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Can Ireland become a force to be reckoned with in world cricket?

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Persistent rain ensured the second ODI between Ireland and Zimbabwe was abandoned after the hosts posted 282/8 in their 50 overs.

Craig Young's four off the final ball of Ireland's innings would be the last bit of action as the match was eventually called off.

Earlier, Ireland were sent in to bat by Zimbabwe, who won the coin toss. The hosts’ openers, Paul Stirling and William Porterfield provided the side with a steady start, posting 44/0 from 10 overs on a bowler-friendly pitch.

Zimbabwe bowlers took advantage of the overcast condition from the start of the innings as they managed to keep an attacking batter like Stirling quiet in the first Powerplay in which he managed to score 12 runs from 25 balls. But Stirling stayed firm at the crease, making use of the loose balls and keeping the scoreboard ticking along with Porterfield, who was leading the Ireland attack.

The introduction of Sean Williams in the 23rd over reaped a reward for Zimbabwe as he snared the big wicket of Stirling, who was caught by Sikandar Raza for 33. Porterfield, who top-scored for his side in the opening ODI with 75, continued his good form, bringing up back-to-back fifties.

Ireland skipper Andy Balbirnie joined forces with the opener as the two accelerated the run-rate. Together they shared a solid 70-run partnership before it was broken by Richard Ngarava. Balbirnie looked to slap towards fine leg but failed to clear the boundary ropes with Brendan Taylor taking a good diving catch running forward.

One brought two for Zimbabwe, as Ngarava struck in his next over. He claimed the prized scalp of Porterfield, who was caught behind for a well-made 100-ball 67.

The two new batters at the crease, Harry Tector and George Dockrell, stitched an important 48-run stand with Dockrell playing the role of an aggressor. In his 19-ball stay, he smashed 28 which also featured two fours and a six. Tector, who made a fifty in the previous match, once again shone with the bat with a 42-ball 55, while Lorcan Tucker also contributed with a quick 32.

Zimbabwe are leading the three-match series 1-0, after they won the first ODI by 38 runs.
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There was no persistent rain. It only rained for 40 mins and that was enough for a washout.

This is why Zimbabwe are still miles ahead of nations like Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland as hosts. They have proper stadiums, good ground facilities and drainage system. All grounds in Ireland are just field grounds, nothing like stadiums. Same with Net, Scot.

Afghanistan I think don't even have a stadium or ground, I'm not sure but they've never hosted anyone at home.
 
sam_ahm said:
All grounds in Ireland are just field grounds, nothing like stadiums. Same with Net, Scot.
.
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Ive lived in Ireland for many years and got the feeling that the sport is too posh to be played by common folk. The Malahide ground although beautiful is relatively leisurely/ inadequate more like the trinity college ground.Cricket on tv is played on all the pubs, but more as an opportunity to boo the English. They are a vehemently sporting nation though, largely into Gaelic, rugby and football.

P.S. The Irish are the coolest.
 
Ireland vs Zimbabwe, 3rd ODI - Live Cricket Score, Commentary
Series: Zimbabwe tour of Ireland, 2021
Venue: Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast Date & Time: Sep 13, 10:30 AM LOCAL

ZIM 23/2 (8) CRR: 2.88
Match reduced to 42 overs per side due to rain
 
ZIM 42/2 (11) CRR: 3.82
Match reduced to 42 overs per side due to rain
 
A disciplined performance in the field saw Ireland cruise to a seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the third and final ODI of the DafaNews series.

After the second ODI of the series was abandoned due to rain, the bad weather threatened to disrupt the occasion once more – the toss was delayed and the match eventually began at 12:45pm as a 42-overs-per-side affair. Ireland made just the one change from the second ODI, with Shane Getkate replacing Craig Young. Barry McCarthy was unavailable due to a niggle.

Andrew Balbirnie won the toss, chose to bowl first, and didn’t have to wait too long for his side to make a breakthrough. Brendan Taylor – playing his 284th and final international match for Zimbabwe – looked to take the attack to Josh Little but was bowled by an inswinger for 7 in the fourth over. Little’s next over saw him celebrating once more – another full swinging delivery rattled the stumps to send Regis Chakabva on his way.

Skipper Craig Ervine led the rebuild for his side, striking seven fours and one six as he reached 57, his 20th half-century in ODI cricket. But there was little support from elsewhere: Wessley Madhevere gifted an easy catch to Paul Stirling at mid-on off the bowling of Shane Getkate to depart for a 26-ball 16, and Sean Williams had his off stump pegged back as Andrew McBrine fired in a sharp off-break. Ervine’s departure from the first ball of the 25th over – McBrine found the outside edge with another fine delivery – left Zimbabwe in serious trouble at 99-5 before rain intervened once more just moments later.

When play resumed for a 38-overs-per-side match, Ireland continued to land regular blows: Sikandar Raza was run out by Balbirnie; Ryan Burl was bowled by Simi Singh; Luke Jongwe couldn’t survive a review as the irrepressible McBrine fired one into the pads; and Blessing Muzarabani edged behind to Lorcan Tucker off Little’s bowling as Ireland went upstairs once more to overturn the on-field decision. From the final ball of the 34th over, Zimbabwe’s resistance came to an end on 131 as Singh bowled Richard Ngarava.

The start of Ireland’s chase was delayed by the returning rain and, once again, the equation shifted: the match was reduced to 35 over per innings, with Ireland chasing 126. A quiet first six overs resulted in 20 runs and no wicket, but Stirling got his innings moving in the seventh with back-to-back fours and a thumping six down the ground off the bowling of Jongwe.

The rain forced another stoppage in the eighth over, leading to a new target of 118 from 32 overs, but Stirling continued to fire. While his partner William Porterfield fell for 16 to Muzarabani, Stirling kept the scoreboard ticking over (five fours and two sixes featured in his final summary) as he moved to 43. While the opener fell with 29 runs still required, Balbirnie kept the chase under control before he was dismissed himself with five runs to go.

It was up to Harry Tector to wrap up proceedings in the 23rd over, helping the hosts level the series at 1-1 and secure 10 Cricket World Cup Super League points. For his fine three-wicket haul, McBrine was named Player of the Match while Porterfield – the leading run-scorer across both sides after three matches – was named Player of the Series.


MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men, 3rd ODI DafaNews Cup, Stormont, 13 September 2021

Zimbabwe 131 (34 overs; C Ervine 57; A McBrine 3-26, J Little 3-33)
Ireland 118-3 (22.2 overs; P Stirling 43, A Balbirnie 34; W Masakadza 1-9)

Ireland won by 7 wickets (DLS) (Series drawn 1-1)
 
ABU DHABI - A blazing half-century from Scotland opener George Munsey laid the platform for a five-wicket victory in the opening warm-up game on Ireland’s tour of the UAE, which culminates in the T20 World Cup later this month.

Having set Scotland 177 to win, Ireland began strongly, with Josh Little removing Ollie Hairs with the third ball of the chase, the opener pulling to Curtis Campher at midwicket.

Munsey and Calum MacLeod then combined to put on the game’s defining stand, adding 104 runs in 8.1 overs. Munsey was the aggressor, smashing 67 runs from 25 balls, with seven fours and five sixes. The assault began immediately, with Mark Adair’s opening over sent for 17. Every over between the second and the seventh cost at least nine runs, with Ben White’s opening over, the first following the powerplay, costing 20. Andrew McBrine conceded six singles in the eighth over, restoring some normality to proceedings, and Munsey fell soon after, ramping Campher to fine leg.

That began a fightback from Ireland, with Scotland suffering a mini-collapse of 21-4. White struck twice, enticing MacLeod to hole out to Harry Tector on the leg-side fence before settling under a high chance from Richie Berrington himself, and Graham Kennedy delivered the ball of the contest, turning one through the gap between Dylan Budge’s bat and pad.

But the damage had been done. Craig Wallace and Michael Leask had the freedom to take their time, and put on the 51 runs needed for victory in 5.4 overs. Ireland kept things interesting for a time, taking the equation to 35 needed from the last five overs, but 13 runs scored in each of overs 16 and 17 helped the Scots to victory by five wickets with 13 balls remaining.

Earlier, Ireland had made an imposing 176 thanks to a series of contributions from throughout the order. While Paul Stirling fell second ball, hitting Hamza Tahir to Richie Berrington at cover, Kevin O’Brien’s nine was the lowest score among batters Nos. 2-9. O’Brien struck crisply twice through the off-side before edging behind off Chris Sole, and Andrew Balbirnie top-edged Hamza Tahir to fine-leg for 10, before an action-packed fifth over wrested momentum back.

Campher was on strike to Sole for the fifth over, and with the speedster struggling for line and length, a series of no-balls and wides saw 10 balls bowled in the over. Campher struck three of those for four and three more for six, including a second dangerous full toss which saw Sole removed from the attack. At one point, 30 runs were scored in the space of three legal deliveries.

Regular wickets pegged Ireland back. In the first over out of the powerplay, Gareth Delany holed out of Leask, and Campher fell to the same bowler two balls later for 35. Neil Rock and Tector then combined to put on 56 runs for the sixth wicket, with Rock taking the attack to Scotland. He struck three sixes in his 19-ball 32, while Tector played the foil well, occupying 32 balls for his 38.

The pair fell in consecutive overs, but with three overs left to bat, McBrine and Adair gave Ireland a strong finish, each striking a six and a four. Three wickets in the final over kept Ireland to 176, bowled out in exactly 20 overs, but the total still looked formidable. But Munsey had other ideas.



MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Men v Scotland Men, 1st T20 warm-up, ICC Global Cricket Academy Ground No 2, Dubai, 5 October 2021

Ireland 176 (20 overs; H Tector 38, C Campher 35; S Sharif 2-27)
Scotland 178-5 (17.5 overs; G Munsey 67, C MacLeod 36; B White 2-35, J Little 1-13)

Scotland won by five wickets with 13 balls remaining
 
DUBAI, UAE - A disciplined bowling performance followed by a 90-run opening stand between Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien helped Ireland to a seven-wicket win in the first of three T20Is against the UAE.

Having succumbed to defeat against Scotland in a warm-up fixture on Tuesday, Ireland bounced back with a strong all-round performance on Thursday after they were asked to field first. Opening up with the new ball, Mark Adair and Josh Little gave little away, but the star man in the powerplay proved to be Curtis Campher.

Granted the sixth over of the innings, the all-rounder claimed his maiden T20I wicket with the dismissal of Chirag Suri off his second ball of the day. Just three deliveries later he reacted quickly to move to his left and hold on to a return catch from CP Rizwan – a double-wicket maiden saw UAE to 26-3 after six overs, with Adair having taken the first wicket of the day.

Campher remained economical in the middle overs and a top-edged pull from Basil Hameed, with the ball landing in the safe hands of Little at short fine leg, gave the 22-year-old his third wicket of the innings.

For the UAE, Muhammad Usman offered some resistance with a 32-ball 35, but he was stumped after dancing down the track and failing to connect off a Ben White delivery. The leg-spinner was celebrating once more from the very next delivery after he bowled Rohan Mustafa for a first-ball duck, and while he wasn’t to enjoy a hat-trick, he finished with tidy figures of 2-24.

The hosts did end strongly with the bat; Kashif Daud and Ahmed Raza struck some hefty blows to claim 26 runs from the final two overs, but UAE’s total of 123-7 appeared below par and meant Ireland remained in the driving seat at the mid-innings break.

In response, Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien didn’t race out of the blocks but neither did they falter – fifty was reached in the eighth over, with Stirling taking much of the strike in the opening exchanges. While it took him 40 deliveries to reach 38, the power game he is renowned for was on show when he moved to a half-century in spectacular style: the off-spin of Mustafa was deposited for back-to-back sixes, with deep midwicket the target zone of the freewheeling right-hander.

The partnership advanced to 90 before off-spinner Hameed accounted for Stirling, and there were a few minor bumps in Ireland’s path to victory: Andrew Balbirnie was bowled for 3, and O’Brien holed out to long-on for 46 as Hameed’s regular interventions left nine required from 10 deliveries.

But Campher showed his all-round value, entering the fray and immediately settling any nerves with back-to-back boundaries and a single to secure a series-opening win.

The two sides return to the same venue tomorrow for the second match of the series.

After the match, Ireland Men’s captain Andrew Balbirnie said:

“It’s always good to win the first international on tour, and hopefully we can back it up tomorrow. Most pleasing today was the well-controlled bowling performance put in by our bowling unit – it was very accurate in skills execution and they delivered on the plans we had in place.”

“Conditions, as you can clearly see, are very hot – it’s certainly one of the hottest I’ve played in, but we have acclimatised well since arriving and on-the-whole the squad have coped well.”


MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Men v United Arab Emirates Men, 1st T20I, ICC Global Cricket Academy Ground No 2, Dubai, 7 October 2021

UAE 123-7 (20 overs; M Usman 35; C Campher 3-19, B White 2-24, M Adair 2-29)
Ireland 124-3 (18.5 overs; P Stirling 53, K O’Brien 46; B Hameed 3-20)

Ireland won by 7 wickets (with 7 balls remaining)
 
DUBAI, UAE – Selectors have revealed the final 15 players that will form Ireland Men’s ICC World T20 World Cup squad.

Last month the selectors named an 18-player squad to travel to the UAE, which would then need to be reduced to a squad of 15 for the tournament proper.

The squad is:

Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Kevin O’Brien, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Head Coach: Graham Ford.

Reserve players: Shane Getkate, Graham Kennedy, Barry McCarthy.


Andrew White, Chair of National Men’s Selectors, said:

“It was always going to be a very difficult decision to reduce the squad from 18 to 15 – every player out in Dubai at the moment has proven their talent and deserved their chance. The three players who have missed out will still have a role to play in supporting the core squad, and stay on within the team bubble as cover in case of injury or illness.”

“Part of the selectors decision-making was around the conditions in both Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, but we also factored in [Head Coach] Graham Ford’s on-the-ground assessment of what he believes to be our most effective combination of players to win games of cricket.”

“We are confident that the squad of players selected have the ability and the determination to take us into the next round of the tournament, but ultimately it will be about putting together performances that are deserving of it. We wish Fordy and the lads all the best for the challenge ahead, and we’re sure they will do Irish cricket proud. ”
 
DUBAI, UAE – Debutant Akif Raja and leg-spinner Palaniapan Meiyappan shared seven wickets as UAE dominated Ireland in the second of three T20Is to secure a 54-run win.

After Ireland had been set an imposing target of 164 to win, Raja ripped through the visitors’ top order: Paul Stirling, Kevin O’Brien and Andrew Balbirnie all fell victim to the right-arm quick in the powerplay. Stirling was out for 1 as he top-edged a delivery to mid-on, Balbirnie (9) departed to an excellent catch at deep square leg and O’Brien was adjudged to have tickled a delivery outside off stump that flew into the wicketkeeper’s hands.

A difficult powerplay meant Ireland faced an uphill task from there and regular breakthroughs followed: Gareth Delany was stumped off Ahmed Raza’s bowling and Meiyappan accounted for the lower middle order of Curtis Campher, George Dockrell and Neil Rock. Campher had briefly offered some hope and resistance for Ireland, moving to 22 off 15, but he was bowled to leave Ireland 74-5 inside 12 overs.

Despite a couple of dropped catches in the field, UAE were not forced to pay for their mistakes as they bounced back impressively from a heavy defeat to the same opponents the previous day – victory was finally sealed in the 19th over, when Craig Young was dismissed by Waseem Muhammad.

Earlier in the match, UAE had put together a fine display with the bat after Ireland chose to field, recovering impressively after opening batter Muhammad was dismissed in Josh Little’s opening over for a duck. Chirag Suri top-scored for the hosts with an impressive half-century, his fourth in T20Is and one that included three fours and a six down the ground off Simi Singh’s bowling.

Vriitya Aravind (23 off 15) and Muhammad Usman (32 off 31) helped keep the scoreboard ticking at the other end, but the real fireworks came from Basil Hameed whose cameo saw him take 39 runs off 20 deliveries. His final flourish included 19 runs off his bat in the final over of the innings courtesy of some innovative strokeplay - including a shuffle to the leg-side and fine cut over the keeper’s head for four. Kashif Daud’s 12 off seven added to Ireland’s struggles as they failed to reach the heights of Thursday, when they limited UAE to a total of 123-7.

The pick of the bowlers for Ireland proved to be Little, who followed up an economical display in Thursday’s victory with figures of 1-24 from his four overs, while Campher also kept things tight in the middle overs with 19 runs conceded from his three overs.

With the series level at 1-1, the third and final T20I on Sunday will serve as a decider.


MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Men v United Arab Emirates Men, 1st T20I, ICC Global Cricket Academy Ground No 2, Dubai, 7 October 2021

UAE 163-4 (20 overs; C Suri 51, B Hameed 39*; J Little 1-24)
Ireland 109 (18.4 overs; C Campher 22; P Meiyappan 4-25)

UAE won by 54 runs (series 1-1)
 
HARARE, Zimbabwe – Irish openers Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul hit their second century-partnership in as many matches as Ireland dominated the third one-day international against Zimbabwe, recording an eight wicket victory and taking a 2-1 series lead with one game to play.

Lewis followed up her ODI career-best 65 in the last game with an even more imperious innings of 96* off 129 balls. Known as an aggressive opener in the T20 format, Lewis has smoothly transitioned her game to a more patient and selective batter in the longer form of the game – and has rarely played a false shot all series. Meanwhile Paul – who hit 95 in the last game – compiled a neat 63 from 83 balls to continue her good run of form with the bat as well.

The pair have now registered first-wicket partnerships of 28, 135 and 145 in the three matches this series – and today looked likely to bat through to a 10-wicket victory until the unlucky Paul chased a wide ball that caught the toe-end of her bat and popped up nicely for the Zimbabwean keeper Modester Mupachikwa to complete the dismissal.

The loss of Amy Hunter (4) was the only down side of what was a perfectly paced and confident run chase by the visitors’ top order. Lewis struck nine boundaries in her innings and came within a boundary shot of what would have been her maiden ODI century – but put the team before her personal ambition and steered her side to victory by taking the runs on offer towards the end. The nature of her shot to win the match - a calm off-drive for one - seemed a sign that the team’s position was foremost in her mind.

Earlier in the day, after Zimbabwe had won the toss and elected to bat first, the home side sought to nullify the accurate line-and-length bowling from Jane Maguire (1-30) and Paul (2-24). Chiedza Dhururu (16) and Mupachikwa (23) displayed a solid defence in what appeared to be ideal batting conditions early. However, the introduction of leg-spinner Cara Murray (2-42) saw both Zimbabwean openers back in the pavilion with the score on 45 in the 16th over.

