Twitter can be a difficult place. However one of the shining lights is the account of Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket). It is an account that doesn't take itself too seriously while brilliantly promoting the game in an outpost the ICC probably have long forgotten about, if it ever was aware of its existence. They have the right idea up there, when it gets too cold to play outside, they simply move indoors and keep on playing.

Cricket returned to Castle Avenue on Saturday when Clontarf met Trinity in a pre-season friendly. I wasn't there till near the end as the youngest was still chasing down defenders like a demented Jack Russell, on a hockey pitch. For the last time this season, it turned out. It was relatively balmy up in the mountains where Corinthians Hockey club are based but down by the coast there was no escaping the biting easterly wind blowing in off the Bay.

Nevertheless a 40 over game took place and the scant details were that Trinity batted first making 179. Gavin Hoey didn't mind the cold as he struck a breezy 79 in their total. Trinity look to be a more than useful side this season, along with Hoey there was Mickey O’Reilly, Matthew Humphreys, Theo Demsey and led by Sunil Gupta. With Nigel Jones, Nic Pretorius and David Vincent also to come into the side, I fancy they could do some damage along the way during their season. And with Conor Hoey waiting in the wings should the need arise.

But Saturday was just a loosener, if it's possible to get loose in those conditions. Dempsey and O’Reilly blew away the home top order before Andrew Vincent and Aaron McGeehan settled things down somewhat, however despite their efforts (30 and 19 retired, respectively) Trinity were looking likely to take the bragging honours until some home batsmen returned for a second hit, this time somewhat more successfully. However with the scores level and Clontarf nine(ish) down the game was called and a tie decreed. Job done, the first outing, no pulled muscles and no broken fingers. Hopefully they have thawed out by now, while Humphreys ponders that playing in 35 degrees in the Caribbean is a nicer proposition than single figure temperatures in North Dublin.

Sunday saw an internal Clontarf club game take place. Players from all levels, first team to seven, dusted off their whites (coloured clothing for Saturday's game). The temperature gauge recorded 9 degrees however the real feel, the only real guide in these circumstances recorded Bloody Freezing, you must be mad. But junior cricketers do not really care about such things as cold, they just want to be playing. Some though misread the forecast or should have checked their gear bags before leaving home as a couple appeared in just tee shirts. You can bet that it will not happen again. It allowed the junior team captains to cast an eye over players, particularly new ones who have looked a million dollars in the no consequence nets. Everyone batted, everyone bowled. Shahjahan Khan and Andrew Vincent, enjoying his second run of the weekend, both passed 50 and will be delighted to have spent some overs at the crease. An intriguing new name on the roster is Harry Potter, I will leave the jokes for yourselves to work out.

The result, I’m not entirely sure, it wasn't really the point of the exercise. The first weekend of the season has passed, the seconds have a double weekend next week, on grass not the artificial. It has all begun again.