Ireland have pencilled in a three-day match against Essex to help with their preparations for their Test against England next year.

The match at Chelmsford is due to take place between Friday May 26 and Sunday May 28, with the Lord's Test to follow between June 1 and 4.

Ireland will also be playing England in three ODI's next September at Headingley, Trent Bridge and Bristol.

The Irish haven't played Test cricket in almost four years, but that is likely to end early next year, when following a white-ball tour of Zimbabwe in January, they are due to play in both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with Tests on the agenda.

Bangladesh are due to tour Ireland next May, playing T20I's as well as three ODI's as part of the World Cup qualifiers.

Ireland still have an outside chance of automatic qualification, but in all reality will be facing a World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, as well as a T20 WCQ in Scotland.

While perhaps it's unwise to read too much into the Essex game, it would appear from the outside that a return to first-class interprovinical games in 2023 - in its entireity - is diminished.

An abbreviated campaign, or an altered one seems more likely.

Especially with a gap being left in the schedule for the oft postponed Euroslam....