Mary-Anne Musonda (26) and Ashley Ndiraya (7) stabilised the innings with a 31-run stand, but three quick wickets for five runs in the space of four overs – sparked by Ireland captain Laura Delany’s intervention with the ball to remove Musonda – had Zimbabwe in a precarious position at 81-5 with more than half their overs still to be bowled.

While lower-order contributions by Precious Marange (20), Tasmeen Granger (20) and Nyashsa Gwanzura (18) gave Zimbabwe’s final total a late boost, it was the leg-spin of Celeste Raack who helped wrap up the home side’s innings taking an ODI career-best 3-34. Zimbabwe’s 178 looked below par, and would soon prove as such with the dominant Irish batting performance that followed.

The two sides meet again at the same venue on Monday for the fourth and final ODI.


MATCH SUMMARY

Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women ODI Series, 3rd ODI, Harare Sports Club, 9 October 2021

Zimbabwe 178 (47 overs: M Musonda 26; C Raack 3-34, L Paul 2-24)
Ireland 179-2 (39 overs; G Lewis 96*, L Paul 63; T Granger 2-53)

Ireland won by 8 wickets (Ireland leads series 2-1)
 
Statement from the Board of Cricket Ireland

DUBLIN – The statement below has been released by the Board of Cricket Ireland following the latest Board Meeting on Wednesday 27 October 2021.

The Board Meeting was the first held in-person since the outset of the pandemic and came five days after the elimination of the Ireland Men’s side from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. While a report on High Performance was on the agenda, the proximity to the World Cup exit meant that there was an opportunity for the Board to have a more in-depth discussion at the meeting.

Ross McCollum, Chair of Cricket Ireland, said:

“The Board of Cricket Ireland - in line with what could be reasonably described as the general mood of the Irish cricket community - expressed our disappointment at the timing and nature of the World Cup exit last Friday. Whilst there were no doubts expressed about the attitude, commitment and hard work of players, coaching staff and administrators, the Board has directed that the normal planned post-event review should happen as quickly as possible and includes all elements pertaining to tournament preparation and performance – such as event performance and cricket operations supporting the international set-up – and, where appropriate, take any remedial action.

“It is important to stress that this is not a kneejerk reaction to the T20 World Cup outcome, particularly in light of encouraging results against some major teams in the last two years alone. Post-event reviews are part-and-parcel of our modus operandi now, added to which one of the key elements of our current short strategy period is about ensuring we are getting the most out of our limited resources, that we’re balancing the needs of our business at all levels, and we’re building the future on solid foundations.

“What happened last week, though, has given us the pretext to step back at this point in time to ask serious questions of our operations ahead of a very busy few years. The Board recognises that our regular treadmill of events, qualifiers and FTP commitments means that there is rarely an obvious time to do in-depth reviews, let alone implement them quickly enough to have an immediate impact. However, with the next round of World Cup Super League matches coming up in January, and the qualifying tournament for the next Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled for February, we believe that the review should be conducted swiftly without compromising rigour.

“To that end, we have directed that the review will at least include investigation into:

the preparation period for the World Cup
an analysis of performance during the tournament
the quality and availability of cricket facilities in-use across Ireland
selection policies and procedures
coaching structures currently in place at the national level
the administrative side of our operations to ensure Cricket Ireland is necessarily evolving to meet the needs of its status as a Full Member

“The Board has always been very supportive of the men’s senior international squad, and has often prioritised their resources to support their progression. However, the review will look into how effectively and efficiently those resources are being used, as well as ensuring Cricket Ireland has in place - or will put into place - the appropriate structural and support programmes to enable our international teams to succeed on the world stage over coming years.

“This is a similar review that was conducted after the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2018 which brought about significant improvements to the Women’s performance system, and we are looking to ensure a similar level of scrutiny is applied during this review.

“Without pre-empting recommendations, the Board were unanimously insistent that the quality and provision of training and playing facilities across Ireland be elevated to a critical priority for the organisation. We have directed that all effort be made to engage with potential and current funding partners on sourcing investment to upgrade and enhance our international training and playing surfaces - which will be to the benefit all programmes, including women’s and under-age pathways.”

The Board also sought an update on progress of the High Performance Centre at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus, and other projects around Ireland to upgrade and improve access to quality facilities.

Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said:

“As part of our recently launched Strategic Plan, we outlined that facilities improvements were an essential focus of our next three years. In my estimation, this is now the number one priority of the organisation, and has led to us engaging at the highest levels of Government in recent months to put forward our case for support.

“Our starting point is to know the current lie of the land. During the recent season, one of the initial priorities of our new Cricket Operations Manager has been to assess and audit facilities available to the high performance set-up around Ireland. The first phase of this audit has been completed and the Facilities Committee will shortly begin the work of prioritising projects.

“As part of this process, we have already submitted a range of requests under the Irish Government’s recent sports capital grants scheme, and initiated discussions with governments and sports bodies on both sides of the border on funding opportunities for critical projects – both in the high performance and grassroots areas. We are also engaging with our provincial unions in this process to make it a whole-of-cricket approach and ensure that we are speaking with one voice on the importance of supporting our sport at all levels.

“Among some of the facilities improvement projects we already have underway are:

we are investigating the possible use of hybrid pitch technology, a system that we have observed being used in a number of English grounds. We understand this technology has the potential to significantly improve the performance and durability of the pitches we use for representative cricket - if deemed appropriate for Irish conditions, we would hope to begin roll out from 2022 onwards;

we have re-built the turf training pitches at our High Performance Centre. While the artificial training pitches have been in successful operation since the Centre opened in 2018, and the outfield training area has been a great asset to teams, the turf pitches - which had been laid in 2019 with an 18-month bedding-in period - failed to pass the testing phase once the squads began to use them. Urgent remediation work has been now completed by a different contractor, and we expect the pitches will be usable by mid-summer 2022; and

we have maintained regular dialogue with the Irish Government and Sport Ireland about the development of a national cricket stadium at the National Sports Campus following commitments made by the Government in 2018 to bring that project to fruition.”

Cricket Ireland will provide updates relating to any matters of substance regarding the review process, and provide a report on the eventual recommendations and subsequent Board decisions in due course.

In other matters addressed at the Board Meeting, the Board also considered a number of recommendations arising from a report from the Institute of Public Administration relating to the operation and structure of Board sub-committees. Those recommendations were considered by Cricket Ireland’s Governance Committee and resulted in the Board’s approval of revised terms of reference for a number of committees, with the intention to improve those committees’ purpose and effectiveness.
 
DUBLIN – Cricket Ireland has today announced an interim senior coaching structure for the Ireland Men’s squad that will be in place until the end of February 2022.

The creation of the new interim coaching structure was precipitated by the departure of former Head Coach Graham Ford last week. The new coaching structure will guide Ireland Men through the USA and West Indies tour, as well as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in February next year.

The interim structure will be:

Head Coach: David Ripley (three month contract)

Assistant Coach: Gary Wilson (three month secondment)

Bowling Coach: Ryan Eagleson (three month role)

David Ripley is the former Head Coach of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club and former county cricketer for Northants. He succeeded the late David Capel as the club’s head coach in 2012 and recently stepped down from the role in September. Under his tenure, Northants won the domestic Twenty20 title in 2013 and secured promotion into Division One of the County Championship at the end the same campaign. The Club won the T20 title again in 2016 and he has been widely praised for his innovative thinking in the shortest format of the game, and achieving silverware with limited resources.

He worked with Paul Stirling when the Irish international signed a T20 Blast contract with Northants in 2020, and is a former teammate of current Chair of National Men’s Selectors, Andrew White.

Ripley’s playing career with Northamptonshire began in 1982 – aged only 16 – when he made his debut for the Second XI. Between 1984 and 2001 he played 306 first-class matches, scoring 8,681 runs (with nine centuries) and claimed 752 dismissals behind the stumps. He also played 281 List A matches in Northamptonshire colours and was a member of the side that won the NatWest Trophy in 1992.

Ripley is transitioning into a new coaching role within Northants, with the club allowing him to take up this short-term role with Ireland.

Gary Wilson is the current Head Coach of North West Warriors and will be seconded from the North West Cricket Union until the end of February.

Ryan Eagleson is the current Performance Coach with the Shapoorji Pallonji Cricket Ireland Academy and Head Coach of the Ireland Men’s Under-19s squad. He will move to the national bowling coach role for the next three months.

BEN SMITH FINISHES ROLE

Ben Smith has completed his consultancy role with Cricket Ireland after five years. The former Leicestershire coach joined Cricket Ireland in 2016 and has worked with the Ireland Men’s squad in a batting and fielding coach capacity. Smith will move on to a new role in the UK.
 
Cricket West Indies (CWI) today confirmed the match schedule for the Ireland Men’s tour of the West Indies. Ireland will play three CG Insurance One-Day Internationals (ODI), to be followed by a one off T20 International (T20I) at Sabina Park, Jamaica from Saturday, January 8 to Sunday, January 16.

The CG Insurance ODIs will start at 9.30am local time (10.30am Eastern Caribbean / 2.30pm Ireland) and the T20I will start at 4pm local time (5pm Eastern Caribbean / 9pm Ireland). All matches will be available in Ireland and the United Kingdom on BT Sport on its sport channels and across its digital platforms.

