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WHEN the Irish Cricket Union called on MCC to play against an Ireland A team in the first week of July, little did they know how important the game would be. A seventh demoralising defeat to county opposition from their nine C & G Trophy games has opened the door to the next level of Ireland players who probably thought their chance of a World Cup finals place had been slammed shut.

The Ireland A team, to be announced today, however will give players such as Jason Molins, Conor Armstrong, Dom Joyce and possibly even the in-form Ryan Haire another chance to resume their international careers after the Ireland batting flopped in their final C & G outing on Sunday. There was no one more disappointed by the performance than National Coach Adrian Birrell who wears his heart on his sleeve and as he admitted yesterday: �There�s only so many losses you can take�.

He, more than most, will be grateful for the mid-season break from international action - Ireland�s next match is against Denmark in the European Championships in Glasgow on August 4 - but with the Ireland A game, followed by the Under 23 European Championships two weeks later in Dublin, there will be enough meaningful cricket to give him more than a few sleepless nights before he sits down with his fellow selectors to pick the squad for Scotland.

Worryingly for him it was his big names who have failed to perform with the bat. Jeremy Bray and Andre Botha, two of his first names on the team-sheet, each averaged just over 13 in the C & G campaign and that included 59 for Bray in the opening match against Hampshire and 64 from Botha against Essex. Dom Joyce was dropped for averaging only 11 as an opening batsman while Trent Johnston�s soft dismissal at Stormont on Sunday summed up his lack of confidence with the bat. The skipper�s C & G average was 7.2.

In contrast Peter Gillespie was in a class of his own with almost 250 runs in the eight innings at an average of over 35 while Kyle McCallan and John Mooney also showed up the batsmen above them in the order with averages of 24 and 22 respectively. Not brilliant for players of their ability but if the others could have struggled to that modest level, Ireland could have won a couple more games and not only laid down a marker for next season - when they will have five home games against the counties - but also for the lesser challenges ahead in the second half of this summer.

As it is, those batsmen who keep their place - and because of their all-round talents, Johnston and Botha are certainties for the next line-up - will have to get rid of the demons when they face the Scots and the Dutch in their next two official one-day internationals.

With the experienced batsmen failing to take their chance this season, William Porterfield and Gary Wilson were both thrown into the lions� den at the top of the order against Somerset. Not surprisingly, neither was able to lay down an irresistible claim to retain his place for the Euros and it will be by default if they are in the line-up against Denmark - hardly the way to approach a major championships.

Birrell admitted yesterday that �it would be great if Molins got runs against MCC� and the fact that he has done it before against much better opposition than he will face next week - it seems likely to be a combined universities line-up - gives the impression that all the former captain has to do is compile a convincing half century and the opening batting slot is his once again. He will not even have to face professional opposition before the World Cup 15 is chosen so it would appear the perfect time to break back into the squad.

The bowlers finally got it right on Sunday and that was the big positive that Birrell was able to take from the match. Johnston, just as he did in his opening spell against England, found the edge and deserved more than one wicket, Botha claimed the prized wicket of Australia Test star Justin Langer in an economical nine overs and although the other bowlers all averaged five runs an over, the coach was more than happy at halfway with a total of 238.

Apparently the mood was good in the dressing room at lunch, the players knew they just had to bat sensibly and another county scalp was there for the taking. Unfortunately, the wheels came off, the application was missing and Ireland�s last game on home soil before the World Cup finals will leave a sour taste in the mouth for all those watching.