Early wickets for Ireland - Zawad Abrar gone for 15 and Rifat Beg without scoring, but Bangladesh skipper Azizul Tamim and Kalam Aleen added 86, the partnership boken by Alex Armstrong. Rizan Hossan and Mohammad Abdullah with a 60 run partnership, and again it's Armstrong who breaks the partnership. Could Ireland wrap the innings up quickly? A further rain interruption ended that prospect and turned into a match ending delay, a wet end to Ireland's trip.

A 154 run third wicket partnership between Freddie Ogliby and Rob O'Brien the highlight of the Irish innings. Surrey slow left-armer Ralphie Albert the star with the ball as he first broke the big partnership and then ran through Ireland's middle order in quick time. The early breakthrough came from Durham's left arm seamer James Minto snaring CSNI duo James West (8) and Adam Leckey (2) and he claimed two more in the final overs as Ireland lost 7 wickets for 77 runs. A disappointing total after at one stage being 189-2. The England reply was a stop, start affair with more rain interruptions reducing the game in stages to 25 overs. England captain the South African born Ben Dawkins who is on Kent's books and Worcestershire's Isaac Mohammed made light of the interruptions to post 69 in the opening ten overs. Dijkstra made the breakthrough next over, Mohammed caught behind for 37 off 25 (2x4, 3x6) and took a second in his next, James Isbell for just a single. But Dawkins and Will Bennison pressed the accelerator and the required rate dropped from 6 to 3 in a flash. Dijkstra claimed the wicket of Dawkins with England just a dozen short and it was left to Bennison and Joe Moores to knock off the last few. England simply with too much power - 8 maximums in their 24 overs to Ireland's 1 - they upped the pace at will and made light of a comparatively stiff DLS target.

A century opening partnership between Dylan Church and Will Tripcony provided a nice platform for the Challengers and there were runs all down the order as they racked up a huge total in a rain reduced 45 overs. Alex Armstrong the best of the Irish bowlers with three wickets, Reuben Wilson with two but at some cost. Rain and mopping up delayed the start of the Irish reply with James West and Freddie Ogilby posting 44 before West was bowled. The score reached 85 before Archie Dodds claimed both Ogilby and Leckey in his first over. Two more in his second as the Buckinghamshire player claimed Rob O'Brien for 3 and Seb Dijkstra for 13. A further interruption saw a reduction to 25 overs with some late entertainment provided by Ethan Marshall (36 off 19 - 3x4, 3x6) and Gethin Kelleher (24 off 14 - 2x4, 2x6) as Ireland faced an impossible target.

Ireland Under 19's continued preparations for their upcoming matches against England and Bangladesh with a game against Lightning Bolts at Oak Hill. The Irish batting failed to fire though as they were bowled out for 155. Seb Dijkstra top-scored with 39, while there were 27 apiece from Rob O'Brien and skipper Olly Riley. The wickets were shared around with three for Jeremy Martins and Nasir Totakhil, while Seb D'Oliveria and Mark Tonge each claimed two. Martins led the chase with an unbeaten 44, while there were runs too for Suliman Safi (29), Macdara Cosgrave (25) and Jamie Forbes (24) in the six-wicket win.

Charlie Swart top-scored with 64 as the Emerging Knights levelled their mini-series against the Emerging Knights, chasing down 188 to win by five wickets at Belmont, Batting first, Ireland Under 19's struggled with Brian Dunphy top-scoring with 46, and 20s for Freddie Ogilby, Bruce Whaley and Seb Dijkstra. Kian Hilton - who seems to have reinvented himself as a bowler - took two wickets, as did Carson McCullough and Alex Armstrong on their home patch. Swart hit 8 fours and a six in his powerful knock, while there were runs too for Mo Aahil (37), Jordan Neill (31*), and Ryan Hunter (29*) in an impressive reply. Reuben Wilson took three wickets for the Irish teenagers, who are back in action next week against Leinster, before the huge tests of England and Bangladesh later in the summer.

Scotland gained a consolation win in the third and final game of the series as they won by 56 runs at Comber. Finlay Carter's 62 helped them to 254, with runs too for Rory Grant (34), James Woodhouse (24), and Ollie Jones (22). Tom Ford (3-39) was the pick of the Irish bowling unit. The chase was a tense one as Seb Dijkstra (36), Rob O'Brien (34), Dan Murray (29) and James West (24) all got starts but couldn't kick on. At 187 for 5 the game was evenly poised before the Irish collapsed, losing their last five wickets for 11 runs to be 198 all out. Manu Saraswat of Aberdeenshire was again the pick of the attack, taking three wickets to bring his tally to seven across the three matches, while James West was the series leading run scorer with 214.