Match schedule – at Sabina Park


January 8: 1st CG Insurance ODI – 9.30am (10.30am Eastern Caribbean / 2.30pm Ireland)

January 11: 2nd CG Insurance ODI – 9.30am (10.30am Eastern Caribbean / 2.30pm Ireland)

January 14: 3rd CG Insurance ODI – 9.30am (10.30am Eastern Caribbean / 2.30pm Ireland)

January 16: T20I International - 4pm (5pm Eastern Caribbean / 9pm Ireland)


A warm-up match prior to the first ODI will be announced in due course.
 
Ok good. But no Tests?

Want to see more of Ireland in Test cricket.
 
Simi Singh and Ben White are awaiting results of PCR tests after testing positive last night for COVID infection via a routine antigen test. Both players have been isolated and are out of today’s first ODI against West Indies.

The rest of the Ireland Men’s playing and coaching squad had antigen tests last night and this morning, with all coming back negative.

Singh and White remain in good spirits, albeit in isolation awaiting the results of their PCR tests.

The game will proceed as scheduled, and an update of Singh and White’s PCR tests will be communicated later today.
 
1st ODI, Kingston, Jan 8 2022, Ireland tour of United States of America and West Indies

Ireland 55/1 16 Overs

Ireland need 215 runs from 34 overs.

Current RR: 3.43
• Required RR: 6.32
• Last 5 ov (RR): 19/0 (3.80)
 
A gutsy batting display, led by a 71 from Irish captain Andrew Balbirnie, wasn’t enough for Ireland to chase down the West Indies in the first one-day international at Sabina Park in Kingstown today.

Balbirnie pointed to a few “distractions off the pitch” in his post-match interview, not offering an excuse but acknowledging that COVID had significantly impacted on the squad, leaving Ireland without Paul Stirling, Simi Singh, Ben White or Shane Getkate. Despite these challenges, the Men in Green came within 24 runs of pulling off what would have been a remarkable run chase after being set 270 to win.

After losing William Porterfield early, Balbirnie and makeshift number three Andy McBrine put 61 for the second wicket, batting solidly and looking to build momentum against a dangerous West Indian attack. However, after making his way to 34, McBrine went to hook a bouncer from Odean Smith and was struck on the helmet. He tried to bat on after an initial on-field concussion assessment, but the next over he was showing outward distress and had to retire hurt.

Balbirnie was joined by Harry Tector and the pair put on a well-compiled 103-run partnership – the captain playing several flourishing cover drives, and Tector looking more assured as his innings progressed. Tector’s massive six off Roston Chase in the 32nd over a highlight, coming down the track and blasting the spinner over long off.

Balbirnie brought up his fifty from 74 balls, and during his innings became the fifth batter to pass 2,500 ODI runs for Ireland. Tector brought up his 5th ODI half-century shortly after and the pair looked to accelerate the scoring rate, looking comfortable at the crease.

With the score on 165-1, Ireland lost Balbirnie edging behind trying to cut a ball too close to his body. He was soon followed by Tector (53) and Curtis Campher (6) with the visitors slumping to 173-4 with a run rate required starting to rise to more than 8 runs an over.

Despite a late 30 from 25 balls from George Dockrell, and a 9-ball 21* from Mark Adair, wickets tumbled and Ireland was all out off the first ball of the last over for 245.

Earlier in the day - after captain Balbirnie won the toss and chose to bowl first - Ireland’s bowlers started well with a disciplined line and length. Josh Little, bowling around the 140 km/h mark, was slanting balls across the openers, while Adair extracted swing and movement.

Adair struck first, having Justin Greaves caught for 7 – and while Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran batted solidly for the next 10 overs, the bowlers kept a tight line and restricted the scoring rate to less than 4 an over.

With the score at 59-1 in the 17th over, Ireland then struck three times in the next two overs. McBrine removed the dangerous Pooran for 13, and Campher induced a drive from Hope who nicked off to Lorcan Tucker for 29.

When McBrine removed Chase for 1 in the next over, West Indies found themselves at 62-4 at the end of 19 overs. The Irish bowlers had their tails up, with the West Indian captain Keiron Pollard joined debutant Shamarh Brooks at the crease. The pair put on 155 runs for the fifth wicket off 136 balls to shift the momentum of the game firmly towards the home side.

Pollard’s belligerent 69 from 66 balls included four boundaries and four sixes. Using all of his experience, Pollard dominated the partnership early, however as the pair put on the runs it was Player of the Match Brooks who then took control. The 33-year old Barbadian, who has played 8 Tests and 3 T20Is for the West Indies, made batting in his first ODI look increasingly easy. His half-century came up off 61 balls, but his next 43 runs came off just 28 balls as he pounded Campher for two massive 90 metre sixes in the 38th over.

Having first stabilised the innings, and then built towards setting a decent target, the West Indies then lost 6-52 in the next seven overs – with Craig Young and Adair taking three wickets apiece, and Little his lone wicket today. The unfortunate Brooks fell for 93, trapped LBW to Adair – but the Irish bowlers’ death bowling began to have an effect. More variation of pace and angle resulted in a string of miscued shots – the Caribbean side who with 10 overs of their innings to go were eyeing off a 300-plus score, went down swinging – all out for 269 with seven balls to spare.
 
Ireland recently lost against USA. I feel like they are declining after showing good promise.
 
Adding

Player updates


Simi Singh and Ben White: while the team’s medical staff are still awaiting the results of their PCR tests after a service delay, it is likely both players will be out of the entire series after an antigen test on Friday night came back with a positive COVID result.

Andy McBrine: the spinner was struck on the helmet while batting yesterday and retired hurt. He will have follow-up assessments over the next 48 hours for a suspect ‘mild concussive episode’, although his symptoms are very minor. If symptoms abate and he passes his assessment tomorrow, he will be in line for selection in game two.

Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate: the pair had to isolate in Florida after testing positive for COVID. They are travelling to Jamaica today after testing negative yesterday.
 
An unbeaten half-century by youngster Harry Tector backed by a strong Irish bowling performance, especially Andy McBrine (4/36), helped the tourists clinch a five-wicket victory over the West Indies in a rain-curtailed second One-day International at the Sabina Park here on Friday (IST).

The tourists, thus, levelled the series 1-1, performing admirably despite missing several key players, including skipper Andrew Balbirnie due to COVID-19.

Led by stand-in skipper Paul Stirling, Ireland were particularly efficient with ball, as McBrine, Craig Young (3/42) and Josh Little (2/40) making significant contributions. McBrine also compiling 35 with the bat to help Ireland to victory in the match which had to be rescheduled due to several COVID-19 cases being reported in the touring side.

Stirling won the toss and elected to bowl, perhaps with afternoon rain and DLS calculations in mind. It was the opening batter's first ODI in charge, and his bowlers backed his early decision, largely through the inroads made by Young. He claimed 3/12 in his first four overs, and proved too much for Shai Hope (17), Justin Greaves (10), and Nicholas Pooran (1).

Roston Chase and Shamarh Brooks steadied, only for McBrine to end the partnership on 48, taking a return catch off Chase for 13. McBrine then claimed the key wicket of Kieron Pollard for one, as Little claimed Jason Holder's wicket soon after.

Stirling was aggressive in his captaincy, and the spin of George Dockrell trapped Brooks lbw for 43.

Despite the early dominance, not all went the tourists' way, as a late-innings scramble from the West Indies took them to 229. A ninth-wicket partnership of 58 off just 27 balls from Romario Shepherd (50 from 41 balls) and Odean Smith (49 off 19 balls) swung the momentum slightly, though the upper hand remained Ireland's, even after conceding almost 30 extras.

McBrine's 4/29 was his second-best bowling figures in ODI cricket, moving him into fifth place on Ireland's all-time ODI wicket-taking list.

Stirling was his usual aggressive self with the bat, making a quick-fire 21 next to long-time opening partner Will Porterfield, who made 26. Stirling fell to the left-arm orthodox of Akeal Hosein, but not before becoming the first Irish player to reach 5,000 ODI runs.

Porterfield fell at the end of the 10th over, though McBrine and Tector built well to move the game out of the hosts' reach. McBrine fell to a top-edge from a well-directed Shepherd short ball for 35, though Curtis Campher joined Tector in another strong stand.

Tector brought up his sixth ODI half-century in the last nine matches, though more importantly moved the side well in front on DLS when the match was delayed by rain.

When play resumed, Ireland, 26 runs ahead on DLS, knocked off the remaining 11 runs comfortably.

"It means a lot -- we're delighted with how the lads responded, coming from a tough loss the other day where we thought we were really in the game a lot of the time, and to come and put on a performance like this after the off-field activities that have gone on. We're delighted to get the win today, we really are," Stirling told icc-cricket.com.

The teams will play the final World Cup Super League match on January 16 at the same venue.

Brief scores: West Indies 229 in 48 overs (Shamarh Brooks 43, Romario Shepherd 50, Odean Smith 46; Josh Little 2/40, Craig Young 3/42, Andy McBrine 4/36) lost to Ireland 168/5 in 32.3 overs (Harry Tector 54 not out, Andy McBrine 35; Akeal Hosein 2/51) by five wickets D/L Method.

https://www.timesnownews.com/sports...e-power-ireland-to-series-leveling-win/849317
 
And they've beaten West Indies again.

This time by 2 wickets in a ODI in Jamaica.

They win the ODI series by a margin of 2-1.
 
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Ireland Men have won their first-ever one-day international series away from home over an ICC Full Member after recording a two-wicket victory over the West Indies at Sabina Park in Kingston today.

