Ireland coach Phil Simmons has agreed a two-year contract extension that will see him remain in charge until the end of the 2015 domestic season, Cricket Ireland has announced.

Ireland's cricketers recorded the highest total in their 158-year history to remain in total control on the second day of their InterContinental Cup clash against the UAE in Sharjah.

Ireland made it three wins out of three Intercontinental Cup matches with a 133-run win over Canada at Clontarf today.

Cricket Ireland have confirmed that the two one-day games with Namibia will go ahead as originally scheduled on July 4 and July 5.

IRELAND’S hopes of making the 2015 Cricket World Cup have taken a massive turn for the better after the International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday overturned a decision to exclude non-Test playing nations.

Ireland’s victory hopes evaporated as their bowlers were made to toil on the third day of their Intercontinental Cup match against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club.

Niall O’Brien is fit after an operation on his finger and will return for Ireland on this month’s tour of Zimbabwe.

Alex Cusack has been ruled out of Cricket Ireland's squad for their Intercontinental Cup and two ODIs against Canada.

Ireland's cricketers finished day two of their opening Intercontinental Cup match in a strong position against Kenya in Eglinton.

Cricket Ireland have this morning announced the squads for the forthcoming Intercontinental Cup and RSA Challenge Series clashes with Kenya.

WILLIAM PORTERFIELD was the only fitness doubt for Ireland ahead of today’s third match against Uganda in Krugersdorp as the tournament favourites look to keep a 100% start to their World Cup qualifying campaign.

IRELAND will fully deserve a celebratory drink in Nairobi tonight if they can somehow beat both Kenya and a heartbreaker of a pitch to reach the InterContinental Cup final.

IRELAND will have one eye on the Nairobi skies over the next four days as they seek to beat Kenya and secure a place in the InterContinental Cup final for a third successive time.

IRELAND returned to the scene of their greatest InterContinental Cup triumph in Windhoek yesterday and suffered a huge embarrassment in being bowled out for only 69 by Namibia.

ANDREW WHITE stroked an unbeaten century of pure class at Malahide yesterday to give Ireland more than a sniff of victory in their four-day InterContinental Cup match against Canada.

Irish cricket bosses have named a squad of 13 for their forthcoming InterContinental Cup clash with Canada.

Cricket Ireland have this afternoon released a squad of 13 for their InterContinental Cup clash with the Netherlands next week.

THE first match of the Intercontinental Cup finished with the Republic of Ireland U21 team securing their first points of the competition.

Ireland captain Trent Johnston has announced that he is taking a break from international cricket with immediate effect.

IRELAND will discover over the next four days whether the gamble to cede home advantage to the United Arab Emirates in the InterContinental Cup round robin will seriously damage their defence of the title.

An uneasy peace gripped Kenya today as the two main political rivals prepared for parliament to open tomorrow.

John Blain hit a career-best 93 as Scotland and Ireland continued to struggle for supremacy on the second day of their Intercontinental Cup clash in Belfast.

Scotland’s batsmen were forced to dig deep on the opening day of their Intercontinental Cup clash with Ireland at Stormont.

The Irish Cricket Union have announced a squad of 12 for their opening game against Scotland in the InterContinental Cup. Ireland, the holders, begin the defence of their trophy with a home tie with Scotland at Stormont in Belfast from August 9-12.

Ireland opening bowler Dave Langford-Smith will miss the two games against Surrey and Sussex in the Friends Provident Trophy.

Ireland strolled to victory by an innings and 115 runs against Canada to retain the Intercontinental Cup within two days of the scheduled four-day final at Grace Road today.

Ireland vice-captain Kyle McCallan has urged his team to put aside their poor start to the Friends Provident Trophy and retain the Intercontinental Cup for former coach Adrian Birrell.

The Irish Cricket Union has announced a squad of 13 for the InterContinental Cup final with Canada, which gets under way at Grace Road, Leicester, England.

IRELAND’S top cricket official has defended the right of the Irish team and five other non-Test playing nations, to compete in next month’s World Cup in the Caribbean.

The Irish Cricket Union today confirmed the appointment of Phil Simmons as its new national coach.

Ireland have named a squad of 12 for their final C&G game with Somerset at Stormont on Sunday June 25.

Everton have wrapped up the £1.5m signing of Portuguese international defender Nuno Valente.

Portuguese international defender Nuno Valente is set to join Everton if he passes a medical, according to reports.

Holland defender Jaap Stam insists it was medals and not money that convinced him to leave Lazio for AC Milan.

The Toyota Cup is to be replaced by the FIFA Club World Championship from 2005.

FIFA have proposed to revive their World Club Championship in 2005.

Newcastle boss Bobby Robson could find himself being quizzed about Manchester United as the knockout stage for this season’s Champions League gets underway.

European champs Real Madrid have won by two goals against the South American champions in the final of the Intercontinental Cup in Yokohama.

European champs Real Madrid take on the South American champions in the final of the Intercontinental Cup in Yokohama this morning.