A 124 run partnership for the seventh wicket between Finlay Carter and Ollie Jones carried the Scots to an impressive 268 in their 50 overs. Ethan Marshall with three wickets for the Irish who paid the price for dropped catches. Scotland would also rue their dropped catches as James West took full advantage of his good fortune to post a match winning unbeaten century. Ireland winning with more than four overs to spare. Ireland lead 2-0 in the three match series with the final game in Comber tomorrow starting at 10.15.

Ireland Under 19's took a 1-0 lead in their three-match series against their Scottish counterparts with a 78-run win at Wallace Park. Pete Johnston's side never looked back after an opening stand of 126 between James West and Freddie Ogilby (40). West top-scored with an even time 72 (9 fours), while Adam Leckey cleared the ropes twice in an entertaining 41. Manu Saraswat took four wickets to drag Scotland back into contention at 215 for 7, but an eighth wicket stand of 63 in 34 balls between Dan Murray (48*) and skipper Ollie Riley (37) saw a flurry of boundaries and a total of 280 for 8 was always going to be challenging. The Scottish batters all got starts but Rory Grant's 31 was their top score as the Murray brothers took a combined six wickets - four for Luke and two for Dan. CIYMS left-arm spinner Alex Armstrong (3-35) collected three wickets too in a fine all-round effort by the Irish. The teams meet again on Wednesday at Larne, with Stormont hosting the third and final match on Thursday.

A wet outfield means the game has been reduced to 45 overs. Zimbabwe collapsed from 180 for 5 to 203 all out, with Reuben Wilson taking the last three wickets completing a het-trick. Early wickets has Ireland in trouble but Adam Leckey going well in stand of 44 with Dijkstra, who has just been bowled by the wonderfully named Ambitious Mudoma. Quite a few changes to the Zimbabwe team as they shuffle their pack in the final match. Leckey joined by Ethan Marshall and another decent stand has Ireland on top with just 46 needed from last ten overs. A slight wobble means 26 needed from last five with four wickets left - Leckey still there, and his unbeaten 91 gets Ireland home in conjuction with skipper Ollie Riley.

Ireland lost the toss and are batting first. Both openers gone just after the powerplay, while Yeates dismissed as the visitors finding scoring tough. Rob O'Brien is joined by Adam Leckey with the pair quickly upping the tempo. Then Leckey and Seb Dijkstra combine in a 138 run partnership only ended when Dijkstra holes out in the 49th but Ireland have got themselves a decent total to defend. Thomas Ford with the breakthrough in his first over but Leeroy Chiwaula passes fifty and his partnership with Simbarashe Mudzengerere is worth 83 before Dijkstra strikes. James West removes the dangerous Chiwaula, but the hosts look on top with just 47 needed from 10 overs. A 4th wicket stand of 81 broken by a run out but too little too late, and the hosts clinch an ultimately comfortable 6-wickets win with 25 balls left, and take a 4-0 series lead.

Batting first Ireland lost openers James West and Freddie Ogilby for 0 inside the first 8 balls, and when Rob O'Brien followed it was 24/3. Adam Leckey and Seb Dijkstra rebuilt the innings adding 69 before Dijkstra fell quickly followed by Leckey and Ethan Marshall first ball - Ireland in disarray. Dan Murray and skipper Ollie Riley led the recovery with Murray’s 90 seeing the last three wickets more than double the score. A quick start to the chase the hosts rattling along at over 8 an over. Two wickets for Adam Leckey plus two for Seb Dijkstra and Febin Manoj just about kept Ireland in it before an 8th wicket stand of 49 all but clinched the win, and with it the series. Not much between these two teams but the whitewash is on with a 3-0 lead. Next game is on Thursday.

Ireland win the toss and put in the hosts, who make a decent start to reach 126 for 2 at the half-way stage. Dan Murray and Seb Dijkstra with the wickets. The score passes 150 with 20 overs to go and they head into the final ten overs with 200 on the board and looking set to post a challenging target. Wickets for Dan Murray, Alex Armstrong and Reuben Wilson see Ireland fight back well. Still, 260 will need them to bat well. Freddie Ogilby goes cheaply but James West and Adam Leckey rebuilt nicely with a stand worth 56 before Leckey departs. West goes for 39 with Rob O’Brien looking good as Ireland reach 111/3 at the halfway point of the chase. But runs dried up somewhat and the required rate climbed, too tall an ask in the end. Ireland bowling 34 wides to Zimbabwe's 20, almost mirroring the margin between the sides.

