Simmons has choice pick

IRELAND COACH Phil Simmons will be able to call on his best County players for the two One-Day Internationals in the coming European Championships in Dublin.

Simmons yesterday named two 14-man squads, one for the games against Norway, Denmark and Italy and the other for the games against the Netherlands and Scotland in Clontarf.

William Porterfield returns as skipper and will play in all five games. Eoin Morgan and Niall O'Brien come into the side for the ODI games. O'Brien may still play a part in the other three games after being named as a reserve.

Gary Wilson and Andrew Poynter will step down to accommodate the pair, but will continue to provide cover.

Morgan has been in stunning touch for Middlesex, with centuries in each of his last two games, including one against the touring South Africans.

The 21-year-old left-hander leads the first-class scoring charts for his county with 752 at an average of 68 and has scored close on 1,200 runs in all forms of the game this summer.

O'Brien has also had a fine season, scoring 852 runs in all competitions, and has made the opening role his own at Northamptonshire. Porterfield has also had a promising start to his first-class career at Gloucestershire, scoring two half-centuries in his 10 Championship innings.

The Strabane bowler Phil Eaglestone comes back into the squad after missing last week's Intercontinental Cup victory over the Netherlands with shin splints, and Andy White returns following a family bereavement.

Ireland begin the defence of the title they won in Glasgow two years ago with a first meeting against Norway at Milverton on Friday, July 25th, before taking on Denmark in Rathmines the following day.

The first of the ODI clashes is on Monday, July 28th, against the Netherlands at Castle Avenue.

IRELAND (squad for European Championship games v Norway, Denmark, and Italy): W Porterfield (Gloucestershire, capt), A Botha (North County), P Connell (North Down), A Cusack (Clontarf), P Eaglestone (Strabane), T Fourie (Railway Union), A Poynter (Clontarf), G Kidd (Waringstown), K McCallan (Waringstown), K O'Brien (Railway Union), P Stirling (Cliftonville), R Strydom (North County), A White (Instonians), G Wilson (Surrey, wkts). Reserves: N O'Brien (Northamptonshire), F McAllister (Rush).

IRELAND (squad for European Championship/ODI games v Netherlands/Scotland): W Porterfield (capt), A Botha, P Connell, A Cusack, P Eaglestone, T Fourie, G Kidd, K McCallan, E Morgan (Middlesex), K O'Brien, N O'Brien (wkts), P Stirling, R Strydom, A White. Reserves: A Poynter, G Wilson.

FIXTURES: July 25th: v Norway, Milverton; July 26th: v Denmark, Rathmines; July 28th: v Netherlands, Clontarf (ODI); July 29th: v Italy, Malahide; July 31st: v Scotland, Clontarf (ODI).