Irish glee at Sri Lanka visit

Ireland will host Sri Lanka for the first time in 35 years after it was announced they would meet in a two-match one-day international series in May.

Ireland will use the matches, to be played on May 6 and May 8 at Clontarf in Dublin, as key markers in their World Cup preparations.

“It’s great news for both the team and supporters,” Ireland coach Phil Simmons said. “We’ll be gearing our preparation towards the 2015 World Cup, and this series is ideal.”

The Sri Lankan fixtures further underline the associate nation’s growing status, although they are yet to beat a full-member nation in the 50-over format in Dublin.

After tying with Pakistan last year, Ireland then narrowly lost the second game. England then edged a victory in the first game at the new Malahide venue to end the summer.

“We’ll be looking to take our cricket to the next level in 2014 by winning from these type of situations, pressing home our advantage when we’re on top,” Simmons said.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for our squad,” he added.