For the third time in succession, Ireland won the toss and chose to bowl first. Stand-in captain Paul Stirling named an unchanged line up for the match, however, the early exchanges did not go to script for the Men in Green. Shai Hope – who had under-performed so far in the series with scores of 17 and 29 – went on the attack, blasting balls to all areas of the ground. Hope was particularly aggressive with Josh Little, feeding off the extra pace and width on offer.

He brought up his half-century off just 37 balls, with 9 fours and a six, but just as he threatened to take the game away from Ireland he mis-timed a hook shot from a Craig Young bouncer and was caught by Josh Little at fine leg.

That dismissal brought about a middle-order collapse with West Indies losing 7-57 in the next 17 overs. Young claimed two wickets, but the chief destroyer was off-spinner Andy McBrine. Fresh off his Player of the Match 4-25 in the last ODI, McBrine was again hitting the right areas from the off. He had Nicholas Pooran and Shamarh Brooks both trapped in front, and set a leg slip trap for a lunging Kieron Pollard, who dutifully edged a ball to William Porterfield who claimed a diving catch.

George Dockrell chimed in for a wicket to snare the dangerous Romario Shepherd – Dockrell’s 150th List A wicket – and the home side’s innings was seemingly adrift at 119-7 in the 28th over.

It was then that former West Indian captain Jason Holder took the reins – he and Akeal Hosein put on 63 for the eighth wicket in a face-saving stand for the Caribbean side. Holder played across the line of the ball repeatedly but effectively as he hit six boundaries, and was looking comfortable moving into his 40s, but he took on the arm of an outfielder one too many times and was run out going for two. Gareth Delany with a superb flat throw from deep square leg and Neil Rock’s quick hands catching the tall Barbadian all-rounder short of his crease.

Big-hitting Odean Smith threatened to let loose again after his 19-ball 46 in the last match, carving out 20*, but when Alzarri Joseph fell for 6, the West Indian side were bowled out for 212 in the 45th over - the third time in the series Ireland has dismissed the home side before they batted out their allotted overs. This is the first time Ireland Men have bowled out a Full Member in three successive matches.

Bowling honours once more went to Andy McBrine – the Donemana off-spinner finished with 4-28 from 10 overs. McBrine’s series haul of 10 wickets at 11.6 apiece was an excellent return. Having lost fellow spinners Simi Singh and Ben White for the series due to Covid infections, Ireland needed McBrine to stand up – and that he did, with two four-wicket hauls the last two matches.

The North West bowling contribution in this series wasn’t only McBrine’s return - his North West Warriors teammate Craig Young claimed three wickets in each of the three matches of the series at 15.66 apiece to also play a key role.

With 213 the target, Ireland lost opener Porterfield from the first ball of the innings – upper-cutting a ball from Joseph that flew straight to Hosein at Third.

While the West Indian side undoubtedly were buoyed by the early breakthough, Stirling sought to wrestle back momentum with a quickfire 44 from 38 balls. Aided by the more circumspect McBrine, the pair put on 73 for the second wicket from 77 balls. The interim captain played several of his classic shots – a flick off his pads for four, a flat bat lofted off drive over cover for four, and a majestic swivel pull shot over the square leg boundary for six just to highlight a few.

However, looking certain to register his 27th ODI half-century, Stirling missed a tossed up ball by spinner Hosein and was trapped in front. Given not out, the bowling side sought a review, which shortly after saw the Irish skipper walking back to the pavilion.

McBrine was joined by the in-form Harry Tector, and the pair settled in to ensure no cluster of wickets would ensue. Tector, who has scored six half-centuries in his last nine innings, looked assured as he stroked the ball through the off side and off his pads. McBrine looked increasingly confident as his innings grew and he brought up his second career ODI half-century from 89 balls. Shortly after, the left-handed McBrine flashed at a bouncing ball outside off stump and edged through to the keeper, out for 59, but the platform had been well-and-truly set.

Tector registered his third half-century of the series, but in heart-in-the-mouth fashion, a clatter of wickets fell late on with Ireland going from 190-4 to 208-8. It was nervous times for all Ireland’s fans as Mark Adair and Craig Young stood at the crease. Fortunately, Young steered the winning runs away to the boundary off Shepherd and the Men in Green had won their first ODI series win away from home against a Full Member.


Andy McBrine said after the game:

“It means a lot to the team – the last 3 to 4 weeks hasn’t been easy on us, but there’s a fighting spirit left in us and we showed that today.

“There was a nice bit of spin in the pitch today – I just had to change up my lengths and keep it as simple as possible and force them to make mistakes – and that has happened in the last three games.

“I struggled a bit to get my timing with the bat, I just ground it out and waited for my ball as much as I could. Harry and I kept things simple, we were always up above the required rate, so didn’t need to lapse into anything we didn’t need to.

“Player of the Series means a lot personally, but I’m firstly jus trying to contribute what I can to the team.”

After the match, Stirling said:

“We’re delighted, it’s not every day we go on away trips and turn over a side like the West Indies. Really proud of the lads that we can go 1-nil down in the series and come back to win the next two games and take the series. We may have been fortunate to win the toss three times, but we still had to go out and perform, so we’re delighted. We’re a pretty tight unit, we always have been, it’s one of our strengths.

“Harry Tector has been amazing – his consistency over his last 10 knocks has been outstanding, we hope he can continue that, but it’s not a time to put pressure on him. He has so much potential, it’ll come down to how much he wants it, and I think he does want it.

“Andy McBrine epitomises what an Irish cricketer should be – the heart he shows. It’s not easy to come back from being hit on the head, but he showed commitment and passion to help win us the game today – that partnership was key with Harry today, and all off the back of his bowling which has been magnificent.”


MATCH SUMMARY

West Indies Men v Ireland Men, 3rd ODI, Sabina Park, Jamaica, 16 January 2022

West Indies 212 (44.4 overs: S Hope 53, J Holder 44; A McBrine 4-28, C Young 3-43)
Ireland 214-8 (44.5 overs: A McBrine 59, H Tector 52, P Stirling 44; A Hosein 3-59)

Ireland Men won by 2 wickets
 
Despite us continuing to be a circus act in t20 cricket, ODI wins over England, South Africa and Zimbabwe thrown in with this fantastic series win over the Windies, all this with a squad who's average age is well below 30 and arguably one of the youngest around, does bode very well for the 2027 WC qualifying campaign.

For the first time in many many years Ireland actually has a genuinely solid bowling attack. Nice to watch a game and not by default expect to ship 350 regardless of pitch!
 
Donal Cozzie said:
Despite us continuing to be a circus act in t20 cricket, ODI wins over England, South Africa and Zimbabwe thrown in with this fantastic series win over the Windies, all this with a squad who's average age is well below 30 and arguably one of the youngest around, does bode very well for the 2027 WC qualifying campaign.

For the first time in many many years Ireland actually has a genuinely solid bowling attack. Nice to watch a game and not by default expect to ship 350 regardless of pitch!
Click to expand...

No hope of making 2023? Ireland have 68 points, if they can get 20-30 more points from their remaining matches against Bangladesh and NZ (both at home) that'll be pretty competitive. It's possible that SL and WI will have less points than that. And that's just to qualify directly. There would still be the qualifier to play in where Ireland can definitely do well enough to qualify for the WC.
 
Former Australian international Nathan Hauritz has been announced as Cricket Ireland’s new Spin Bowling Coach.

Hauritz, 40, played international cricket for Australia from 2002 to 2011 – the right-arm off-spinner played 17 Tests, 58 ODIs and 3 T20Is during his international career, taking 128 wickets across all formats. Domestically, Hauritz played for Queensland and New South Wales in First-class cricket, and featured for Brisbane Heat, Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.

Moving into coaching after retirement, Hauritz has been the Spin Bowling Coach for Queensland Fire and Brisbane Heat since 2020.

Hauritz’ role with Cricket Ireland will involve working with the senior men’s and women’s squads, as well as the pathway system.

Speaking from Brisbane after accepting the role, Hauritz said:

“The opportunity was too good to not even think about. I love discussing spin bowling from all facets, and to be able to do that in an international environment while travelling the world, how could you not want to do it.

“My particular interest as a coach is the tactical and mental side of spin bowling. When you play at the top level of cricket your game is generally in a pretty sound space, but more often than not it comes down to how you perform on the day that needs the most work. I believe my career and experience will help me communicate with, and support the development of, our current groups of spinners. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be part of cricket in Ireland.”

How familiar is he with Irish cricket?

“Social media and livestreaming these days has made it easier to follow teams and games around the world. You can get a good sense of how the domestic competitions work particularly. But I also fondly remember playing a tour game for Australia against Ireland at Clontarf back in 2010. We were actually in a spot of bother in that game - we were under the pump early from the Irish openers. One of our old Norths mates, Alex Cusack, played for Ireland that day, so that was a fun experience. I was lucky enough to take a couple wickets and we won the game. But the main thing that sticks in my mind was that it was an amazing atmosphere.”


Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director at Cricket Ireland, said:

“We’re delighted that Nathan will be joining the high performance staff and look forward to getting him over here to start working with our spin groups. Filling this role now completes our elite coaching restructure and provides what we believe is a great coaching and support team around our performance squads.

“Not only will Nathan’s skills and experience be invaluable to our spinners in both the men’s and women’s squads, but he will also be looking at the next generation coming through the pathway system.”


Hauritz will join the Irish set-up in August, subject to a work permit.
 
Cricket Ireland has today announced a 14-player squad for Ireland Men’s T20 International series against South Africa to be played in Bristol on 3 and 5 August 2022, and the first three matches of the subsequent five-match T20 International series against Afghanistan to be played at Stormont.