Ireland kicking on after a watchful start at an overcast Harare Sports Club in the first of their 5-match series against Zimbabwe. James West is the wicket to fall, but Freddie Ogilby looking fluent as he reaches an even time half century, in an excellent second wicket stand alongside Adam Leckey that was worth 114. Ireland 150/2 at the 30-overs mark. Leckey falls for 66, so two new batters in the middle in Rob O'Brien and Seb Dijkstra with the latter run out without scoring. Quickly followed by O'Brien and Yeates as Ireland falter. Can they regroup and finish strongly in the final 10 overs? No is the answer as they go from 171 for 2 in the 33rd to 236 all out. Well short of what they would have hoped for. Reuben Wilson strikes an early blow but the hosts going well to reach 54 for 1 at 10 - Murdazi unbeaten on 30. Ethan Marshall gets the second thanks to a routine catch behind. Can Ireland chip away? Yes, as Manoj bowls Blignaut with one that skidded on. Manoj strikes again as he has Senzere well caught for 43 to end a stand of 61. This game could well go all the way. Finely poised just after the halfway point of the chase at 121 for 4. First wicket for Seb Dijkstra at the second drinks break puts Ireland slightly ahead perhaps. Not much in it though. Excellent 6th wicket stand looks to be taking the hosts to victory. Just 45 needed off 11. Skipper Riley back on striving for badly needed breakthroughs. Second wicket for Wilson but too little too late as Zimbabwe win by 4 wickets.

SCOTLAND U17s claimed the Celtic Cup as Ireland were comprehensively beaten by seven wickets in the deciding T20 of a hard-fought five-match series at Stormont in Belfast. Put into bat, Ireland struggled to recover from the loss of skipper James West and Seb Yeates inside the first three overs and were restricted to 82-9 with no batter reaching 20. Wicketkeeper James Smallwoods top scored with 18 not out while Ken Keddie claimed 3-8 from his four overs and Shlok Thakor also took three wickets. Scotland made short work of the chase, winning with a full five overs to spare as opening bat Olly Pillinger saw his side home with an unbeaten 51.

Shlok Thaker gave Scotland a series lead in the morning game as he top-scored with 35 as the visitors chased down a modest Irish total of 100 to win by five wickets with eight balls remaining. William Shields (2-18) the best of the Irish bowling. Bruce Whaley (35) top-scored for Ireland, while Tekele (3-10), Shlok Thaker (3-17) and Alec McClennan (2-12) did the damage with the ball for Scotland.

Gethin Kelleher was the Ireland hero with the Railway Union all-rounder showing nerves of steel to score the seven runs required from the last three balls to secure a four-wicket win for Ireland U17s. The victory sets up a winner-takes-all in the final match of the Celtic Cup on Friday at Stormont. Scotland posted 130 for 7 with Ali Khan making a run-a-ball 47 (6 fours, 1 six), Ollie Pillinger (21), and Shreyas Tekale (20*). Bonds Glen spinner Sam Haslett took three wickets, while James West picked up two. The chase was a tense affair, with West enjoying home comforts as the CSNI all-rounder struck 51 from 44 balls (6 fours, 1 six) while there were runs too for Pembroke's Dan Murray (20) and Sam Haslett (18). A real thriller that went all the way, and Friday's clash could well be the same between two evenly matches teams.

A good morning with the ball for the hosts as Scotland were bowled out inside 35 overs for just 141. Runs again today for skipper James Stronach and Shlok Thaker with 27 from Sheryas Tekale, while for the Irish Travis Faulkner claimed three wickets with two each for Johan George, Sam Haslett and Gethin Kelleher. Ireland's openers, the CSNI pairing of James West and Seb Yeates took the score to 69 in the fifteen overs play before the scheduled lunch break. The partnership was broken at 77 with the first of three wickets for Kenny Keddie, and two for Sheryas Tekale in the ten overs after the break brought Scotland right back into the game, before Ethan Marshall and Sam Haslett added 44 for the sixth wicket. The game turned into another tight one with Ireland creeping along at barely a run an over to reach their target in the fortieth over, Haslett (15) bowled by Tekale with 2 runs required. So the 50 overs games are shared leaving 2 T20s on Thursday and 1 on Friday morning to complete the series.

