Cricket/Weekend preview: The national team's busy season comes to an end this weekend with two one-day games against the lowest-ranked Test side, Bangladesh. It will be a good marker as to how far this Irish side has come in a year that, one costly slip-up against Scotland aside, has been one of the most successful in living memory.
Beating Surrey in the C&G Trophy and the West Indies in a one-day friendly will always be remembered as the highlights of 2004 but playing against Bangladesh will give Adrian Birrell an idea of where his crew stands against a team that is not too far ahead in the pecking order of international cricket.
Birrell has targeted these matches (on Sunday in Stormont and Monday in Limavady) as another opportunity to humble a top-flight nation while preparing for next year's ICC Trophy.
"We are looking to win. To get another Test scalp would be huge for us," he said. "It is a great dress rehearsal for next year because with the exception of Denmark, we will not know much about the other teams next year and so this will give us practice playing against an unknown quantity.
"It is good preparation for 2005 but also it is important to end the season well after the disappointment of the Scotland game."
Birrell has had to pick a team without the injured Trent Johnston and he was hoping Kent's Niall O'Brien would be available to boost the middle-order batting line-up.
He is disappointed that Kent refused to let him play in these games and, perhaps more importantly, it does not bode well for the ICC Trophy as several Irish players could be tied up playing for their counties in England at that time.
"Niall is available but Kent are not releasing him. It is disappointing from our side and unfortunately it is setting the tone for next season. It is not going to be easy to get these guys off. A lot of work will have to go in over the next couple of weeks to find out where we stand with these counties."
That aside, Ireland still have a strong side with fast bowler Adrian McCoubrey available to take the new ball with Naseer Shoukat. Jonathan Bushe has been recalled as wicket-keeper after some uninspiring performances from Stephen Ogilvy, and Kyle McCallan is back in after being unavailable for the Scotland game.
Meanwhile, in club cricket, North County will be officially crowned league champions today if they beat Munster Reds in the Mardyke and take three or more bonus points in the process. Mind you, even if they lose in Cork, they are so far ahead that it would probably just delay the inevitable.
Section B is all to play for, though, with the top six teams still in contention for promotion. YMCA are the only side not playing this weekend so they will be quietly hoping that rain-affected draws will keep their rivals within easy reach.
IRELAND SQUAD: J Molins (capt), J Bray (both Phoenix), A Botha, P Mooney (both North County), E Morgan (Middlesex/North County), J Bushe (Waringstown), G Cooke (Brigade), P Gillespie (Strabane), D Joyce (Dublin University/Merrion), K McCallan (Cliftonville), A McCoubrey (Essex), N Shoukat (Rush), A White (Instonians).
FIXTURES: Saturday: WMK League (12.30): Section A: Phoenix v The Hills, Railway Union v Malahide, Munster Reds v North County. Section B: Rush v Pembroke, Old Belvedere v CYM. Sunday: One-day international (Stormont, 10.45) Ireland v Bangladesh. WMK League (12.30): Section A: Clontarf v Phoenix, The Hills v Railway Union. Section B: Merrion v Leinster. Monday: One-day international (Limavady, 10.45) Ireland v Bangladesh.