Selectors have kept faith with the T20I squad that faced New Zealand in a three-match series last week.


Ireland Men’s T20I squad


Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.
 
Donal Cozzie said:
Despite us continuing to be a circus act in t20 cricket, ODI wins over England, South Africa and Zimbabwe thrown in with this fantastic series win over the Windies, all this with a squad who's average age is well below 30 and arguably one of the youngest around, does bode very well for the 2027 WC qualifying campaign.

For the first time in many many years Ireland actually has a genuinely solid bowling attack. Nice to watch a game and not by default expect to ship 350 regardless of pitch!
Click to expand...

Come on You Boys in Green!
 
Skipper Andrew Balbirnie will lead a strong Ireland squad at this year's ICC T20 World Cup after the European nation named their 15-player squad for the upcoming tournament on Tuesday.

Balbirnie will spearhead Ireland's assault on the four-week tournament as he was announced to captain an experienced squad that includes a good mix of talented veterans and promising youngsters.

Opener Paul Stirling, key all-rounder George Dockrell and Balbirnie provide the experience in the 15-member squad, while star batter Harry Tector and consistent pacer Mark Adair put the polish on a well-balanced outfit.

There will be no veteran batter Kevin O'Brien, who was omitted from the squad that competed in the Qualifier, before announcing his retirement from all forms of international cricket last month.

“It’s an exciting time for Irish cricket as we embark on another major global tournament. Over the last year we have been building a solid core squad, while creating more depth in our T20 cricket. I think fans have started to see the positive strides the players have been making in this format – especially with the series win over Afghanistan - and we hope we can take this momentum into the tournament in Australia," said Andrew White, Chair of National Men’s Selectors.

"One of the most considered decisions we had to make was around our spin bowling options. With George Dockrell and Gareth Delany both having an impact this summer and the variation they bring to the attack, it came down to making a choice between Simi Singh and Andy McBrine. Andy can feel very unfortunate to have missed out this time, but we believe Simi offers more variation on Australian wickets with his ability to take the ball away from both right and left handers.

“We believe this is one of the strongest T20 squads we have sent to a World Cup and wish the team and coaching staff well for the tournament ahead."

Ireland will need to negotiate their way through a tricky group in the first round of the T20 World Cup, with their opening match coming up against Zimbabwe at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on 17 October.

They then take on fellow European side Scotland and Caribbean giant West Indies at the same venue, with the top two teams from the group progressing through to the Super 12 stage of the event.

Ireland T20 World Cup squad: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

ICC
 
DUBLIN – Ireland Men’s cricket team is set to return to Lord’s for a Test match against England Men, the England and Wales Cricket Board has announced today as part of its home summer programme reveal.

The four-day Test match will be played between 1-4 June 2023 in a highly anticipated return four years after the memorable first Test between the two sides at the Home of Cricket.

There will also be a three-day warm-up game for Ireland to be played from 26-28 May with details to be announced in due course.

In September, England Men will also host Ireland Men for three ODIs:

• 20 September: England Men v Ireland Men – 1st ODI (Headingley; starts 12.30pm; D/N match)
• 23 September: England Men v Ireland Men – 2nd ODI (Trent Bridge; starts 11am)
• 26 September: England Men v Ireland Men – 3rd ODI (Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol; starts 12.30pm; D/N match)


Andrew Balbirnie, Ireland Men’s captain, said:

“As a player, there’s no doubt that Test cricket is the absolute pinnacle of our sport. We were fortunate to play a Test against England at Lord’s back in 2019 – which was a memorable occasion for players and fans alike - so the news that we will be returning to play at Lord’s next year is very welcome.

“That match against England in 2019 was the last Test we have played, so we are excited to be returning to play the red-ball game next year. It’s one of four Test matches we are scheduled to play in 2023, which is so important for such a relatively young squad. There is no better place to really learn, develop and test your game as in multi-day cricket.”

Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said:

“Without doubt, Lord’s is a very special place for any cricketer to play and we are delighted that Irish cricket will once again be centre stage in a Test at the Home of Cricket. The Test we played there in 2019 was a memorable occasion and, for me, the Ireland team playing against that opposition, in that format, at that venue exemplified everything about our then new Full Member status.

“While the action on the field at the Lord’s Test in 2019 was compelling, I have to say that just as compelling were the fans. We saw a full house for three days, with the vocal and celebratory atmosphere created by the Irish fans making the match truly memorable. Indeed, we learned afterwards that about half of the fans at that match had never been to Lord’s before, while the TV audience was among the highest ECB had for any Test opposition that decade outside of India and the Ashes. We hope to see many returning and new fans lining up for this next Test, supporting the boys in green and showing not just that Test cricket has a vibrant future, but that Ireland is a worthy addition to its ranks.

“Equally as important to our season next year will be the three ODIs in September at three iconic English grounds. Our thanks to the ECB for their support in arranging these fixtures – they make 2023 a very enticing season for Irish fans.”

https://www.cricketireland.ie/news/article/a-test-match-at-lords-for-ireland-men-in-2023-announced
 
Graham Hume has been called up to Ireland's squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia after paceman Craig Young was ruled out by injury.

Cricket Ireland's medical chief Mark Rausa said Young had "experienced a recurrence of a chronic issue which we have been managing".

"Whilst we thought we were on top of the issue, it sadly flared up once we arrived in Sydney," added Rausa.

Ireland begin their campaign against Zimbabwe on Sunday, 17 October.

Waringstown paceman Hume, 31, made his international debut in July against New Zealand in a one-day game and featured in his first Twenty20 contest a month later against Afghanistan.

Ireland play their next warm-up game against Namibia in Melbourne on Tuesday before a match with Sri Lanka two days later.
 
Missing out on the Super 12 stage last year, Ireland have left no stone unturned in their 2022 campaign.

Squad

Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Conor Olphert, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Graham Hume.


Best Finish at Tournament

Super 8s (2009)

Ireland’s group stage match with Bangladesh was essentially a winner-takes-all affair, and all five of William Porterfield’s bowlers claimed wickets to hold their opponents to just 137.

On a surface at Trent Bridge that Bangladesh found tricky, the O’Brien brothers stuck to their guns. Niall made a 25-ball 40 to set up the chase, while Kevin's blitz of 39* off 17 quashed any doubt to hand Ireland a Super 8s spot.


Results in the last 10 games

(most recent first): W L L W W L L L L L


Fixtures

v Zimbabwe (17 October), Bellerive Oval, Hobart
v Scotland (19 October), Bellerive Oval, Hobart
v West Indies (21 October), Bellerive Oval, Hobart


Key match

v Zimbabwe - 17 October - In a fierce First Round Group, Ireland must hit the ground running and make the most of the Hobart conditions that should favour them over their Full Member rivals. If they were to fall to Zimbabwe, Ireland would need to beat both Scotland and the West Indies to keep their Super 12 hopes alive.


Key Player

Paul Stirling - A regular of Ireland’s side for 15 years, Stirling sits as the fifth-highest run scorer in men's T20 internationals, as one of six men to pass 3000 runs. No other Ireland player has crossed the 2000-mark as yet.

Still with his head and smart with subtle footwork, Stirling has a knack of staying leg-side of the ball to quick bowlers, slashing square on the off-side, though has an array of cross-bat shots against fast-bowlers and opposition spinners, disrupting their lengths.

Stirling’s impact will be pivotal, and is the cornerstone of the line-up even irrespective of the collective young talent around. A fan of a quicker surface, Stirling should relish Bellerive Oval in spite of a struggle on slower pitches in the Caribbean.


Summary

While things went pear-shaped for the men in neon green last year, the Ireland camp will feel a little more optimistic this time around.

As two generations attempted to combine in the 2021 effort, the younger group are slowly making the side their own. Despite the loss of a retiring Kevin O’Brien, the side has built a batting line-up capable to exploit the Powerplay overs and accelerate through the middle, and should be able to compete with their First Round adversaries in terms of firepower.

Gareth Delany continues to fulfil his potential and Harry Tector has been performing across franchise and international cricket. Wicket-keeper Lorcan Tucker has moved along also with the bat, and kept his spot in the team over former Zimbabwe international PJ Moor, who was eligible for the tournament.

On the bowling side, Ireland will need to fill the void left by an injured Craig Young, who was a withdrawal after the side arrived in Australia. Graham Hume replaces Young, with David Delany, already based in Melbourne, overlooked. Hume will join the team in time for warm-up matches against the West Indies and Namibia.

With more than 20 T20Is played this year alone, no one can question Ireland's rigorous preparation, though the side have lost a dozen of those matches, with a record of just three wins in 12 matches against Full Member opposition.

ICC
 
Ireland becoming a force in International cricket and by force we mean reaching a WC final let alone winning it is a distant dream just like Ivory Coast reaching the FIFA World Cup final let alone winning it
 
Can Ireland become a force? No.

Even if they produce a gem player, it will be stolen by England.
 
Against the backdrop of an eerily empty Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Ireland came up 11 runs short against Namibia in their first official Warm-up match of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup warm-up match overnight.

Ireland’s preparations were thrown a last-minute challenge when skipper Andrew Balbirnie withdrew from the match due to illness, however is expected to have recovered for the next warm-up match on Thursday.