Scotland pipped Ireland by 5 runs in the opening match of their Under 17 Celtic Cup series at Stormont. The visitors total of 237 was down primarily to two significant stands. Firstly, keeper Ollie Pillinger (46) added 74 for the first wicket with Simon Umeed, and then following a mini collapse where four wickets fell for 12 runs, skipper James Stronach and Keerat Singh (30) got the innings back on track by adding 81. Stronach thumped 7 fours and 2 sixes in an even time 55, while for Ireland Clontarf's Ethan Marshall took (4-20) and Instonians spinner Ben Walsh took 3 for 49. The chase was a nip and tuck affair with early runs for James Smallwoods (29), Sam Haslett, and Ethan Marshall. Scotland kept pegging away and wickets for Shreyas Tekele (3-42), Ken Keddie (2-32) and Alec McClennan (2-38) had them on top. Bruce Whaley (40) and Gethin Kelleher (37) fought back bravely but in the end the Scots prevailed in a tense finale that augurs well for the rest of the series.

IRELAND U15s were denied a clean sweep at the Barnard Castle Festival after winning their first four matches but losing the fifth to The Netherlands by 26 runs in the north-east of England. Both sides were unbeaten going into the final but it was Ireland who seized the initiative by dismissing the Dutch for 182 with Shravon Biju, Jacob Blair and Callum Armstrong bagging two wickets each. Victory was there for the taking as Armstrong, the son of former international Conor added 72 for the first wicket with Ted Hasler, of Railway Union. But that’s as good as it got for Ireland. Luuk Molkenboer claimed 5-40 and Karson Edward took 3-30 as the wheels came off the reply. What will be particularly galling for the Ireland coaching staff, as they go home potless, is that there were 14.1 overs remaining when their charges were bowled out for 156.

Callum Armstrong took his second five-wicket haul of the week as Ireland Under15's made it four straight wins at the Barnard Castle Festival as they beat MACC Academy by eight wickets. The talented Rush all-rounder claimed 5 for 28 and Ballyspallen spinner Jacob Blair 3-31 as MACC were bowled out for 190 in the 48th over. That modest total was never going to be enough on a fast scoring ground and so it proved with Ted Hasler - another success story this past two weeks - top scoring with an unbeaten 62 sharing an opening stand of 114 with Armstrong, who hit ten boundaries in an even time 59. There were runs too for Marko Bates (14) and Donemana's Ryan McClintock who hit five fours and a six in a 26-ball 35 not out as Ireland clinched the win inside 34 overs.

Callum Armstrong was once again the star of the show as Ireland Under 15s made it three wins on the bounce with a five-wicket win against Cleveland Schools at the Barnard Festival. Cleveland were bowled out for 183 with four wickets for Ted Hasler - the Railway Union all-rounder another enjoying an excellent tour. Ballyspallen spinner Jacob Blair was also once again in the wickets, claiming two for 16. Ireland were in early trouble at 41-3, but Armstrong from Rush shared a fourth wicket stand of 102 with Balbriggan's Gautam Rana (27). Callum hit 13 fours a six in an unbeaten 86 as the Irish passed their target in the 30th over. They are back in action on Thurday when they face the MACC Academy.

Scotland gained a consolation win in Friday's final T20 of the series with a last over four-wicket win. Four Ireland batters got into the 20s - Callum Armstrong, David Agnew, Marko Bates, and Ted Hasler in a total of 120 for 5. It was nearly enough but Ben Hodge hit an unbeaten 52-ball 65 (3 fours, 3 sixes) to get the win with five balls to spare. Callum Armstrong (3-9) and Shravon Biju (2-21) were among the wickets for Ireland who now go to England to play in the Barnard Castle Festival next week.

Marko Bates hit 9 fours and 3 sixes in a brilliant 84 from just 60 balls to help Ireland beat Scotland. He shared a fifth wicket stand of 70 with Ted Hasler (20) in an Ireland total of 138 for 7. It was enough to seal a 14-run win as the hosts made 124 for 6, with Tom Lathorn scoring 27 and Ben Hodge 22. Ballyspallen spinner Jacob Blair took two wickets as did the ever-consistent Callum Armstrong.

It was a familiar story in the second match with Ireland clinching the Under 15 Celtic Cup with a game to spare. Jacob Blair (3-11) and Callum Armstrong (2-18) again in the wickets as Scotland were kept to 122 for 7 - runs for Ben Hodge (45) and Marcus Vila (22). Marko Bates again led from the front as he made another half century. His 55 not out (8 fours, 2 sixes) taking just 29 balls as he added 76 for the second wickets with Beau Donnison (27) , while there were runs also for Callum Armstrong (22) in the eight-wicket win.