Hamish Marshall visited Ireland last week to take part in a series of coaching sessions at both the Indoor centre at North County, and at the proposed new international venue at Malahide. Marshall worked with a variety of age groups and standards, including the Ireland senior women, and A teams, as well as Leinster Under 17 boys and girls.

Marshall, an Irish passport holder, who recently declared his ambitions to resume international cricket with Ireland, was impressed by the attendees at the coaching sessions. "I was very impressed with the standard of talent and ability everyone displayed. What impressed me the most was how keen they are to learn and get better, giving things a go, not being afraid to try new things.

Cricket Scotland has announced a 14-man squad for the first three Clydesdale Bank 40 games of the season. These matches are against Leicestershire at Grace Road on Sunday 16 May, and a double-header the following weekend at Citylets Grange against Kent and Nottinghamshire on 22 and 23 of May.

The squad contains two uncapped players in Freddie Coleman and Neil Laidlaw. Penicuik batsman Coleman (17) is a product of the national academy system, having progressed through all the age-group sides. He recently attended the national academy camp in India, alongside Marc Petrie and Matthew Parker who are also selected in the squad. Still a pupil at Strathallan School, Coleman is also a member of the Warwickshire Academy.

Jamaica suffered their first defeat in the Digicel-sponsored Jamaica Cricket Festival, after going down by seven runs to Ireland in their Twenty20 clash at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium on Saturday. The hosts limped to 120 for 9 in their 20 overs, in response to Ireland's 127 all out. Ireland's score which appeared at first to be an easy target for the Jamaicans, who however failed in their chase after a miserable batting display.

After winning the toss and deciding to take first strike, Ireland found themselves in early trouble, losing the wicket of Naill O'Brien for eight, bowled by Andrew Richardson in the second over. His opening partner, Paul Stirling (18), went soon afterwards when he was caught by Danza Hyatt off the bowling of Bevan Brown in the fourth over. Stirling managed a four and a six in his innings that lasted 17 balls.

Afghanistan will head to the West Indies for the ICC World Twenty20 2010 as the top qualifier and will now look forward to playing India in St Lucia and South Africa in Barbados in the big event, which runs from 30 April to 16 May.

There was a crowd of about 6,000 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the vast majority of whom extremely vocal in their support for Afghanistan, cheering every run scored or dot ball bowled, and screaming for boundaries and wickets. In the end, Kabir Khan's men proved too strong again for Ireland, batting with great maturity and skill to knock off Ireland's competitive total of 146. Mohammad Shahzad finished unbeaten on 65 as Ireland failed to reproduce the bowling form that brought it through the Super Four stage unbeaten and ensured it qualified for its third global ICC event in succession.

Afghanistan and Ireland have completed the line-up for the ICC World Twenty20 2010 which will take place in the West Indies from 30 April to 16 May.

The qualifying tournament, which has been taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week, concludes tonight but the finalists will both be making their way to the Caribbean to join the 10 Full Members in the 17-day festival of thrill-a-minute cricket.

For Afghanistan it will be the first time it has made it to the finals of a major ICC tournament and considering the Asian nation was playing in Division 5 of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League less than two years ago, it has been a remarkable journey.

Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continued their fairytale run in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier when they stormed into the Super Four stage where they were joined by defending joint-champions Ireland and the Netherlands at the end of the group stage matches on Thursday. Afghanistan defeated the United States of America by 29 runs in a much-awaited match in front of more than 1,000 very vocal supporters at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai Sports City while hosts UAE romped to a 42-run victory over a hapless Canada at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

In the late afternoon matches, Ireland showed steel nerves and overcame a dismal batting performance by defeating Scotland by 37 runs in the European derby in Dubai while the Netherlands routed Kenya by seven wickets in Abu Dhabi.