that ricocheted into his pad. On appeal, he was given out.

'I could have sworn that he got an inside edge on that,' I said to my friend Francis. Back came the reply, 'You might think that . . . I couldn't possibly comment.' Fourteen runs later Barry McCarthy edged Shammy through to the keeper and walked. Robin Russell came in, and the Cork left-hander dug in as Brooks started to work the ball around.

It was less than 120-5 off 35 overs at lunch, but the two left-handers played really well thereafter, getting plenty to drive, and brought up the hundred partnership. YM tightened up their bowling and fielding, and Russell started to panic. On 199 he ran himself out for a fine 35, but this worked in the 'Broke's favour as the right-handed Alan Eastwood batted aggressively, easing the arrival of Brooks's ton.

Pembroke reached 254-8 off their 60 overs, Brooks 114, Eastwood 21, and YMCA wondering how they had contrived to concede so many runs when three of their bowlers had gone for only threes: James Parkinson 0/37 off 12; Etesham Ahmed 3/32 off 10; and Stu McCready 0/28 off 10. Did the other 28 overs really have to go for 150?

Alan Eastwood blasted out Rob Nandi for 0, Shammy was riddled by Bill Whaley for 13, and it was 21-2. Carl Hosford and Alan Lewis looked very comfortable, until Lewie (27) walloped a pie from Emmett Whaley on the up through extra cover, where Brooks took a fine low catch. Ten runs later Stu McCready was also caught having a dart at the Pembroke skipper.

Angus Dunlop and Hosford coped with the off spin of Balbirnie and leg breaks of Andy Leonard, but were never in command. Hosford (48) drove a return catch to Balbirnie, who then took his position at deep backward square and accepted two catches, one from Dunlop, the other from Beacroft, and that was 117-7.

Simon Wilson-Moore swatted Eastwood to Barry McCarthy and then James Parkinson and James Shortt put together a merry little partnership. It had got past fifty and was just beginning to look as if it might be more than a futile gesture when Brooks took a sharp return catch from his oppo pro to dismiss him for 48, and Balbirnie's straight one was too much for Wazza, leaving Shortt 27* and YMCA 204 all out in the 49th over.

All the 'Broke's bowlers enjoyed reasonable figures: Eastwood 2/58 off 10; Bill Whaley 1/22 off 6; Emmett Whaley 2/24 off 7; Brooks 1/25 off 8; Leonard 2/35 off 7; and Balbirnie 2/39 off 10.4. Did the iffy umpiring decisions affect the outcome? Who knows? Does it matter? Yes.

On Sunday it was back to the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup as Limavady enjoyed the day out on the magic carpet in Terenure. David Cooke won the toss, saw Thomas Riddles fall early to a good catch by Donal Vaughan, and then Andrew Riddles and Ian McGregor took the CYM bowling apart.

McGregor reached 61 before retiring with a fetlock problem, then Riddles got to his ton (16 fours, 2 sixes, 80 balls) and retired bored. No side wants to see Ricky McDaid join Decker Curry with the score on 187-2, but Decker was more interested in the winner of the previous night's greyhound derby.

Brad Rasool had taken off the pads to bowl his little seamers, and conceded 38 off his first three overs. He should have kept the pads on, for Robbie Henson missed stumping Decker before the left-hander gloved one for Henson to make amends and JDC rushed off to the bookie's.

Ricky McDaid clattered 26, Dean Curry went a score better than his dad for 33, Chris Moore boxed 21, Simon Dunn 22* and Davey Cooke 14 at no. 11 as the Roe-siders closed on 320-9 off their 50. It could easily have been 450.

Henson went quickly to Chris Moore, but Donal Vaughan batted well for 27 before being bowled by John Martin. Ken Macdonald made a brave 39 before being caught, eventually, by Andrew Riddles. Brad Rasool was dropped a couple of times in the twenties before tightening up to make a very fine 84. He'll do very well for the Chlee, although not as a bowler.

CYM were all out for 196 in 38.3 overs. Simon Dunn had the best figures for Limavady with 3/47 off 9. I enjoyed the sun, the craic with the Limavady boys and girls, and telling Ben Hoey how I played against his granddad.

My fifth successive day of sunshine and cricket was spent at Park Avenue with all the usual suspects: Bristow and Tuffery were there again to demonstrate their decision-making skills; Derek Scott was there to bad-mouth everything that wasn't done as it was in the fifties, that decade of social advancement that's about to cost the state a billion; and we even had a day-tripper from Skerries who fancied a game.

The occasion was the Senior League section A match between Railway Union and North County . The Balrothery boys won the toss and batted on the grounds that that's what you should do and also that a Park Avenue pitch never improves through a game. Mossie Shiel fended off a short ball from Carlo Rendell and Conor Mullen took an excellent catch low to his left at slip.

