The young guns get their chance to force their way into the one-day international arena as the four players who sat out the Inter-Continental Cup clash against UAE, play their first game of the tour tonight against an Abu Dhabi XI.

It’s off with the whites and into the coloured clothing for the first of 29 one-day games this year and the fact that Ireland are leaving out the big guns is more than a hint that much tougher challenges will lie ahead.

Indeed, Trent Johnston confirmed last night that, fitness permitting, Kyle McCallan, Andre Botha, Dave Langford Smith and the skipper himself will all return for Friday’s 40 overs game against Essex.

The county are one of four taking part in a one-day tournament here in the UAE and it is expected that Ireland will field there strongest side against them, in what is the last warm-up game ahead of the three ODIs in Dhaka against Bangladesh next week.

"It is up to the fellows who didn’t play against UAE to stake their claim against the Abu Dhabi XI and make it difficult for me and Phil (Simmons, the National Coach) to pick a team for Friday. I may not bowl in that game, just to give my (strained) elbow an extra few days’ rest, but I would say we will go in with our strongest team against Essex."

The one doubt for Friday is Dave Langford-Smith as he continues to struggle with an ankle problem so it is a first opportunity for Strabane paceman Phil Eaglestone to take the new ball tonight and stake his claim to be considered the first choice opening bowler with 'Lanky'.

Johnston admitted it was a position that is still causing concern.

"Kevin (O’Brien) has done a lot of work in the gym during the winter, he has a new run-up and is bowling quicker as well, so if he can control the white ball he is another option for us. But it is something we are short on and it is something we are going to have to work on.

"My days of opening the bowling are over, it’s something I might do if we are stuck, but me and Bothsie (Andre Botha) are more suited to squeezing the batsmen in the middle," added the skipper.

"We traditionally haven’t made good starts, outside the World Cup when we had Boyd (Rankin) and Lanky firing on all cylinders, but hopefully things will come into place and the new boys will put their hands up."

Although both today’s day-nighter and the game against Essex are both 'non-cap’ matches, Cliftonville’s Paul Stirling plays his first one-day game for Ireland and will open with another debutant, Reinhart Strydom, the North County all-rounder who opened the batting there last season.

"Reine is a clean-hitter of the ball, hits it a long way and is technically quite sound. 'Simmo’ is of the school where we need someone to score quickly straight away but Stirling hit a big ball in practice today as well so it’s going to be exciting to see what the guys come up with tomorrow." William Porterfield, captain again tonight, will be go in at three and, in case of a double setback at the top of the order, the team is still well covered with the strong middle order of Eoin Morgan and Niall and Kevin O’Brien.

With McCallan, the No 1 spinner sitting out the game, Lisburn leg-spinner Greg Thompson and Gary Kidd, the Waringstown left armer will share the slow bowling duties and with two spinners almost certain to play in Bangladesh, if they are bowling well enough, it is virtually a bowl-off tonight between the NCU colleagues.

With Alex Cusack now the unquestioned medium pace all-rounder, the other newcomer tonight, Thinus Fourie - who has just announced he is joining his international captain and Kevin O’Brien at Railway Union for this summer - will have much to do if he is regain his place in the first choice line-up.

Ireland team v Abu Dhabi XI: W Porterfield (capt), P Stirling, R Strydom, E Morgan, N O’Brien, K O’Brien, A Cusack, T Fourie, G Kidd, G Thompson, P Eaglestone.