On paper the match against a depleted Ireland side is the ideal way to ease into their short one-day tour of the Emerald Isle, but they would be well advised not take anything for granted

The shape of England's one-day future will become clearer on Friday when the squad for the two Twenty20 Internationals and three-match ODI series against West Indies is named

Andrew McGlashan delivers a damning verdict on West Indies' showing during their Test series in England

Daren Ganga looked back on his side's series defeat against England and hoped the team would learn for the future

Michael Vaughan said he made the decision to quit the one-day captaincy after the World Cup

England's healing following a traumatic winter is a long-term process and three victories against a desperately poor West Indies side provide only the gentlest of starts

These are exciting times in the North East. Never mind Sam Allardyce's first-game return to the Reebok Stadium with Newcastle, Durham are in the middle of a season that could mark their coming-of-age as a major force

Michael Vaughan and Daren Ganga were captains with plenty on their minds during the fourth day at Chester-le-Street

Paul Collingwood struck the first international century by a Durham batsman on home soil and there is every chance that his supporters will soon be able to applaud him as the new England captain as well

Shivnarine Chanderpaul marathon batting performance against England continued while Andrew Strauss found an important return to form at Chester-le-Street

It has been an interesting month in the life of Ryan Sidebottom. He began the season as one of a host of hardworking English seamers prepared to run in day after day for their county

Dwayne Bravo is an allrounder in every sense of the world and has been picking the brains of cricket's latest knight, Sir Ian Botham, as he tries to develop his game

West Indies were lulled into a false sense of security when the Old Trafford Test ended in blazing sunshine.

Durham didn't deserve this. Their most significant Test yet (West Indies still outdo Zimbabwe and Bangladesh as opposition) has already been cut to a four-day affair and the prospect for further rain looms on the grey horizon

England finally broke West Indies' resistance on the final day at Old Trafford as Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar bowled them to a 60-run series-clinching victory

West Indies defied expectation to stretch the fourth Test at Old Trafford into the final day with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, offered a life on 18, making his second half-century of the match in nearly five hours at the crease

Alastair Cook struck his sixth Test century as England set West Indies 455 on the third day at Old Trafford

A dramatic late-afternoon West Indies collapse, inspired by Ryan Sidebottom and Monty Panesar, left England firmly in control of the third Test at Old Trafford

West Indies produced their best cricket of the series as the opening day of the third Test at Old Trafford offered the most compelling contest of the early summer

At the same time as the workload on international players has been brought to the fore by MCC and ICC committees, the English domestic scene has again come under the spotlight for its volume of cricket