THERE are just 20 days left to what Cricket Ireland say is the biggest cricket match ever seen in this country.
The trucks arrived at Malahide on Monday morning, shifting the first of the hundreds of tons of equipment and fittings to transform the village field into an ODI venue. Sky Sports, which will be showing the game live, has already visited to plant its stump microphones, and will be building a huge studio behind the bowler's arm at the Castle End.
It all spells sleepless nights for many people, not least Cricket Ireland's marketing manager Andrew Leonard.
"I haven't checked the weather forecast, as there's not much point this far out", he told Inside Edge, "but we're confident the day will be dry - some warm sun would be a bonus!"
When Cricket Ireland announced they would have 10,000 ground tickets on sale - plus almost 1,000 corporate tickets - there were a few raised eyebrows. But more than 7,000 in all have been sold, and if Ticketmaster don't shift one more CI will already have a modern record attendance, surpassing the capacities of Stormont and Clontarf.
"Ticket sales have picked up in the UK this last week and we expect at least 500 travelling supporters. The Barmy Army have also been in touch and we'll seat them all together," explains Leonard.
To turn the existing club and grounds into a stadium is a large task. The old clubhouse and changing rooms are not up to it, and there is no seating for spectators. All of which means that every structure and seat has to brought in, with pre-fab dressing rooms, umpires rooms, media centre for over 100 press, and corporate facilities all due to be erected over the next fortnight.
The second ground on the Lady's Acre will be festooned with a ‘Cricket Village' where sponsors, retailers, entertainers and food outlets will vie for attention.
The England team flies in on Monday 2nd, and will train on the ground that afternoon. Unlike in 2011, when they were criticised for jetting out after the game, they will stay around afterwards and fly home on the Wednesday.
The village of Malahide has organised events and Krystle nightclub in the city centre has a special evening planned after the game.
"This is all new to us," admits Ian Talbot of Malahide CC. "This is the first time we have done a big match here, and it's the first time Cricket Ireland has had a match this big. There's an element of the educational in it all.
"Fingal Council has been very helpful, and we've widened our entrance and they've helped widen other access points around the estate. For example Sky will be parking their big trucks on the tennis courts and needed extra room."
There was a last minute hitch on Monday with some concern over the venerable trees that surround the picturesque venue. But care will be taken over the roots of the giant oak and a Swampy-style incident averted.
The club is buzzing ahead of the game, even though they will have to call a halt to fixtures a week or two before.
"The Irish Senior Cup final is on the 24th and we expect the groundsman will want the square clear after that."
It's the little details that will make this a memorable day, because, outside of major
tournaments, this is probably the biggest day cricket has ever seen on Irish soil.THE rain that ruined the RSA Leinster cup final has created a fixture headache for the authorities. But a solution was finally reached with the prestige tie between YMCA and Pembroke going ahead at Claremont Road this Sunday.
The RSA T20 finals day - which also features Pembroke - has been postponed to the 25th, the day after the RSA Bob Kerr final in Malahide.
With the Caribbean T20 league final taking place two days before it's still possible that Kevin O'Brien could make a dramatic return for Railway at Sydney Parade.
The number of clubs developing outside the large centres continues to grow. The Offaly Independent reports that an Edenderry councillor has secured permission to use a school field for cricket - and that he's been inundated with enquires from potential players.
Cllr Noel Cribbin said "There is a long history of cricket being played in this area, and up to 25 or 30 years ago there was a very strong cricket club in the town".
Tweet of the week: "@MerrionCC: Merrion 125-4 Blakeney walked after given not out for caught behind". In a bad summer for honest cricket it was good to see Peter Blakeney give himself out in a crucial RSA Division 1 game.
QUIZ Question: Which Ashes centurion this summer played a season of Leinster cricket?
Those up in Rathmines won't be foxed by that - they still have fond memories of Australia's first test hero Sarah Elliott, or Sarah Edwards as she was then.
The batswoman/leg spinner played for Leinster CC in 2006 and scored a century in the senior cup final, and also made the men's 3rd XI. Former Ireland women's coach Paul Delany recalled her last week: "She was an inspiration to the whole club and her influence saw a number of the players she coached move onto the Irish women's squad".