CRICKET: Ken Rutherford will be looking to end his term as national coach on a rare high today by guiding Ireland to victory over a Hampshire Board XI in the second round of the 2002 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy.

Ireland are by no means favourites to beat a team of Hampshire's best club players at the new West End ground in Southampton .

Kyle McCallan, skipper for most of Rutherford's reign, returns after missing the first round in Wiltshire - but the captaincy remains with London-based Dubliner Jason Molins.

Andy White loses his squad place to make way for McCallan, Andre Botha continues as overseas professional and Conor Armstrong is expected to be 12th man if Paul Mooney has recovered from a hand injury.

IRELAND (from): J Molins (capt), A Patterson (wkt), P Davy, A Botha, D Joyce, P Gillespie, K McCallan, D Heasley, P Mooney, J McGonigle, A McCoubrey, C Armstrong.

HURLING: It seems that it will be some time - certainly not at Monday's County Board meeting - before Wexford know the future of their hurling manager, Tony Dempsey.

Dempsey has just completed his first term in charge after losing the All-Ireland semi-final replay to Tipperary. He has an option of a second year but is expected to delay announcing a decision for several weeks.

"I've had discussions with my two selectors, Ger Cushe and Davy Morris, but I'm not yet in a position to make an announcement. It could be mid-October before I'll make my intentions known," said Dempsey.