CRICKET/Weekend preview: It will be a big day for the Joyce family at Lord's tomorrow. While 25-year-old Dominick is fighting for his international career, 27-year-old Ed will be trying his best to make sure his sibling fails and that Middlesex move ahead of Ireland in the southern section of the C&G Trophy.
Opening batsman Dom has scored just 42 runs in six innings for Ireland this season, at a paltry average of seven, and he knows his place in the team is under pressure. But if ever there was a time to turn things around, then surely this is it.
Playing at the so-called home of cricket against his big brother and in front of several other family members, not to mention a sizable Irish crowd expected to make the trip, could be the inspiration he needs.
"I'm thinking like this is last chance saloon for me," said Dom, who has been put up against some top-class bowlers this season, such as England internationals Simon Jones, Jon Lewis and Chris Tremlett. "The coach and selectors have shown a lot of faith in me and now is the time to repay that.
"I have been practising really hard and I've been feeling good in the nets, so in my mind I feel I deserve some runs. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way though," he said.
Although more used to being on the same team, the brothers Joyce have played against each other on two occasions (when Merrion beat Dublin University in the 1999 Leinster Senior Cup and when Merrion overcame a Middlesex XI in a charity match two summers ago). On both occasions Dominick came out on the winning side.
So is he keen to keep the bragging rights for the next family reunion? "It won't be like that. He'll be doing his job and I'll be concentrating on mine," said Dominick. "We're not really into the whole bragging thing anyway."
The Middlesex game is one half of a C&G Trophy double-header for Ireland this weekend, as they move down to Tunbridge Wells to take on Kent on Monday.
Although Ireland beat Gloucestershire in Bristol and pushed Glamorgan very close in Cardiff, they have been on the receiving end of a couple of comprehensive defeats as well in this competition, so it is important that they put in two big performances this weekend.
"We want to keep up with the standards we have set for ourselves and this is our opportunity to get things back on track," said Joyce.
And with Middlesex a place below Ireland on the league table, with just one win from four in this competition, it could be a good time to be playing them. But with Ed Smith, Scott Styris and Owais Shah as well as Ed Joyce in the line-up, nothing will be easy for Ireland's bowlers.
As for Kent, they will have Irish wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien playing for them and are always a tough team to face, especially with the likes of Robert Key and the South African trio of Martin van Jaarsveld, Justin Kemp and Andrew Hall. But like Middlesex, they have not started this competition well and are propping up the table, so the Irish could yet spring another surprise there. Play in both C&G Trophy games starts at 10.45.
Meanwhile, today is quarter-finals day in the Dublin Grass Machinery 45 Overs League with some juicy looking fixtures in the offing. Having already played in the first round of the Antalis Senior Cup, Railway Union and Merrion square up again today with Merrion keen to exact some revenge for that four-wicket cup defeat, which only concluded on Thursday night thanks to the inclement weather.
The Hills host an under-strength YMCA team at Milverton, while an unbeaten Leinster will be hoping to keep their good form going with a home game against Malahide, and Rush make the short journey to Inch to play North County. Play in the DGM League starts at noon.
IRELAND (squad): Trent Johnston (capt), Jeremy Bray, Dominick Joyce, Eoin Morgan*, Andre Botha, Shahid Afridi, Peter Gillespie, Kyle McCallan, Andy White, David Langford-Smith, Paul Mooney, John Mooney, Saqlain Mushtaq.
*Morgan is registered with Middlesex so is eligible to play only in the match against Kent on Monday.
MIDDLESEX (squad): Ben Hutton (capt), Paul Weekes, Ed Smith, Chad Keegan, Owais Shah, Ed Joyce, Jamie Dalrymple, Ben Scott, Johann Louw, Chris Silverwood, Melvyn Betts, Scott Styris, Nick Compton.
KENT (squad): Robert Key (capt), Darren Stevens, Neil Dexter, Martin van Jaarsveld, Justin Kemp, Matt Walker, Andrew Hall, Simon Cook, Robert Ferley, Robert Joseph, Min Patel, David Fulton, Niall O'Brien.
