With the first third of the 2017 now complete, Cricket Leinster's All-Ireland rankings give a good overview of how the island's top teams have been performing.
Behind the scenes there has been an attempt to include more teams from all four provinces, and hopefully later in the year a few of those teams will start appearing.
On the surface, it looks as if there has not been too much changed at the top of the tree, but that would be over-simplifying matters. The "Season (Pts)" column reveals how each team's rating has changed this season, and the first thing to note is that whilst Clontarf are still the top club, they have lost two points, and have slipped back towards the pack after losses to Donemana and North County.
Waringstown have also started the season in a bad way and that has enabled James Shannon's Instonians to move into second place, closing the gap between them and Clontarf to less than two points. Instonians were last at the number one spot on July 31st 2015.
Merrion may be in Division 2 this year, but they have started strongly, and remain one of the favourites for the Irish Senior Cup after beating Muckamore last week. YMCA's tough start in Leinster to the season sees them drop one place to 5th, although last night's win over The Hills means the damage is not as bad as it could have been.
Pembroke are the fourth of the six Leinster teams in the top 10, but as with Clontarf and YMCA, the Foxes have slipped back a bit this year. The Hills have started the season in explosive fashion (until last night) jumping up to 7th. The NCU's CIYMS beat North County in the 1st round of the Irish Senior Cup, and have moved above them, with County themselves dropping to 9th place.
Brigade are the highest North West club in 10th place. However, their mantle as the leading club in the NW is under threat, with Donemana and Coleraine both starting the season in excellent fashion - both being unbeaten so far.
There is plenty of interest outside the top 10, with Dublin University showing the most improvement. Their rating has improved by an incredible 21.98 points. This is not so much an indication of their form this year (which has been decent in Leinster Division 2) but a reflection of the rolling three year nature of these rankings. Back in 2015, Trinity lost all seven of their league matches, but as that season disappears into the past, it has less of an effect on their rating.
Phoenix have also started well in Leinster, and have moved from a talented team that was prone to throwing away good position, to one that is seeing out the tight games. They have moved up five places to 15th, and are currently at their highest ever ranking - beating their previous best in 2004 (it was even higher before their Irish Senior Cup defeat to North Down)
After being promoted at the end of 2016 ,Holywood have started their season in Section 1 in the NCU in brilliant form, winning four of their first five matches, and moving up 38th place. And the team with the fourth biggest rise on the island is Donemana, whose win over Clontarf in the Irish Senior Cup is already the stuff of North West legend.
Cricketing life is not all roses though, and several teams have started the year badly. Cork County have lost all their matches in Leinster's Division 1, as well as losing to Bready in the first round of the Irish Senior Cup. They have dropped out of the top 20 to 21st place.
Civil Service North have been another team to have dropped badly. Surprisingly at the bottom of the NCU's Premier League with only one win from five, they also lost to The Hills in the first round of the Irish Senior Cup
The draws for the two Cricket Ireland compeitions throw up some great ties.
In the Irish Senior Cup, Waringstown (3) are favourites to beat Coleraine (11) in the delayed second round match, before the winners host holders Merrion (4), in a match that will be too close to call if Waringstown beat Coleraine.
Pembroke (6) will be strong favourites against Bready (24) in another delayed match, with the winners facing North Down (12). Pembroke have to be favourites, but North Down are one of the fastest improving teams this year.
CIYMS (8) host Instonians (2) in a brilliant all NCU tie, with the final match being between the winners of the postponed match between The Hills (7) and Donemana (13) and Balbriggan (31), the competitions's outsiders.
Not all National Cup sides receive a rating, making it less easy to predict.
Malahide (32) will be strong favourites against unranked Midelton; Derriaghy (29) are at home to the winners of Newbuildings (35) and Knockharley (unranked), making Derriaghy the favourites.
Holders Rush (25) will be tipped to beat Terenure (36), whilst Strabane (26) will face dark horses County Kerry (unranked but dangerous).
The rankings predict last fours of Waringstown, Pembroke, Instonians and The Hills in the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup, and Malahide, Derriaghy, Rush and Strabane in the National Cup. But the beauty of cricket is its unpredictability!