OUR Mallow Credit Union sponsored juvenile continue their quest for provincial Juvenile honour when they face a combination of Kerry, Clare and Tipperary opposition in the Munster 60x30 juvenile finals in Broadford on Saturday at 12 noon and on Tuesday evening at the same venue at 7pm. At the time of writing there is still four semi-finals to be played which involve Cork players and the extent of our challenge when obviously depend on the results of those game.

Starting with Saturday's programme of finals in Broadford Girls U12 Singles will set the ball Rolling as Kilworth player Caroline Roche takes on Kerry's Aileen Twomey, the Cork girl has played well to date and will hopefully continue in that vein on Saturday.

Our next involvement will be in Boys U14 Doubles in which Aidan Kerins, Ballydesmond teams up with Fermoy player Kurt Bowes to take on Tipperary, Padraig O'Donoghue/ Jonathon Hayes, again the Cork pair were impressive in their win over Waterford, but will face a stiff test here is this is a very strong Tipperary pairing who will not be easily beaten.

In Boys U15 Singles Ryan Harkin,Mallow will face Tipperary's Jason Cahill a game that should be fairly close and could go either way. In Boys U15 Doubles there is a cracking contest in prospect with the Liscarroll pair Michael Hedigan/ Daniel Relihan face Clare Niall Bolton/Barry Nash.

The Cork boys won the 40x20 All-Ireland U15 Doubles back in April and would dearly love to go all the way and win the 60x30 title as well, this game on Saturday will be the big test Clare have a very strong pair which means that Cork will have to play very well to win this one. In Boys U16 Doubles is Denis O'Neill,Liscarroll and Patrick Herlihy, Mallow win their game v Waterford on Tuesday then they will take on Tipperary Adrian O'Dwyer/Dylan Ryan if they defeated Waterford then I would expect them to win this one.

The last game on the Broadford programme will also depend on a Tuesday result, Mallow pair Darren Whelan/Billy Sheehan were in action on Tuesday evening v Waterford, if they win that then they will face Clare Evan Corbett/Paul Gleeson. The Clare pair are very strong and it will take a big performance from our players on Tuesday evening and again on Saturday afternoon if they are to win the Munster title.

On Tuesday evening in Broadford there are three finals down for decision with Cork involved in the opening game Girls U15 Doubles with Brid Horgan, Kilworth and Mairead Brosnan, Ballydesmond teaming up to take on Clare Natasha Coughlan/Michelle Nihill, the Clare girls will start favourites to take the title but the Cork pair are well capable of causing an upset.

In the All-Ireland 60x30 Ladies Senior Doubles championship, Ba l l y - desmond pair Aishling O'Keeffe / Catriona Casey make the long trip to Roscommon on Monday to face Mayo Amy Corrigan / Pauline Gallagher, the Cork girls continue to improve and if things run for them it's a game they are well capable of winning.

Mens and Ladies Open Senior 60x30 Softball Championship advanced a stage further Last week, but unfortunately Cork interest in both ended with the defeat of Colm Jordan in Mens Singles and Aishling O'Keeffe in Ladies Singles. Colm Jordan took on Meath player Brian Carroll in the round of sixteen at the Offaly venue Crinkle on Tuesday and despite a very good showing victory went to the Meath player.

Carroll won the first 21/12 with a very competent performance. Colm Jordan really upped the ante in the second game and made the Meath player fight all the way before going down 21/18. Colm was well in the second game all through and looked for a good way that he was going to win it and take the contest to a tie breaker but a strong finish from Carroll edged him a few crucial aces ahead.

On Saturday afternoon at the Tipperary venue Ballina Aishling O'Keeffe, Ballydesmond took on Pauline Gallagher, Mayo in Ladies Singles. This game produced a cracking contest Aishling raced into an Early lead and went on to win the first 21/8,

The Mayo player realising she was in danger of making an early exit really came to life in the second to win it 21/8, all now rested on the third game and to Aishling's credit she took the game to the Mayo girl and looked assured of victory as we led 19 aces to 14, but luck deserted her as Gallagher chipped away at her lead eventually drawing level and going on to get those two crucial aces to win 21/19.

- Peter Dennehy