Next January, Ireland's under-19 cricketers will boldly go where where no Irish national cricket team has ventured before - to South Africa, to take on the world's best, including the nine Test countries, in the Youth World Cup. Participation in that global event was ensured by the team's superb achievement in Bermuda earlier this week and yesterday, the locally-based players arrived home at Dublin Airport to the acclaim of officials, family and friends.

Joe Clinton of The Hills, who captained the team, Ed Joyce, Joe Morrissey and Michael O'Herlihy, all from Merrion, and the Old Belvedere pair Shane Moore and Kevin O'Malley were accompanied by assistant coach Ray Daly. In Bermuda, these youngsters dazzled all comers, winning five of their six matches and finishing only a point adrift of mighty England, to earn a place in the Youth World Cup. It was a tremendous achievement. "I honestly didn't expect to do so well before we arrived in Bermuda," said Joe Clinton.

"We played really, really well in all of the games, apart from the match against England, which was very disappointing. But apart from that game, we performed to our full potential," he said.

"We're all eligible for the World Cup in South Africa. It all depends on selection, of course, but everyone's hoping to go; the standard will be a lot higher and it will be another big step-up again," added the skipper.

Hopefully, all the young players who did Ireland so proud in Bermuda will make it to South Africa next January. And, as Irish Cricket Union president John Wright said yesterday, many of these talented young sportsmen may well be in the full national team, if - no, let's say when - Ireland qualifies for the (senior) 2003 World Cup.

The Leinster Cricket Union will make a special presentation to the under-19 players in Merrion's new clubhouse at Anglesea Road this evening.