Cricket: Apart from the renewal of acquaintances, there is likely to be a rather heightened determination to win in Ireland's series of three one-day matches against the English Cricket Board (ECB) side which begins at Malahide at 11 a.m.
Tomorrow the opponents will meet again at Rathmines, and then return to Malahide for the final show-down on Thursday.
Almost a year ago, on July 25th, the ECB defeated Ireland by a solitary run at Waringstown to carry off the European Championship in the final match of the competition. Earlier, Ireland had beaten Denmark at Stormont, lost to Scotland at Lisburn, defeated Italy at Comber and Holland at Eglinton, and as matters turned out, the match against the ECB at Waringstown was the decider.
Jason Molins won the toss for Ireland and put the English in to bat, and the ECB totalled 226 for 8 off the 50 overs. Richard Howitt top-scored with 83, Steve Chapman contributed 44, while skipper Steve Foster, opening the batting with Quentin Hughes, made 24; Andy White was Ireland's best bowler with 3 for 32, while Gary Neely picked up a brace of wickets.
In the chase, Ireland's top scorers were Molins (106), Kyle McCallan (42) and Niall O'Brien (33) - all of them, ironically, run out. At the end of the 50 overs, Ireland were 225 for 9, just one run adrift, but thus their Championship hopes were blown.
To win this week's series wouldn't change matters, but it would be a considerable consolation and a useful morale-booster.
This week, McCallan has resumed the captaincy in the absence of Jason Molins, and the only new man in the side is Ralph Coetzee, the Belfast Harlequins all-rounder, who was top-scorer in the recent Inter-Regional Challenge.
Eight of the ECB squad will again be in action: skipper Steve Foster, wicketkeeper Chris Mole, Ajax Akhtar, Marcus Sharp, Richard Howitt, Steve Chapman, Chris Brown and Quentin Hughes.
IRELAND SQUAD: K McCallan (Cliftonville, capt), C Armstrong (North County), A Botha (North County), J Bray (Phoenix), R Coetzee (Belfast Harlequins), P Gillespie (Strabane), D Joyce (Merrion), J Mooney (North County), P Mooney (North County), G Neely (Glendermott), N O'Brien (Railway Union, W/K), A White (North Down).
ENGLISH CRICKET BOARD SQUAD: S Foster (capt), S Adshead, A Akhtar, C Boroughs, C Brown, S Chapman, A Hall, Q Hughes, S Humble, R Howitt, C Mole, M Sharp, E Wilson.
