Ireland Under 19's made it two wins from two against Scotland's Academy side to end their four-match series at Loughborough. Two wickets for George McLoughlin (2-34) meant it was evenly balanced early on, before Jamie Dunk's 55 (7 fours) put Scotland on top at 117 for 3. Matthew Weldon then came to the fore taking 3 for 9 as Scotland fell to 194 all out. James West top-scored with 66 (5 fours, 2 sixes) sharing an opening stand of 85 with Freddie Ogilby (43) that put Ireland well on the way to victory. Adam Leckey's unbeaten 33 (4 fours, 1 six) ensured no late dramas as Pete Johnston's side sealed a six-wicket win in the 37th over.

England Under 19s once again proved too strong for their Irish counterparts as they recorded a convincing 108-run win in their second Youth ODI at Loughborough. Ireland were once again with the injured duo of Gavin Roulston and Reuben Wilson, but made a decent start as they reduced the hosts to 54 for 3 - Olly Riley (3-63) taking two of them. Kent's Ben Mayes made 66, but when he and Seth Essenheigh fell in quick succession the game was evenly poised at 136 for 5. A 6th wicket stand of 83 between Middlesex's James Isbell (77) and Ekansh Singh (35) swung the momentum back and runs down the order from Alex Wade (31) and Samarjeet Singh (21*) allowed England up to 298 for 8. The chase started badly with Joe Heywood (4-36) removing Brian Dunphy and Macdara Cosgrave cheaply, Skipper Jordan Neill counterattacked hitting 7 fours and a six in a third wicket stand of 67 with Freddie Ogilby (24). However 89 for 2 became 89 for 5 and thereafter it was all about respectability. Adam Leckey and Dan Murray both made 27, while Ollie Riley chipped in with 24 in a total of 190. Ireland play their fourth and final match on Tuesday against the Scotland Academy.

Ireland lost Brian Dunphy in the third over, run out without scoring after being asked to bat by Scotland. The Scots side is their 'Academy' and features 10 of last year's U19 World Cup Squad so a stiff challenge for the younger Irish lads today. Highlight of the Irish innings this morning was a 181 run partnership for the third wicket between yesterday's top-scorer Freddie Ogilby and skipper Jordan Neill whose 110 included 10x4s & 7x6s. A great platform set by that pair and Ireland were able to push on despite losing wickets along the way to post a formidable 313. The customary half-time team talk in these situations tend to be - ‘OK lads, a few tight overs to start ….’ Here’s hoping. Big Ollie Riley strikes three times in quick succession as Scotland go from 39 for 0 to 44 for 3. Treble strike for CSNI triumvirate of Harry Dyer, James West and skipper Jordan Neill has put Ireland in total control.

Tough going for Ireland after they were asked to bat in the opening game of the Tri-series, Joe Moores and James Minto removing Brian Dunphy, Gavin Roulston and Rob O'Brien inside the first 10 over Powerplay. Freddie Ogliby leading a recovery with 34 but it took late runs from Harry Dyer and Ollie Riley to drag the visitors to a total that in the end they found impossible to defend. Four wickets for Durham's James Minto, two for Leicestershire's Alex Green, and one each for the other four bowlers used. When the chase began the English openers got a good sight of the ball as Ollie Riley took eleven balls to complete the opening over, and Jordan Neill eight, to finish the second. Dawkins and Isbell went on to post 80 before Dawkins carved Matthew Weldon to third man for Ireland's only success with the ball. Ireland face Scotland tomorrow, hopefully with the bowlers' sights adjusted, and the batters more attuned to the pace and bounce of the Loughborough pitches.

Toss: Ireland. Neill and Hunter added 43 for the first wicket with Hilton and Roulston carrying on the good work after Ireland chose to bat, 134/2 at the halfway stage. Partnership now worth 128 as they reach 180 for 2 as drinks are taken at 35 overs. Can they reach 300 by taking 8 an over from the last 15? An emphatic NO - as Ewald Schreuder takes 3 wickets in an over. It's get whatever we can and hope to defend it for the Boys in Green now. And they've done well - 134/2 in the first 25 and 133/7 in the second, hopefully it shouldn't be a straightforward chase for the Kiwis. Cautious start to the chase against tight bowling from Reuben Wilson and Ollie Riley who makes the breakthrough in his fourth over. Great pressure from the Ireland bowlers - can they keep it up? Second wicket falls thanks to a run out. Ireland doing well to get the required rate climbing. Can they chip away at the wickets column? The answer is yes, for now, as Olly Riley takes a c&b for his second, followed by a third. Harry Dyer then takes a wicket just before thunder, rain and lightning sees the game abandoned with Ireland 41 ahead on DLS. A famous first win against New Zealand in any format for an Irish side. A record high 8th place finish too. Well done all.

