CRICKET/Preview: Jason Molins will be looking for Ireland's improved run of form to continue today when his side take on English minor county Berkshire at Finchampstead in the first round of the 2003 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy.

The 50-overs match, played a few miles from Heathrow, marks an anniversary of sorts for Molins who took over the national captaincy for the equivalent game last year and has overseen a recovery in fortunes that took Ireland to within a couple of runs of winning the European Championship last month.

Molins credits much of the improvement to new coach Adrian Birrell. He said: "Adrian has worked hard on all aspects of our game and it's impossible for me to think of any area where he could be better as a coach.

"What's really helped is having a gameplan that is understood by everyone in the team. He is particularly keen on getting us to run better between wickets and I think that showed in the European Championships."

Talented South African all-rounder Jeremy Bray, who has had an outstanding season for the Pheonix club, will be Ireland's one permitted overseas player.

IRELAND (from): J Molins (Banstead, captain), J Bray (Phoenix), A White (North Down), D Joyce (Merrion/Dublin University), P Gillespie (Strabane), K McCallan (Cliftonville), N O'Brien (Railway Union, w/k), D Heasley (Glendermott), P Mooney (North County), G Neely (Glendermott), A McCoubrey (Ballymena), C Armstrong (North County).

The International Cricket Council wants all countries to conclude negotiations with their players for the Champions Trophy by today. Controversy has raged ever since the ICC announced players taking part in next month's event in Sri Lanka could not have individual sponsorship deals which conflicted with the event's major financial backers.

They were also told these restrictions would apply for future ICC events - which created a furore among the players.