Conor Armstrong and Ciaran Garry were in no bother, but both batsmen always keep the bowlers interested. On 49, Garry (26) nicked one through to the keeper off Hugo Mays, the youngster using the height and strength inherited from his father. In came the day-tripper for his knock, which didn't last long.

Matt Johnston, bachelor of the parish of Willeton , WA (and known to Merrion's Matt Petrie, also originally of that parish), scored 128 less than he had on Saturday against Merrion, nicking off to Mays. Brian Shields came and went lbw via an inside edge, and it was 55-4. Richie Lawrence usually bats carefully, and Conor Armstrong did likewise.

The pair milked the bowling for 81 runs before Conor had a flake at the returning Rendell and was very well taken by Mullen at cover. Brother Dara worked the ball around to reach 11 and the score 150 when he played a poor shot to Rendell. On the same score Lawrence holed out off Fisher for 46.

No more runs were scored as 8, 9, 10 got themselves out and County were all out for 150 in the 42nd over. Rendell helped himself to 5/25, Mays and Fisher each had 2/14. After tea, François van der Merwe and Eddie Richardson tore into Railway openers Kenny Carroll and Tom Fisher.

Fisher is full of confidence, putting away balls that he was prodding at last year, and moved quickly into the twenties. Richardson bowled a very fiery over to Carroll, but could get nowhere with his lbw appeals. The last ball went down leg, there was a click, Dara took the catch, and, after a moment's thought, up went the umpire's finger.

Kenny stood around, tried debating the issue, but had to go. On arrival in the bleachers he explained that the ball hit nothing, but his bat hit his boot. The previous appeals had done their job, he reckoned. Francis and I were square with the wicket and, no matter what we thought, genuinely . . . couldn't comment.

Day-tripper Johnston bowls off the wrong foot, and quickly added Conor Mullen to his 35 scalps in WACA first grade. The score had reached 61 when Mohammed Tariq demonstrated his nation's inability to recognise a single. Sam Farthing blocked out Johnston while Fisher wizzed past fifty. Farthing then nibbled at Richie Lawrence and was caught behind.

Saad Ullah played sensibly, for once not trying to hit the cover off the ball. He ended up on 20*, Fisher on 76*, as Railway reached 151-4 in the 32nd over. This left me time to nip down to Claremont Road to see the birthday boy (45) run out the Rush no. 10 with a direct hit. 'There's no two to Lew,' sang the crowd. Nazeer (69) then offered himself up to give James Parkinson a Michelle Five-for, and I went home to watch the Channel 4 program on Stonehenge .

Now back to Thursday, and Ireland 's opening match against Pakistan in the RSA Women's Cricket Challenge in Malahide. Opening the bowling for Ireland were, from the Castle end, skipper Heather Whelan, and from the road end, Marianne Herbert. Umpiring at the Castle end was Inge Bevers.

Inge Bevers watched Herbert chuck three or four of her first six deliveries, then went and had a word with the other umpire, Louis Fourie. They asked third umpire, Trevor Magee, to have a close look at Herbert's second over. We all watcher her chuck another three or four deliveries. After a discussion with Heather Whelan, Herbert was removed from the attack.

Fine. A tricky situation really well handled by the umpires. But what on earth is Herbert doing playing for Ireland (for anybody) with that bowling action? I know that Women's league cricket doesn't get official umpires, but the Interpros do, and the internationals do, and according to the brochure, Herbert had 14 Irish caps before the current round of matches.

Who has been umpiring these matches? Stevie Wonder? Andrea Bocelli? Fast forward to the Notts match a couple of hours later. Herbert plays and is allowed to chuck her way through her four overs. Bevers was the third umpire. It's not an ICC match, I was told.

Next morning, Herbert is playing against Pakistan , and I didn't see her first two overs before she was taken off. When she was brought back, I happened to be talking to Paul Delany, the new Irish coach. My contribution to the conversation went 'That's OK, . . . that's OK, . . . that's just about OK, . . . that's a chuck.' Inge Bevers called that fourth delivery from the striker's end. Is Inge the only umpire around with cojones?

We have a serious umpiring problem in Leinster . With the exception of a baker's half-dozen, they're not good enough. There are five umpires graded Interprovincial or better. When I retired from umpiring in 2003, four of them were already at that level. Only Marty Block has come through since.

The LCUSA has a Training Officer who has been in that position for over twenty years. He has also been LCUSA President in that time, and last year received an award from the current President for services to the Association! For what? He can't train umpires beyond Senior 2 standard. He can't even train them to recognise and act appropriately on a chucker.

Will the LCUSA members get rid of him? Will they diddley-squat! Am I flabber ghasted? You might think that . . . I couldn't possibly comment.