BRIAN Buttimer of CYM was elected as the southern Irish selector at the agm of the Leinster Cricket Union in Dublin last week. Buttimer, who had stood in for Michael Halliday when the Phoenix man resigned mid-season, was elected ahead of Ken Hope of Pembroke.

Buttimer's running-mate as 'spotter', John Andrews of North County, saw off the challenge of Matt Dwyer and Ken Hope. The LCU members of the ICU executive will be John Pryor (Malahide), Tom Prior (Clontarf), Jim Kenny (Leinster) and Matt Dwyer (The Hills).

The LCU meeting also saw the maximum of overseas players per team reduced from four to three, although the clause which would have extended qualification to players resident in the EU - not just Ireland - on 1 January was thrown out.

The perennial toing-and-froing over the status of CYM's artificial wicket was also resolved. With the mat now coming under the aegis of the Grounds Committee, the annual retreading of well-rehearsed arguments can now be consigned to history.