Cricket:Ireland have retained their European Under 23 Championship after defeating hosts Scotland with a comprehensive 116 run win.
The partnership between World Cup hero and Paul Stirling, the 17
year old late replacement for Gary Wilson, proved
particularly effective with Stirling scoring 110 in the Irish total
of 220 for 8.
While the Irish struggled early on, this proved to
be something of a one-sided match.
Scotland starting off badly and never really recovered,
finishing all out for 104 in the 29th over.
"I thought we played some really good cricket. 220 was a
superb score in such difficult conditions. Young Stirling batted
with great maturity, and he's definitely got a great future in the
game, " said Irish coach Phil Simmons.
"The bowlers took early wickets, and that was a great spell from Kevin who took full advantage of the assistance that was on offer. It's important that we win these competitions, as it shows us that we are getting it right in our coaching and development structure at under-age levels."