Given Ireland's rather less-than-happy record against Scotland this past year, perhaps it would have been better had St Columba stayed put at home all those centuries ago and had left the Picts to their own devices.

The annual three-day match which begins at Malahide this morning will give Justin Benson and company a chance to redress the balance - or rather the imbalance - though victory will hardly compensate for Scottish success in first the ICC Trophy in Malaysia last April and more recently in the Triple Crown campaign in Birmingham.

Of course, the value to Irish (and Scottish) cricket of three-day matches is, at the very least, debatable, since the future of both nations lies in one-day competition.

There has been a change in Scotland's 12-man squad, as Drew Parsons replaces John Blain, who played against Ireland in the equivalent match at Linlithgow a year ago. Fast bowler Blain made his championship debut for Northamptonshire against Worcestershire last Wednesday, and dismissed Tim Curtis with his fifth ball, only to suffer something of a clobbering later on.

Seven of this Scotland squad were in the side which defeated Ireland by 19 runs in the Triple Crown match at West Bromwich Dartmouth CC last month - among them, the game's top-scorer with 69 and opener Bruce Patterson, who made 68 and who shared in a 122-run third-wicket stand with the skipper.

Remarkably, there are only four Irish survivors from the Linlithgow game, in which rain late on the third day saved the Scots, the umpires deciding that it would be unsafe to continue, at a time when Ireland needed only 27 runs to win, with four wickets standing. The four are Kyle McCallan, Greg Molins, Andy Patterson and Alan Rutherford.

Meanwhile, the leaders Carlisle face a big Leinster Senior League Section A challenge tomorrow when they travel to Kenure to take on Rush, who are in hot pursuit. Carlisle will be without Greg Molins, on Ireland duty, as well as Leon Ellison, who is not available. This will be Mark Cohen's last match for the club, before he returns to England.

Pembroke introduce David Cox to take John Davy's place for today's home match against Railway Union. Ed Dwyer will take over from Cox for tomorrow's visit to Castle Avenue.

Seamer Alan Cousins will make his senior debut for Old Belvedere against Phoenix today, in the absence of Tom O'Gorman and Peter O'Reilly. Old Belvedere's postponed League match with Merrion has been fixed for Saturday August 30th, at Cabra.