Simmons includes some interesting names in 19-strong panel

CRICKET COLUMNPHIL SIMMONS has included a few interesting new names for the latest auditions in his own cricketing reality show I'm an Opening Bowler . . . Get Me in There.

The North Down pairing of Peter Connell and Gavin McKenna, along with Donemana's Andrew Britton, have been included in a 19-strong panel for the upcoming Twenty20 matches against Lashings in Wicklow.

Simmons is also likely to have a look at some of the newcomers in the Ireland A game against Bangladesh later in the month.

McKenna and Britton were both part of the Under-19 squad at this year's World Cup in Malaysia, the latter finishing as Ireland's top wicket-taker with nine in the six matches played.

Left-armer McKenna didn't fare as well, picking up an ankle injury in the first game against England that ruled him out of the rest of the tournament. Connell has already represented Ireland A in a couple of matches last summer and his bowling has helped North Down to the top of the NCU Premier League, with McKenna also taking wickets, usually as first change.

The 26-year-old New Zealand-born player is the most likely to push for a place and may even get a shot against the old country when Ireland take on the Black Caps at the start of July.

Simmons may have to plan without some, or all, of his county-based players for the games against New Zealand and Scotland in Aberdeen. Although the counties are required to release players for One Day Internationals, the reality in the past has seen Eoin Morgan and Niall O'Brien stay in England, under the veiled threat that their places might not be there for them when they return.

Ireland's games in Scotland coincide with a meeting of Morgan's Middlesex with O'Brien's Northants at Lord's in a key County Championship clash, both sides having won their last two Division Two games to move into contention for promotion.

O'Brien's form, in particular, has been very impressive, having scored over 500 runs since he was promoted up the order to open the batting, coincidentally when he made 75 against Ireland in the Friends Provident Trophy clash at the beginning of May.

In that time, he has averaged over 65 in three County Championship matches, with a ton and two half-centuries in just four innings. After a slow start to his season, Morgan has found his form of late, hitting 96 in Middlesex's emphatic victory over Essex, and also hitting a century against the same opposition in the FP Trophy.

Although not a perfect scenario, Simmons would be happy to leave his two top batsmen with their counties this time around in a bid to have them available for the Twenty20 World Cup qualifiers at the start of August. Morgan may also be available for the latter stages of the European Championships, including the ODIs against the Netherlands and Scotland, as Middlesex have a free week at the end of July.

Simmons is confident skipper William Porterfield will be available for most of the summer, despite having broken into the Gloucestershire first team. The reality of joining O'Brien and Morgan in a dream Ireland top-order may have to wait.