#ireland-cricket

#ireland-cricket

Ireland is an island where ridiculously beautiful sights pop up in the most unlikely of places, from gravity-defying sea stacks found at the end of a dirt road, to hiking trails that make you feel like you're walking on the moon.

Next month marks the 15th anniversary of that surreal Sunday when James Horan made his first summer statement as Mayo manager. The start of a riotous, roller-coaster decade embracing seven All-Ireland finals, one draw, six defeats and an infinity of 'what ifs'.

Jamie Smith, with a majestic 166, has now scored a century in each of Surrey's opening two County Championship matches as he bids to hold on to his England Test place this summer.

Donegal's emphatic victory by 13 points over Kerry in the Division 1 decider showcased their dominance, especially with a crucial flurry of three goals.

Finn Russell is one of the players of his generation and debates are already ongoing in Scotland as to whether the out-half is the greatest player his country has produced. What his CV lacks is silverware and, while he's making up for lost time on that front after winning a series with the Lions and with a Bath team that looks like it can compete for the Champions Cup this season, he has plenty of unfinished business with Scotland.

However, according to the FAI, Gardai (Irish police) have advised that the game can be "staged safely at the Aviva Stadium". The teams are also scheduled to face each other in a return fixture on 27 September. The Israeli FA has said it hopes to host the Republic of Ireland in Tel Aviv, but a venue is yet to be confirmed.

Changes galore, and notable ones at that, across both matchday squads. Steve Borthwick hands fan and media darling (and bloody good player) Henry Pollock his first start in the back row, where he will be joined by the returning Tom Curry. In the backs Tommy Freeman returns to a wing berth at the expense of Tom Roebuck, which brings Ollie Lawrence back into the centres. The bench is a 6:2, with Jack Van Poortvliet and Marcus Smith as the backs options.

After bowling Scotland out for 152, England racked up 155-5 in 18.2 overs, with Jacob Bethell scoring 32, Sam Curran 28 and Will Jacks (16 off 10 balls) hitting a six and a four to finish the job. England wobbled at the start of their chase as the new white ball swung under the floodlights with the sun going down. Phil Salt fell third ball to Brandon McMullen for just two and when Jos Buttler picked out McMullen off Brad Currie, they were 13-2.

Tony Ward, voted the first European Player of the Year two months earlier, was dropped. He had won the award largely for his dazzling form in that season's Five Nations Championship. Then, ahead of the First Test on Ireland's tour of Australia, he was canned. It made the six o'clock news. Ward was a gifted footballer. He would go on to play in the League of Ireland for Limerick United FC, starring for them against Southampton in the Uefa Cup.

In the city where a few handfuls of rupees were melted down to make the original Calcutta Cup, it was Scotland who lost their shape when the heat started to rise and the pressure to build. England won by five wickets and though it was, in the end, emphatic it was not exactly a rediscovery of peak form, even if Tom Banton appeared to have located his with a 41-ball 63 that powered his team to victory.