After winning the toss in this behind-closed-doors match, the Irish bowlers restricted their Namibian opponents to 138-4 from their 20 overs. Barry McCarthy (1-21), Gareth Delany (1-11) and Simi Singh (1-16) claimed wickets, while a quick-thinking piece of fielding brilliance off his own bowling saw Curtis Campher claim the fourth scalp.

The bowling was backed up by an efficient fielding display under the lights of one of the world’s largest cricket grounds – with two outfield catches by Mark Adair (claiming a high ball against the long off boundary rope) and George Dockrell (picking a flat bat shot by Jan Loftie-Eaton out of the dazzling light towers at deep mid-wicket) – demonstrating the work the side has been putting in on its fielding was bearing fruit.

As the side’s came off for the innings break, Ireland would have been pleased with its efforts with the ball. However, despite positive knocks from both stand-in captain Paul Stirling (37 from 30 balls) and Lorcan Tucker (34 from 35 balls) – and an assured but brief 13 from Stephen Doheny at the top of the order which was part of a 44-run opening stand with Stirling - Ireland collapsed from 65-1 in the 11th over to be bowled out for 127.

Right-arm medium pacer Ben Shikongo (3-11) was the bowling hero for Namibia – at one stage claiming three wickets in just four balls in the 16th over to propel his side to victory.

Ireland will play their second and final warm-up game against Sri Lanka on Thursday at Junction Oval in Melbourne (start time 3pm local time).

The squad has a training day scheduled for tomorrow, however with showers anticipated over the next few days, the Irish side’s preparations may take a more indoor route before they head to Hobart on Friday to begin the competitive stage of their campaign on 17 October against Zimbabwe.

A final note regarding the squad is that Graham Hume arrived in Melbourne early Tuesday morning local time after being called up to replace the injured Craig Young.



MATCH SUMMARY

Namibia v Ireland, T20 World Cup Warm-Up match, MCG, Melbourne, 11 October 2022

Namibia 138-4 (20 overs; G Erasmus 34, J Frylinck 26; G Delany 1-11)
Ireland 127 (19.5 overs; P Stirling 37, L Tucker 34; B Shikongo 3-11)

Namibia won by 11 runs
 
Ireland, who failed to get past the first round in their last five T20 World Cup outings, have not only made it to the Super 12s but have also knocked the two-time champions out of the competition.
 
gazza619 said:
Can Ireland become a force? No.

Even if they produce a gem player, it will be stolen by England.
Click to expand...

Stolen? They abolished slavery a wee while back, you know.

It’s like the Premiership - anyone good from the lower leagues will get a big money offer.
 
Nikhil_cric said:
Only if T20 cricket is prioritized. Ireland cannot afford to host Test cricket.
Click to expand...

It has been 15 years since they beat Pakistan and their cricket is at the same level, they are unable to compete beyond an upset here and there.

They can blame England for Morgan who only really played LOI’s but Ireland are not beyond any accountability for their lack of growth.

In a smaller time frame and with obvious lack of resources / home platform, Afghanistan have more potential and have arguably achieved more then Irish cricket
 
Robert said:
Stolen? They abolished slavery a wee while back, you know.

It’s like the Premiership - anyone good from the lower leagues will get a big money offer.
Click to expand...

Even then, besides Morgan who else did England steal who was a big part of the set up.

Players now have the option to make money from foreign leagues to, Ireland have not progressed or developed any world class player besides the same old faces
 
shaz619 said:
Even then, besides Morgan who else did England steal who was a big part of the set up.

Players now have the option to make money from foreign leagues to, Ireland have not progressed or developed any world class player besides the same old faces
Click to expand...

They did have Ed Joyce and Boyd Rankin. While it is true that they returned after sometime, the fact that England can buy their better players and try out remains.
 
shaz619 said:
It has been 15 years since they beat Pakistan and their cricket is at the same level, they are unable to compete beyond an upset here and there.

They can blame England for Morgan who only really played LOI’s but Ireland are not beyond any accountability for their lack of growth.

In a smaller time frame and with obvious lack of resources / home platform, Afghanistan have more potential and have arguably achieved more then Irish cricket
Click to expand...

Cricket Ireland don't have much resources either. They have more potential in test cricket but test cricket costs around 500,000 euros to host and they don't have a media rights deal that can cover that.

Smaller boards need to put all their focus on T20 Cricket and develop players for that format. It's their only hope of achieving some kind of parity with the top 6 Test playing nations with relatively more resources .

Afghanistan haven't beaten a big team in the ODI World Cup. Ireland did the multiple times

Also, Afghanistan have had most of their succes in Asian conditions. There is no evidence to suggest that their fortunes are going to be any better.
 
Ireland is way more professional-looking outfit than some of the regular sides. Especially Asian sides. Look at their fielding.
 
Robert said:
Stolen? They abolished slavery a wee while back, you know.

It’s like the Premiership - anyone good from the lower leagues will get a big money offer.
Click to expand...

Staggers me how many people don't have a clue about eligiblity rules.

England cannot "steal" any Irish players anymore as Irish players are not considered local in the county championship anymore. On top of that, as Ireland are a full member, the second someone players for Ireland they are automatically ineligible for any other nation for three full years, so barring a county in England, willing to lose one of their few overseas slots for three years, throwing a massive contract offer at Harry Tector or someone, and him being happy to give up three full years of his international career, on the basis he might be picked for England, its never going to happen again, and thank Christ for that.

The only reason it happened in the past was that as an Associate nation England could've called up the entire Ireland team tomorrow if they wanted. That no longer applies
 
Doing it again and again!

==

'It's amazing, kind of emotional'

Ireland captain and POTM Andrew Balbirnie: "We were slightly disappointed we finished the way we did, losing seven wickets for not a lot. They took the momentum in with them, so our message was to try and create chances because we know how this England team like to play.

"We managed to ride our luck a bit, take a few wounds and move forward. We were able to get a competitive total and a winning total.

"It's amazing and it's kind of emotional because we've never played a game of cricket here and to come and play the tournament favourites with so many big names in the game and put on a show in front of friends, family and a number of people around the world is very satisfying."
 
100 FOR ANDREW BALBIRNIE! A true captain's knock, his eight ODI century in his 200th match for Ireland
 
Disgraceful. The BIG were winning and then Duckbill Playtpus struck yet again. They wuz robbed!
 
Captain Andrew Balbirnie will miss the rest of Ireland's one-day international series against Zimbabwe after retiring hurt in Wednesday's opening defeat with a suspected concussion.

Balbirnie hit his eighth ODI century before he was struck on the helmet from a deflection off his own bat.

The 32-year-old Dubliner has been replaced in the squad by uncapped batter Murray Commins.

The second one-day match takes place in Harare on Saturday (07:15 GMT).

"Andrew Balbirnie sustained a suspected mild concussive episode after being struck on the helmet while batting in yesterday's match against Zimbabwe," said Mark Rausa, Cricket Ireland's head of physiotherapy and medical services.

"He retired hurt and did not take the field in the second innings in line with concussion protocols.

"He was reassessed this morning, but the decision has been made to withdraw him from the remaining two matches of this series as a precaution."

As a result, Munster Reds' Commins has received his first senior squad call-up and will travel to Harare from South Africa, where he is currently playing cricket, on Thursday.

BBC
 
Ireland Men’s cricket team will play its first Test Match in over three years as part of its seven-match, multi-format tour of Bangladesh that was confirmed today.

The month-long tour will feature a warm-up fixture on 15 March, then three one-day internationals, three T20 Internationals and the Test Match. This will be the first-ever Test Match played between the two sides, and the first multi-format series the two sides have played at senior level. The squad will depart Dublin on 11 March.

The tour schedule is:

Warm-up match

15 March: warm-up match – opponent to be announced


ODI Series

18 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 1st ODI (SICS, Sylhet)

20 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 2nd ODI (SICS, Sylhet)

23 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 3rd ODI (SICS, Sylhet)


T20I Series

27 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 1st T20I (ZACS, Chattogram)

29 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 2nd T20I (ZACS, Chattogram)

31 March: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – 3rd T20I (ZACS, Chattogram)


Test Match

4-8 April: Bangladesh Men v Ireland Men – Test Match (SBNCS, Dhaka)
 
Pity about the rain today. But for that, Ireland would have won the ODI series.
 
Lots of cricket scheduled for Ireland over the next few days.

7 games in Bangladesh and 2 games in Sri Lanka.

Good for them.
 
Ireland have named their 14-member squad for the three-match home ODI series against Bangladesh to be played under the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League.

Ireland will host Bangladesh in May in a three-match ODI series that will be the last of the Cricket World Cup Super League games. The series will be crucial for Ireland who are still in with a chance for direct qualification if they manage to whitewash the Tigers 3-0.

Ireland are currently placed 11th in the standings with 68 points and can go level with South Africa (98 points). The hosts however will have to ensure they better their net run rate and avoid dropping penalty points so as to book a direct qualification spot for ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Craig Young is back in the 14-member squad after a long injury layoff. The 32-year-old seamer was ruled out of the 2022 Men's T20 World Cup due to a recurring injury issue but returns in time for the crucial ODI series.

Conor Olphert, Matthew Humphreys and Ross Adair will be unavailable due to examination/work commitments.

Squad: Andrew Balbirnie (captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Andrew White, National Men’s Selector, said: “The senior squad has a more familiar look, with much of the squad having been part of the set-up in Zimbabwe (January) and Bangladesh (March) ODI fixtures. We do, however, welcome Craig Young back into the senior side after his long journey of recovery from injury.

