CRICKET/ICC Inter-Continental Cup: Purists who enjoy the intricacies and nuances of the longer form of the game will be out in force today to see if Ireland can win a semi-final place in the inaugural ICC Inter-Continental Cup against Scotland at Castle Avenue.
In fact, having already beaten the Netherlands last month, Ireland need only to draw with the Scots to top the European group and qualify for the play-offs in Dubai in November.
Although Scotland have been Ireland's bogey team for many years now, the last encounter resulted in an easy win for the Irish at a recent European Championship match in Deventer (only their second defeat of the Scots in 11 years).
One man who will be looking on with particular interest will be Clontarf and Scotland batsman Dominic Rigby and he has sent out a warning to the Irish not to take their opponents too lightly.
"This is still a good Scotland team. They have a couple of guys who have really come on this season and I think they will be competitive. Fraser Watts is developing into a very good player and so is Ryan Watson, who made runs against Ireland (88 not out in that one-day match in Deventer)," said the 32-year-old, who also played in that game as cover for middle-order batsman Cedric English but has been left out by the Scottish selectors for this game. With the experienced Bruce Patterson, Watts, Watson and English, batting does not seem to be the problem. Rigby suggests the challenge could come when it is the Scots' turn to take the field.
"I think we have the guys there to make the runs but the issue will be how to bowl Ireland out twice. They have a formidable batting line-up," he said.
The return of Asim Butt, a proven strike bowler, will boost the Scots' bowling attack and the likes of Ian Stanger and Paul Hoffman may cause problems of their own. But with Eoin Morgan coming back into the team fresh from scoring a century for Middlesex's second XI and an Ireland line-up that bats all the way down to number 11, they will certainly have their work cut out.
Rigby has spent a lot of time in the middle at his home ground of Castle Avenue this season - he has scored more than 500 runs this summer at an average of 51 - and few are as qualified to say how the pitch is playing.
"I think the pitch will improve over the three days. On day one, there might be a bit of grass on it and a few wickets could fall but after that, I think it will just get better and better. It is hard to see how we will get a result, which obviously is in Ireland's favour."
The Scots can be grateful, however, for Trent Johnston's ongoing achilles injury, which means he is unable to bowl off his full run. He may still turn his arm over but only off a few paces, as he does for his club Clontarf.
So, with Johnston picked essentially for his batting, the Irish selectors last night decided to go with an extra bowler, Paul Mooney, with Dom Joyce forced to make way.
Play starts each day at 11 a.m. Admission is 5 for adults and free for under-16s and OAPs.
IRELAND: J Molins (capt), J Bray (both Phoenix), A Botha, P Mooney (both North County), P Gillespie (Strabane), A White (Instonians), G Thompson (Lisburn), N Shoukat (Rush), E Morgan (Middlesex), S Ogilby (Cheshire League), T Johnston (Clontarf). 12th man: D Joyce (Dublin University/Merrion.
SCOTLAND (probable): C Wright (capt), C English, R Watson, F Watts, D Lockhart, P Hoffmann, A Butt, B Patterson, I Stanger, D Nel, G Maiden. 12th man: S Smith.
