It was a short weekend in Dublin, but it could have been shorter. There was no chance of play in either of Saturday's Antalis Senior Cup semi finals, and no firm date has been made for either refix.

Sunday morning was wild, wet and very windy, but the forecast was for it to clear to showers and for the winds to ease off gradually. Leinster and Clontarf took no notice of this advice, and called their game off in the morning. The games at Anglesea Road and the Milverton went ahead with late starts and a few interruptions.

I went to a damp Merrion, where the home team batted first in a 46 over match. Alan Morison was caught behind for 13, and Kade Beasley dug in with John Anderson to take the score slowly forward against some decent bowling from Rush's Tipu Gull, Shahid Iqbal and Nazeer Shaukat.

Beazo started to take a few chances, and survived a lob over Shahid's head at mid off, before being expertly snaffled in the gully by Nazeer off Keegan Clarke's bowling for 25, with the score on 61.

Drinks were taken after 23 overs at 78/2, when John Anderson started to accelerate before falling to a waft behind to stand-in keeper Niall Mullen. Only Anderson (49 off 100 balls, with 9 fours) saw the umpire's nod and duly disappeared while the Russians temporarily got very hot and bothered.

Three runs later Matt Petrie (14) fell to another smart gully catch by Nazeer, and it was 107/4. Rory Allright will never die wondering, and immediately set about Rush's bowlers. Nazeer, whose first six overs had cost 10 runs, went for twice that in his comeback (and swansong) two.

Damian Poder joined in the fun, falling to a very good caught and bowled for 27 in Shahid's comeback over with the score on 182. Simon Morrissey swished merrily and ran everything to help add 54 runs in the last six overs.

Allright, with two fours and four sixes, completed his fifty in 44 balls and was out, bowled for 59, swinging once too often at Shahid. The Merrion innings closed in a heavy shower on 236/6, with Morrissey 29* and Jeff Short on 2*.

Gull took 1/50 off 9 overs, Nazeer 0/30 off 8, Clarke 2/12 off 4, but the star turn was Shahid with 2/29 off 10. Ernie Extras chimed in with a quick twenty, Billy Byes claiming twelve of those.

Tea was very enjoyable (there's always plenty of nice crumpet in Merrion) and prolonged by showers. Another 8 overs were lost, so the D/L target (not the par score) was 215 off 38 overs. Matt Petrie made sure there was to be no possibility of a Sean Pollock mix-up.

Rush were missing regular openers Dan van Zyl (holliers) and Fintan McAllister (beer match). Keegan Clarke nicked off to Anderson at second slip, and Tipu Gull first ball to another stand-in keeper, Rory Allright.

Lionel Jansen, Nazeer Shaukat and Willie Wides took the score to 33, but then the wheels well and truly fell off. Jansen (11) was caught behind off Petrie, and a couple of balls later Shahid top-edged one through the grill of his helmet onto his face.

Gerry Ormond pronounced him alive, but he was carted off to St. Vincent's for an unwanted (but free) nose-job. Eoghan Conway lobbed another away-swinger to mid on (37/4) and Niall Mullen edged one to the keeper (37/5) to give Petrie a Michelle (five-for 6 off 6).

The spinners then finished the job. Tiktish Patel had Nazeer smartly stumped (37/6) and Patrick Sheridan lbw (37/7). Damian Poder had Lee Metcalfe caught by Petrie at mid off (39/8) and Sean Monks caught at short leg by Anderson (39/9).

In Shahid's enforced absence, Rush were all out for 39 off 14.4 overs, Ernie Extras top-scoring with 16. The Russians will have to satisfy themselves with the Eurovision Song Contest, perhaps the Euro 2008, and perhaps the Bob Kerr.

I hope to be back from la belle France in time to see the conclusion of Leinster's refix with Instonians (the winners to travel to Kenure, if Leinster then for the second week running). It looks like I'll be paying my first visit of the season to Chee Stadium - after wining and dining around Loire Atlantique, I'll need bringing back to earth (or Astroturf)!