THE selection of Bill Coghlan for this week's Leinster Lightning game was a reward for a run-glut by the Clontarf batsman.
Last year's winner of the Marchant Cup for the best Division One average (392 runs at 39.2) has started this season with 100, 45, 46, 48, 42 and 94 and will have no fears about the three-day game in College Park.
The call-up is a second-coming for a player who won the attention of former Ireland coach Adi Birrell a decade ago.
"I went along to the coaching in Queens and was given a list of things to do and, to be honest, I was a bit lackadaisical. I was just out of six years in boarding school and in college. I was enjoying a bit of freedom!
"I regret that I didn't make the effort then, but I'm doing it all now. I'm still only 28, there's plenty of petrol left in the tank."
Coghlan confesses to be "chuffed" at his selection and is keen to reward that faith.
"Just to be in a team like this - with guys who have played 100, 150 times for their country - will be brilliant. You'll learn so much being around them."
With his rugby star nephew Jordan there to cheer him on, Bill will be mightily relieved to become the second Leinster representative in the clan.
He is also eager to sample the different cadence of the three-day game - he's never played in one before - and reckons it will suit his style.
"I've always been watchful early on, because I back myself to get runs once I'm in. I know I can hit sixes and fours when I need to. I've batted all the way through the innings in 50 over games on a good few occasions, so I'd love to do that over a whole day."
THE brilliant Duckworth Lewis Method's first album lit up the summer of 2009, and now the cricket-themed popsters are back with their second.
Duckworth said: "Lewis and myself felt it would be at least 20 years before the world would want another Duckworth Lewis Method album.
"But it rains a lot in Ireland so we revised our prediction of 20 years by using the Duckworth Lewis Method and it turns out we only needed to wait four years."
When the DLM - Neil Hannon and Thomas Walsh - were recording Sticky Wickets earlier this year they recruited members of the Theatrical Cavaliers to add backing vocals. The Cavs, a side made up of Dublin actors, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Sticky Wickets will be out on July 1st.
ONE of Muckamore's RSA National Cup heroes wasn't available for Saturday's washed-out game against Balbriggan.
Jordan Mairs, who made 54 against Civil Service last year, is a promising wicket-keeper batsman.
But he missed out on the repeat of 2012's final because of other sporting commitments. Jordan, known as 'the Ballycraigy Bad Boy', is a leading cage fighter and had a Mixed Martial Arts bout on Saturday.
Maybe it's just as well he didn't come up against Balbriggan - my money would be on most of the Fingallians over three rounds.
THERE'S sure to be a bit of banter in College Park this week if the word escapes that Ireland and NW Warriors manager Roy Torrens qualifies for his bus pass on Friday.
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: No wicket-keeper in 94 years of Leinster competition has ever taken more than six dismissals in an innings. But on Saturday ‘Bobbo' Forrest of Clontarf held four catches and three stumpings in the Bob Kerr Cup.
TWEET OF THE WEEK: "wonderful achievement … give her my congratulations". @niallnobiobrien pays tribute to NUI Galway batsman Hannan Iqbal, who made 101* in 54 balls. Hannan, goalkeeper for Mayo Minors, is male.
SPONSORSHIP GENIUS OF THE YEAR: Full marks to Carrickfergus CC which decided against holding a boring old race night at the weekend. Instead their patrons were shown footage of various riots up North and asked to bet on which of the yobs started the trouble!