Ireland U-19s to meet England next year
Ireland Under-19s will attempt to emulate the senior team in two Under-19 one-dayers against England next year.
ESPNcricinfo staff
30-Nov-2011
Ireland U-19s will hope to match the efforts of Kevin O'Brien and the senior team when they beat England by three wickets in March • Getty Images
Ireland Under-19s will attempt to emulate the senior team in two one-dayers against England next year. The games will be part of both teams' preparation for the U-19 World Cup next August in Australia.
Ireland produced the shock of the 2011 World Cup with a three-wicket win in Bangalore, largely thanks to Kevin O'Brien who struck the fastest-ever World Cup hundred.
The U-19 matches will both be played at Grace Road on July 18 and 20 and will see the Ireland youngsters returning to Leicester for the first time since 2007 when the senior side beat Canada in an Intercontinental Cup match.
The fixtures will act as a warm-up ahead of the teams' meeting at the U-19 World Cup in Brisbane. Ireland and England have been drawn in the same group, alongside the hosts and Nepal.
The teams last met in 2008 in Malaysia when an England side, including Steven Finn, Chris Woakes and James Taylor, comfortably won by 10 wickets. England also won their 2006 U-19 World Cup meeting when Ireland were captained by Eoin Morgan.
Ireland U-19s are also scheduled to play Scotland U-19s in three one-day matches in July.