CRICKET: It's the final push towards July's ICC Trophy for Ireland and their preparation is not going all according to plan. They take on the MCC today and tomorrow in two one-day games with a number of notable absentees from the squad of 14 that will attempt to qualify for the 2007 World Cup in 10 days.
Eoin Morgan and Adrian McCoubrey are out through injury, Trent Johnston and Gordan Cooke have work commitments, Ed Joyce (Middlesex) and Andy White (Northamptonshire) have not yet been released by their counties and skipper Jason Molins will be rested for today's game at Bangor due to a niggle, but is expected to lead the side out tomorrow in Waringstown.
So, reluctantly, coach Adrian Birrell has been forced to go outside his 14-man ICC squad and has brought in John Mooney, Conor Armstrong, Ralph Coetzee and Greg Thompson. Play gets under way on both days at 10.45am.
On a positive note for Birrell, Joyce's run of magnificent form for Middlesex has continued unabated as the Bray man became the first batsman in English cricket to pass the 1,000-run milestone for the season. A quick-fire 70 in the second innings, coupled with a stylish 155 not out in the first, helped Middlesex to victory over Glamorgan in the County Championship on Saturday.
Meanwhile, it was a busy weekend in Leinster with the first round proper of the inaugural LHW 20/20 Cup taking place amid glorious sunshine in four venues around Dublin. Pembroke, Railway Union and CYM were the sides to lose out, each of them losing both their matches. The rest progress to the next round, which takes place on Saturday, July 2nd, at venues yet to be decided.
Yesterday, Clontarf and The Hills progressed as expected to the final of the Conqueror Senior Cup. The Hills destroyed Leinster at Milverton, bowling the Rathmines side out for just 145, and then proceeded to knock off the runs in under 20 overs. Joseph Clinton took four wickets while South African Keith Peinke snaffled three before helping reach the total with a rapid 50.
In the other semi-final at Castle Avenue, Trent Johnston hit 86 and Jeremy Bray pushed his total for the weekend up towards 200 with a typically impressive 85 (to go with his century in the 20/20 Cup against The Hills on Saturday) as Clontarf proved too strong for Pembroke. In reply to Clontarf's total of 277, Pembroke were all out for 192. Bray took two wickets and five catches in the field.
IRELAND (squad v MCC, today at Bangor and tomorrow at Waringstown, 10.45am): J Molins, J Bray, A Botha, D Joyce, P Gillespie, K McCallan, P Mooney, N Shoukat, J Mooney, C Armstrong, R Coetzee, G Thompson.
MCC: I Flanagan (Essex), J Sylvester (Wales), D Bicknell (capt, Nottinghamshire), I Fletcher (Essex), D Heasley (Lisburn and Ireland), A Evans (Glamorgan), N Bourke (Castleford CC), N Fitzgerald (Three Bridges CC), B Claypole (Brondesbury CC), D Langford-Smith (Phoenix CC), J Sparrow (Cambridgeshire).
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