CRICKET: Ireland will face familiar opposition in the form of Scotland when the two countries meet in the opening game of the World Cup qualifying tournament when it gets under way in South Africa from the start of April.
A total of 12 teams will compete in the qualifiers with Ireland and Scotland favourites to secure two of the four places available for the World Cup in 2011.
The two sides will meet on April 1st - the third time they have met in qualifiers - at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, one of nine venues around Johannesburg that will stage the event.
Ireland will also face Namibia, Canada, Oman and Uganda in Group A, with the top four teams set to go on and contest the Super Eight stage of the competition.
Points won against fellow qualifiers are carried through to that stage, where they would play the four teams coming from Group B. The top four sides will qualify for the World Cup, with the top two facing each other in the final at Centurion Park on April 19th.
The top six teams will secure One-Day international status until 2013 and qualify automatically for the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup.
Ireland's World Cup qualifier schedule:
April 1st: v Scotland, Benoni
April 2nd: v Oman, Krugersdorp
April 4th: v Uganda, Krugersdorp
April 6th: v Canada, Benoni
April 8th: v Namibia, Wanderers Oval 2, Johannesburg
April 11th-17th: Super Eights stages.
April 19th: Final, Centurion.