Toss: Pakistan. Ireland struggling to get going after being asked to bat by Pakistan with the top five all gone inside 20 overs. What can Ireland manage from here? The Hundred up with McNally and Dyer doubling the score for the seventh wicket from a precarious 63/6 and that has given the bowlers something to work with - hope springs eternal. A wicket for each of Ireland’s opening seamers, Wilson and Riley, and three from off spinner Harry Dyer reduced Pakistan to 96/5 before a 63 run partnership between Hussain and Arshad eased them close to the win. Jordan Neil broke that partnership and Dyer claimed his fourth as the tension mounted but Ahmad Hassan saw Pakistan home with an unbeaten half century. Could have so different without that disastrous start to the Ireland innings - a win today would have seen them jump into third place in the group after New Zealand’s heavy defeat.

Two wickets for Clontarf's John McNally has Ireland right in the contest as India reach 80 for 2 at the 20-over mark. India though content to lay a platform as they continue to go at 4 an over. 134 for 2 after 32 overs and on course for a total of well over 200. Signs India looking to go up through the gears as we approach the 40 overs mark with both players having made half centuries and the stand nears 100. Can the Irish hold their discipline when the inevitable assault comes? The first six of the innings brings up the 100 stand from 120 balls. India 182 for 2 after 40 overs. The Irish fielding and bowling struggling as the pressure is applied - stand now worth 151 as 49 scored between overs 41 and 44. Finally, a breakthrough for Finn Lutton with Forkin taking an easy catch at short fine leg - the third wicket had added 156. Runs continue to flow as Musheer Khan reaches a run-a-ball 100 (7 fours, 3 sixes). Khan's innings ended on 118, run out by Macbeth/Hunter as he tried to come back for a second to long on. Riley gets his first wicket two balls later as Hunter takes good catch from skied slash. Riley takes his second and third wickets in the final over, but India already past 300. A whopping 119 came in the last 10 overs. Ouch. Ireland will do well to get anywhere close. You suspect it will all be about respectability. Slow left-armer Pandey immediately has the ball spinning past Neill's defence and into the off stump. Hunter bounced out caught at square leg hooking at Tiwari and a second for him in the over with le Roux edging behind. More success for Tiwari as Macbeth cuts to backward point. Pandey spins one past Cosgrave who stretches and is stumped, McCullough lbw first ball and can it get worse? Yes as Hilton drags Tiwari on - eight down and not past 50! A 9th wicket stand of 39 between Olly Riley and Daniel Forkin adds a little bit of respectability, but it's scant consolation for what has been a hammering. Forkin finishes on 27 not out as Ireland dismissed for exactly 100 - beaten by a mammoth 201 runs.

Toss: Bangladesh. The Bangladesh spinners are lining up to bowl on this pitch! Lots in it for them and lots of nervous laughter and head shaking from the batters. Few risk free options on offer for them. Fifty for Kian Hilton, excellent in tough circumstances, survived a straightforward chance to fine leg but has not let himself be tied down. Total building - can they push on in the last ten overs of the innings? No is the answer as Macbeth holes out to deep mid-wicket to end a 81 run partnership. No century for Hilton as he picks out long on in the penultimate over, frustrated that he had missed out on a few opportunities in the previous few deliveries. A terrific knock that has given Ireland a chance of an upset. A comfortable start from the Bangladesh openers who look untroubled by the Irish seamers who don't seem to be posing much of a threat, time for spin? Not yet it seems!!! McNally takes the ball for the tenth over. Spin at last - McCullough to bowl the eleventh over, and spin from both ends now as Macbeth joins the attack but not the fizz from either that was evident when Bangladesh were bowling. That didn't last long just the one over from Macbeth and left arm seamer Matthew Weldon takes the ball and makes the breakthrough, Siddik edging through to Hunter, opening partnership worth 90. Two wickets for Macbeth having Shibli lbw and Ariful Islam stumped. Momentum shifts with a wicket for McNally - can Ireland keep the pressure on? No is the answer - Bangladesh having no problem keeping the score ticking along and Amin and James added an unbroken 109 for the fifth wicket to see their side to a comfortable victory.

