Hampshire Cricket will play in Northern Ireland in May – providing they get the go ahead from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Hampshire have been liaising with the ECB following the recent murders of two soldiers and a policeman in Northern Ireland as they are due to play Ireland in Eglinton, Londonderry in the Friends Provident Trophy on May 10.

Last week’s terrorism in Lahore, which resulted in the murders of Pakistani policemen and injuries to six Sri Lankan players, including former Hampshire seamer Chaminda Vaas, is still fresh in the memory.

But England’s cricketers were applauded for returning to India to play two Tests in December, two weeks after the inaugural Champions League was cancelled following the Mumbai attacks.

Hampshire are also determined not to give in to terrorism.

Rose Bowl plc managing director Glenn Delve said: "We'll review the situation when we hear from the ECB but we want sport to win through, everybody does.

"Nobody wants their lives to be altered by the actions of terrorists.

"If we get assurances we will be delighted to go to Northern Ireland and play cricket."

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