Irish cricketers keen to do themselves justice against England

"We always want to put in big performances because we know where Irish cricket wants to go."

William Porterfield is asking his Ireland team to set aside the historic nature of their first international fixture in England to make sure they do themselves justice in Bristol.

Porterfield's men may conceivably be distracted, not just by facing their neighbours in this country for the first time but by the knowledge that the remarkable collective progress made over the past decade is perhaps about to be rewarded with Test status.