Great start by Ireland with three wickets apiece for YMCA opening bowlers Olly Riley and Reuben Wilson helping dismiss USA for 105. There were two scalps for Clontarf's John McNally and one each for spinners Scott Macbeth and Carson McCullough. The Irish will be confident of chasing this down and get their campaign off to a winning start. However, Jordan Neill is gone in the first over. Could this be one of those nervy chases? More nerves as Gavin Roulston departs for 0. However, a flurry of boundaries from Kian Hilton and Ryan Hunter get the Irish back on track as they both reach 20 and are over halfway to the modest target. A stand of 59 is ended by the fall of Hilton, but skipper Philippe Le Roux and Hunter edging their side closer to the finishing line. Hunter reaches his 50 from 63 balls (5 fours) as Pete Johnston's side win by 7 wickets.

Ireland U19s World Cup preparations were hampered after just 32 balls were possible in their second and final official warm-up game against Namibia. Ryan Hunter (12*) and Jordan Neill (9*) safely negotiated the opening spell reaching 22 without loss when the heavens opened. Pete Johnston's side face USA in their tournament opener on Friday.

Ireland lost the first of their two official warm-up matches on Sunday as they were beaten by 27 runs against Zimbabwe in a game curtailed by rain. Jordan Neill again went cheaply, but runs for Ryan Hunter (26), Gavin Roulston (35) and Kian Hilton (37) saw them reach 98 for 2, before a mini-collapse had them in trouble at 130 for 6. The lower middle-order rallied though with CSNI's Harry Dyer top-scoring with 44, adding 47 with Carson McCullough (24), while skipper Phillipe Le Roux made 23. A total of 217 for 9 looked competitive, but Ryan Kamwemba hit 52 in an opening stand of 91 before Pete Johnston's side rallied. Reuben Wilson (2-16) and Carson McCullough (1-31) took three wickets for three runs to bring their side right back into contention. However, Zimbabwe's fourth wicket pair of Campbell MacMillan (49*) and Ronak Patel added 73 to take their side to 167 for 3 after 38 overs when the rain came. A quick check of the DLS sheet saw Zimbabwe 27 ahead and declared victors. Ireland play their second and final warm-up match against Namibia onTuesday, before they start the tournament proper on Friday.

Ireland must have been wondering if they had made a mistake by opting to bat first as George Cutler claimed Ethan Marshall and Robert O’Brien in consecutive deliveries reducing the hosts to 5 for 2 in the series decider. A fourth wicket partnership of 63 between Adam Leckey and Daniel Murray dragged them back into the game and to a total that they would subsequently defend. The Scottish chase started in the worst possible way with skipper Thomas Knight falling to the first ball and big scoring Rory Grant gone in the second over both without scoring. A becalmed Ethan Ramsay then took on Ethan Marshall’s arm and a direct hit from mid off saw him run out by a distance - 8/3. Finlay Carter and Bruce Weatherhead steadied the ship but the visitors were never up with the rate and even a flurry of runs from the late order was not enough to threaten a home victory. Ireland won the series 3-2 in a week of tight games with last over, last ball finishes the order of the day. Some serious talent on display in both sides and all will have benefitted from the experience of these games.

Scotland took a 2-1 lead in the Celtic Cup with an eight wicket win in the morning game. Ireland’s 151/5 was made to look inadequate as the visitors closed out the game with an over to spare. Brian Dunphy was in the runs again for the hosts, his 54 coming off 58 balls (7x4, 1x6), and Ethan Marshall cleared the ropes twice in the tail end of the innings. Not enough though, as Thomas Knight and Rory Grant added 82 in an opening partnership that eased the scoreboard pressure, before an unbroken partnership of 58 between Ethan Ramsay and Bruce Weatherhead saw the Scots to a comfortable win.

The U17 Celtic Cup will go to a deciding T20 match on Friday morning after honours were shared in today’s double header with Ireland winning off the final delivery to level the series 2-2.

After a morning lost to rain, a 35 over a side game got underway after an early lunch with Ireland again asking Scotland to bat first. There was an early success for skipper Olly Riley bowling yesterday’s centurion Rory Grant without scoring. It was steady if slow progress from the visitors with wickets falling at regular intervals, two each for Adam Leckey, Ethan Marshall and Daniel Murray and it took a late flurry from Max Chaplin who top scored for the Scots with 45, including the only two maximums of the innings that saw them post 161 off their reduced 35 overs.North County's Brian Dunphy led the chase with a better than a run a ball 83 (8x4, 3x6) after the early loss of his opening partner Freddie Ogilby. Dunphy was to fall in the 24th over, as was Adam Leckey after they shared a 71 run partnership for the third wicket. Both were stumped by Scots skipper Thomas Knight off the bowling of Ram Sharma leaving Daniel Murray and James West to score the 39 more required to level the series. The series continues after rest day on Wednesday with two T20 matches on Thursday and one on Friday all at the same venue.

