O'Brien Relishing Prospect Of Royal London ODI Sell - Out

Ireland all-rounder Kevin O'Brien is relishing the prospect of taking on England in front of a capacity home crowd at Malahide on May 8th, where 10,000 fans are anticipated for the Royal London One-Day International.

O'Brien was speaking at Malahide Cricket Club today, where he joined Ireland team mates John Mooney, Alex Cusack and Max Sorensen as the team ramp up their preparations ahead of the season opener, and he's looking forward to a huge home support on Friday May 8th: "The importance of a big vocal crowd getting behind the team can't be stated enough. We played England here at the same venue in 2013, and the crowd that day were immense - how great would it be to get a win in front of a crowd like that?"

He urged fans to be part of the 10,000 and make sure they don't miss out on one of the biggest sporting events of the summer: "Having missed out against England two years ago after being in such a strong position, the boys are really up for this one and we're confident we can get a win here; I'd urge all fans to get their tickets to avoid disappointment."

Preparations for the match are also well underway off the field to accommodate the 10,000 fans at the Dublin venue. With a 50ft big screen, the Royal London Cricket Ireland Village, live music and a chance to have a go at Ireland's fastest growing sport, this is more than just a match with entertainment to cater for sports fans, groups of friends and all of the family.

Jon Glen Managing Director of Royal London in Ireland commented: "It's fantastic for the Irish team that their excellent performances in the World Cup are being recognised by such large numbers coming out to cheer them on in Malahide on May 8th. Royal London is delighted to sponsor this much anticipated one day international, in what promises to be another great day in one of the strongest sporting rivalries in the world, in Ireland versus England."

Ticket sales for the marquee fixture are extremely strong, and the match is well on course for another sell-out as Ireland fans prepare to give the Boys in Green a big welcome home in what will be their first fixture since the recent World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.