Familiar Ireland for clash against England

CRICKET:IRELAND coach Phil Simmons has stuck to his World Cup grouping for next Thursday's sold out RSA Challenge One-Day International against England at Castle Avenue in Clontarf.

All 14 of the squad for the game played in India and Bangladesh earlier this year, the highlight of which was the three-wicket victory over next week’s opponents in Bangalore. The only absentee is Andre Botha, who announced his international retirement after that event.

YMCA off-spinner Albert van der Merwe returns from an elbow injury, while Trent Johnston (knee) and Alex Cusack (back) have shaken off injury concerns ahead of the highlight of the international summer.

Ed Joyce also returns after missing Ireland’s defeat to Scotland in Edinburgh last month due to the birth of his first child. The left-hander has been in great touch for Sussex of late, hitting 120 from 74 balls in his side’s record 40-over score of 399 for four against Worcestershire in Horsham last Sunday.

Joyce’s younger sister, Isobel, proved the star with the bat for the Ireland women’s side in the Netherlands yesterday as they beat Scotland by 90 runs in their final European Championship match.

Coming in at number three, Joyce made 85 from 91 deliveries, while 15-year-old Kim Garth made an unbeaten 48 after dropping down the order as Ireland finished their 50 overs on 241 for six.

Scotland were 123 for eight after 39 overs when the umpires called the game off due to heavy rain, with Ireland’s victory margin keeping alive their hopes of retaining the title ahead of the deciding game between Scotland and the Netherlands today .

IRELAND SQUAD: W Porterfield (Warwickshire, capt), A Cusack (Clontarf), G Dockrell (Somerset), T Johnston (Railway Union), N Jones (Civil Service North), E Joyce (Sussex), J Mooney (North County), K O'Brien (Gloucestershire), N O'Brien (Northants), B Rankin (Warwickshire), P Stirling (Middlesex), A van der Merwe (YMCA), A White (Instonians), G Wilson (Surrey).