Asked to bat first Scotland weathered the early storm from the Ireland seamers before Rory Grant posted a magnificent century. Not a great day in the field for the Boys in Green who spilled half a dozen catches, which in the end proved to be their undoing. Robert O'Brien again top scoring for Ireland, but there were starts for everyone at the top of the order and when 'Nelson' claimed the third wicket Ireland needed only 101 in 25 overs. The Scots stuck to the task however, and the rest of the Ireland batting fell away, losing their last four wickets for the addition of only 4 runs. Match 2 in the series, another 50 over game is at the same venue tomorrow, 10.45 start.

Robert O'Brien was in the runs again as Ireland U17's chased 291 to beat MCC by 3 wickets in the last over. The Railway Union prodigy hit 8 fours in his 99, sharing a third wicket stand of 133 with with James West, who hit 4 fours in his 52. There were runs too for Bruce Whaley (29) and Dan Murray (22) in an entertaining game at Oak Hill. MCC's total of 290 for 6 saw James Hunter top-score with 90 (12 fours, 3 sixes), adding 127 again for the third wicket with Stephen Ogilby (53). John Anderson and Sanil Gupta both made 41 in what looked like a commanding total. The victory will put the Irish in good spirits as they take on Scotland this coming week in the Celtic Cup in Larne.

A modest 93 all out by the Scots in the final game of the series, but 2 stumpings and 4 run-outs in the Irish reply made for an interesting conclusion to the series. Ireland got over the line with 3 wide deliveries in what would have been the 15th over had it ever got started - scorers nightmare - 4 runs off 3 non-legal deliveries - How do you record that? Answers on a postcard. Billy Morgan the bowler whose name won't appear in the scorecard.

Ireland won the first of today's two T20 matches and with it guaranteed that the Celtic Cup would be in Irish hands for another year. Gethin Kelleher again top-scored with 27 in what seemed a modest 118. Toby Slye-O'Connell thumped two sixes in a late unbeaten 18 and those runs were to prove crucial in a tight contest. Bonds Glen pacer Mark Robinson took 3 for 9, while fellow North Wester Bobby Brolly was back in the side after a short illness to take two wickets. Spin twin Ben Walsh also claimed two wickets as did Toby Slye O'Connell in a 24-run win.

Ireland remain on course for a series whitewash over Scotland after a 37-run win in the second T20 clash of the day. A fine batting display saw the top five all in the runs as they made 143 for 3. Callum Armstrong top-scored with 37, while Lorcan Craik (33) and Peter Le Roux (27*) both cleared the ropes twice, while Railway Union's Toby Slye-O'Connell added an 11-ball unbeaten 22 that meant Ireland went into the break on a high. Oli Stones hit 6 fours in a top score of 45 in the hosts reply, but three wickets for Ardmore off-spinner Bobby Brolly (3-16) and two for Terenure's Gethin Kelleher (2-14) ensured the victory. The series concludes with a final T20 on Friday.

Ireland made it two wins from two in the Under 15 Celtic Cup Series after a five wicket win over Scotland at Dumfries. Once again the Irish bowling unit did well to restrict the hosts to an under-par 152, with two wickets apiece for Ben Walsh, Mark Robinson and Zayan Malik. Alex Turner (33*), Olly Pillinger (22) and Oli Stones (20) the main run getters for Scotland. An opening stand of 46 between Callum Armstrong (21) and Robbie McCollam (16) set the Irish on their way, but four wickets for Daiwik Kumar had the game in the balance. Skipper Peter Le Roux hit five boundaries in an unbeaten 43 as he and Marko Bates (17*) steered their side to victory and on the cusp of winning the trophy yet again when the series restarts in Thursday after Wednesday's rest day.

Ireland Under 15's began their defence of the Celtic Cup with a convincing 8-wickets win over Scotland at Dumfries. Batting first the hosts were rocked by early wickets from Railway Union's Toby Slye-O'Connell and Bonds Glen pacer Mark Robinson. Rudra Chouskey made 33 for Scotland, but they limped to just 101 - two wickets also for Instonians off-spinner Ben Walsh and Jack Smyth - the Templepatrick all-rounder a late call-up to the squad. The Irish reply didn't get off to the best of starts either, with Robbie McCollam and Marko Bates both dismissed in the second over by Nathan Umeed. However, once again Gethin Kelleher and Callum Armstrong forged a partnership, with the pair putting on an unbroken 96 for the third wicket. Terenure's Kellher hit 10 fours in an unbeaten 59, while Rush left-hander Armstrong made 29 not out. The teams are back in action on Tuesday at the same venue.