It was just one of those weekends. One where the groundsmen earned their keep, the covers hauled hither and thither and the rain bursts incessant. Yet, the fitful weather - fleeting bursts rather than anything prolonged - induced the self-proclaimed meteorologists (also known as optimists) to point skywards, during a momentary lull in the cloudburst, and engender hope that play may just be possible until the next deluge washed out those forecasts, literally. Such was the intensity of Saturday’s showers, the damage subsumed Sunday’s schedule as well. For the majority across the province, it was a wipeout. Just six of the RSA Irish Senior Cup games reached a conclusion while it was a similar story in the National Cup: only two first round fixtures were played. If there is one constructive element to take from an otherwise underwhelming weekend, at least the forecast was accurate for once. It will be a case of - without sounding too like an action sequel starring Steven Seagal - “First Round: Take Two” but available days for the re-fixes are few and far between. The ties have to be played by the 25th of this month but with league commitments occupying the Leinster clubs the next two Saturday’s, it seems a Sunday outing is the only option, depending on ground availability of course. There is, however, a default date of Friday 23rd pencilled in if an agreement can’t be met. There are, however, clubs without such a nuisance. Cork County can look forward to Tuesday’s draw safe in the knowledge they’re in the pot without any annotations beside their number on the back of a first win in the prestigious All-Ireland competition in over decade. The Munster men pulled off a major shock at the Mardyke on Saturday as they defied the odds to conquer Donemana by 15 runs on D/L. Morne Bauer scored a half-century in the rain-reduced encounter before five wickets from Siddarth Joshi saw County over the line despite a fine innings from Andrew McBrine. Their Munster neighbours, Cork Harlequins, experienced vastly contrasting fortunes however. The trip to the capital - to face Pembroke - must have felt that bit longer on the return journey after being bowled out for just 44 by the hosts. Needless to say, they won’t be in the pot. After the washout of Thursday, the umpires at Castle Avenue were obviously in more lenient mood than their ICC counterparts as Clontarf managed to dodge the showers to book their berth in the next round. Lisburn were restricted to just 129/8 from their 30 overs, a target which was then reduced following more interruptions. However, it didn’t trouble the hosts as Andrew Poynter and Alex Cusack combined to ease last year’s winners to an eight wicket victory. After holding out for the possibility of some play at Claremont Road, the efforts of YMCA and Downpatrick to get a game in were in vain as a mid-afternoon deluge flooded an already damp square while down the road, Niall O’Brien’s rare appearance for Railway Union, for their match against Instonians, was abandoned in similar circumstances. Elsewhere, Phoenix, Leinster and Terenure’s trips up north were cancelled while there was no result at North County or Milverton nor Merrion’s game against Muckamore despite some sightings of twenty-two players and a red ball being reported.