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At the Dublin Grass Machinery League final at Malahide on Sunday, there was a small bunch of vociferous Railway Union supporters dressed in their club's green 20/20 shirts, banging bodhrans, blowing whistles and sounding horns from the start of the match at midday until well after their team had lifted the trophy that evening. Malahide is not Sabina Park or even Headingly, where making plenty of noise is encouraged if not, in fact, compulsory, and as such the exuberance of the Railway supporters raised a few eyebrows and led to wholesale tutting and more than one skyward glance.

But while Railway Union's Barmy Army may not have gauged their audience accurately on Sunday, they will be more than welcome to shout their heads off at the finals day of the LHW 20/20 Alan Murray Cup which takes place at Rathmines this Saturday. Following the success of last year's event which, despite grey and drizzly weather, attracted good crowds to witness big hitting, coloured clothing, white balls, bouncing castles, music from the 98fm Thunderbus and all the fun of the 20/20 fair, the same ingredients are being brought together for this weekend's extravaganza. Except, of course, it is hoped the sun will shine.

North County, Clontarf, The Hills and Railway Union will be there to contest the semi-finals and final for what is being billed as a festival of cricket. The admission will be E5 per person for the entire day but families get in for E10. The two semi-finals begin at 11am and 2pm with the final getting going at 5pm. There will be no spectator parking at the ground itself but space will be available across the road in St Mary's College at a flat rate of E2 per car. Food will be served all day with plenty of music and fun for all.

This type of cricket is not everyone's cup of tea and I must admit I will be atttending the first two days of the England v Pakistan Test match at Lord's this week before returning for the LHW 20/20 but it is certainly a welcome foil for the more refined and cerebral longer forms of the game.

It has already been very successful in attracting a new audience to the game in this country and that can only be a good thing. Anyway, where else in Dublin this Saturday does entertainment for the whole family set you back just E10?