Cricketers receive €100k send-off

CRICKET NEWS:IRELAND RECEIVED a €100,000 send-off from team sponsors RSA Insurance yesterday as they prepare to play in their third major competition in as many years at next month's World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

The money, which comes on top of the three-year deal with the company, will enable them to spend four weeks warming–up in Jamaica and Trinidad before they head to Guyana for their Group D clashes against West Indies and England. The added investment, which also sees RSA sponsor the One-Day International against Australia on June 17th, came at yesterday’s squad announcement where coach Phil Simmons named a 15-strong panel along expected lines.

There was further good news on the day with Simmons announcing he is confident 6ft 8in opening bowler Boyd Rankin will be fit to play a full part in the tournament.

Rankin is the only addition to the 14 players that helped Ireland qualify for the World Twenty20 in the UAE last month, with 17-year-old spinner George Dockrell set to play in the World Twenty20 ahead of sitting his Leaving Certificate in June.

With Ireland having to plan without the retired Kyle McCallan and Regan West through injury, Simmons had no hesitation in throwing Dockrell in at the deep end in the qualifiers as he looked for a new spin option. His performances in the competition were enough for Simmons to know the Leinster player was up to the job.

IRELAND SQUAD(for World T20 and warm-up tour to Jamaica and Trinidad): William Porterfield (Gloucestershire, capt), Andre Botha (North County), Peter Connell (North Down), Alex Cusack (Clontarf), George Dockrell (Leinster), Trent Johnston (Railway Union), Nigel Jones (Civil Service North), Gary Kidd (Waringstown), John Mooney (North County), Kevin O'Brien (Railway Union), Niall O'Brien (Northamptonshire), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire), Paul Stirling (Middlesex), Andrew White (Instonians), Gary Wilson (Surrey). Non-travelling reserves: Phil Eaglestone (Strabane), Andrew Poynter (Clontarf), Reinhardt Strydom (YMCA).