“We are pleased to also have the services of Josh Little, who has been playing in the IPL over the last month.

“After a tough tour to Bangladesh last month, the lads will be keen to show their talent and skills in more familiar conditions – and with potential world cup qualification on the line, they will need no additional motivation to succeed.”

Schedule:

9 May: 1st ODI, Chelmsford
12 May: 2nd ODI, Chelmsford
14 May: 3rd ODI, Chelmsford

ICC
 
DUBLIN – Irish cricket fans will be able to enjoy watching the world’s number one men’s T20 International side, India, when the Asian juggernauts return to Malahide for a three-match T20I series on 18, 20 and 23 August.

India and Ireland played an exciting two-match T20I series in 2022 – and while India won the series 2-0, both matches were nail-biting affairs during which Ireland were unlucky not to record at least one memorable victory (see 1st T20I scorecard and 2nd T20I scorecard). The return of the world’s top-ranked T20I side for a second consecutive year represents a vote of confidence in the talent and competitiveness of the current Irish side and a fitting end to the home international fixtures this summer.

Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said:

“We’re delighted to welcome India Men back to Ireland for the second time in 12 months. We saw two sold-out matches in 2022, so to have a three-match series this year should give even more fans the opportunity to enjoy what is always a memorable occasion. Our sincere thanks to the BCCI, first, for their continued inclusion of Ireland in the Indian team’s busy itinerary and also for working with us to ensure as fan-friendly a schedule a possible – having matches on a Friday and Sunday will hopefully maximise availability of fans.”
 

Ireland vs India, 1st T20I soon...​


Preview:

Less than six months after undergoing his back surgery in Christchurch, Jasprit Bumrah has returned. The long and excruciating process of rest, recovery and rehabilitation is officially over as BCCI's social channels gave a glimpse of a full-tilt Bumrah in the nets on the eve of the first Ireland fixture, making batters duck and hop at bouncers and yorkers. The 29-year-old isn't just back, he also leads the team in the three-match series that begins on Friday.

As BCCI secretary Jay Shah held crunch talks with Rahul Dravid in Miami in the backdrop of India's underwhelming show against West Indies, Bumrah arrived with his IPL bandwagon on the other side of the North Atlantic ocean with his IPL bandwagon in search of game time (for himself) and solace (for the team). The impressive likes of Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma will hope they can cash in their IPL 2023 performances for an India debut and make it count like Tilak Varma has recently done.

Like India, the hosts too come armed with a new captain. One of their most seasoned war-horses Paul Stirling takes over the leadership. Though they suffered heartbreak at the ODI World Cup qualifiers and saw Andrew Balbirnie step down as captain in the aftermath of that tournament, Ireland quickly bounced back and secured a spot in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Ireland's squad for the India games is full of players that earned their team the qualification, and they too boast an IPL 2023 star in Joshua Little who impressed for runners up Gujarat Titans.

When: Ireland vs India, 1st T20I, August 18, 03:00 PM Local time, 07:30 PM IST

Where: The Village, Dublin

What to expect: Of the five 200-plus totals at this venue in T20Is, India have scored three. One of those came just last June. Runs are always available aplenty in Dublin.

Team news:


India

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma impressed in the series against West Indies despite not getting a series win. The three games in Dublin should allow them to take that further forward. Friday's game could also be a chance for Rinku Singh - one of IPL 2023's brightest sparks - to make his India debut.

Probable XI:Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar

Ireland

Seasoned leg-spinner Gareth Delany, who has been sidelined since June with a wrist injury, should walk straight back into the playing XI.

Probable XI:Andrew Balbirnie, Paul Stirling (c), Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Curtis Campher, Mark Adair, Joshua Little, Barry McCarthy, Benjamin White
 
Paul Stirling has today been announced as Ireland Men’s permanent white-ball captain effective immediately, while Andrew Balbirnie will continue as red-ball captain as national selectors look towards the next cycle with two T20 World Cups and a 50-over world cup set to be played in the next four years.

Stirling, 33, has led his country 22 times across formats (six ODIs, 16 T20Is). He has appeared for Ireland on 376 occasions, 13 short of Kevin O’Brien’s record number of caps.

Stirling was appointed the interim white-ball captain in July 2023 after Andrew Balbirnie stepped down from that role.
 
Surely an Ireland legend in the making.
 

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Ireland Under-19s Men's squad make history with win over New Zealand​

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa – Ireland Under-19s Men made history in their final game of the 2024 ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup, beating New Zealand by 41 runs (DLS) in a weather-affected game to finish in eight place overall, Ireland’s highest-ever position in the competition’s history.

The victory – the first-ever win by an Irish team over a New Zealand side at any level – capped off a tournament that means Ireland qualify automatically for the competition in 2026.

Having chosen to bat first, the Irish side posted a competitive total of 267-9 from their 50 overs. The bowling unit then backed up the impressive batting display with an equally industrious bowling performance, led by Olly Riley (3-20) before nearby lightning halted play and the game never resumed with New Zealand behind the DLS par score.

Coming into the game, Ireland had made one change to the side from the defeat to Pakistan on Tuesday, with Daniel Forkin coming in for Carson McCullough.

After an impressive start by openers Ryan Hunter (24) and Jordan Neill (19), both batters were back in the pavilion inside ten overs. Too often in this tournament the Irish batters lost wickets in clusters, however, today was to be different with Gavin Roulston (82) and Player of the Match Kian Hilton (72) scoring a confident 129-run 3rd wicket stand.

At 181-2 in the 36th over, New Zealand hit back – first removing Hilton with a reflex caught and bowled by Robbie Foulkes, then within the next five overs a further four more wickets fell, with the left-handed medium-fast pacer Ewald Schreuder the main protagonist.

Watching on from the non-strikers end and fearing a collapse would not do justice to the platform laid by the earlier batters, Bready left-hander Roulston stepped up his scoring. His half-century came from 81 balls, but his next 31 runs came from 21 balls, with a knock that at one stage threatened to take the game away from New Zealand until Roulston holed out at deep midwicket in the last over – his highest score at Under-19 level. Ireland’s innings finished soon after with 268 the target set for New Zealand.

In reply, Riley struck with the first ball of the eighth over taking the wicket of Luke Watson thanks to an excellent diving catch by Hilton at backward point. With New Zealand under scoreboard pressure early on Foulkes and JJ Nelson partnered up for 46 runs before Ireland took three wickets in the space of eight overs to take control of the game.

Harry Dyer came back into the attack and removed Snehith Reddy (11) – thanks to the quick hands of Hunter behind the stumps – and New Zealand were reeling at 130-5. It was then that dangerous lightning in the immediate vicinity of the Manguang Oval became a safety concern for the umpires and play was suspended. After a delay of almost 90 minutes the game was called off by the umpires and Ireland celebrated a famous victory.

cricketireland.ie

History made

Ireland Under-19s Men made history in their final game of the 2024 ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup, beating New Zealand by 41 runs (DLS).
cricketireland.ie cricketireland.ie
 
hassan918 said:

Ireland Under-19s Men's squad make history with win over New Zealand​

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa – Ireland Under-19s Men made history in their final game of the 2024 ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup, beating New Zealand by 41 runs (DLS) in a weather-affected game to finish in eight place overall, Ireland’s highest-ever position in the competition’s history.

The victory – the first-ever win by an Irish team over a New Zealand side at any level – capped off a tournament that means Ireland qualify automatically for the competition in 2026.

Having chosen to bat first, the Irish side posted a competitive total of 267-9 from their 50 overs. The bowling unit then backed up the impressive batting display with an equally industrious bowling performance, led by Olly Riley (3-20) before nearby lightning halted play and the game never resumed with New Zealand behind the DLS par score.

Coming into the game, Ireland had made one change to the side from the defeat to Pakistan on Tuesday, with Daniel Forkin coming in for Carson McCullough.

After an impressive start by openers Ryan Hunter (24) and Jordan Neill (19), both batters were back in the pavilion inside ten overs. Too often in this tournament the Irish batters lost wickets in clusters, however, today was to be different with Gavin Roulston (82) and Player of the Match Kian Hilton (72) scoring a confident 129-run 3rd wicket stand.

At 181-2 in the 36th over, New Zealand hit back – first removing Hilton with a reflex caught and bowled by Robbie Foulkes, then within the next five overs a further four more wickets fell, with the left-handed medium-fast pacer Ewald Schreuder the main protagonist.

Watching on from the non-strikers end and fearing a collapse would not do justice to the platform laid by the earlier batters, Bready left-hander Roulston stepped up his scoring. His half-century came from 81 balls, but his next 31 runs came from 21 balls, with a knock that at one stage threatened to take the game away from New Zealand until Roulston holed out at deep midwicket in the last over – his highest score at Under-19 level. Ireland’s innings finished soon after with 268 the target set for New Zealand.

In reply, Riley struck with the first ball of the eighth over taking the wicket of Luke Watson thanks to an excellent diving catch by Hilton at backward point. With New Zealand under scoreboard pressure early on Foulkes and JJ Nelson partnered up for 46 runs before Ireland took three wickets in the space of eight overs to take control of the game.

Harry Dyer came back into the attack and removed Snehith Reddy (11) – thanks to the quick hands of Hunter behind the stumps – and New Zealand were reeling at 130-5. It was then that dangerous lightning in the immediate vicinity of the Manguang Oval became a safety concern for the umpires and play was suspended. After a delay of almost 90 minutes the game was called off by the umpires and Ireland celebrated a famous victory.

cricketireland.ie

History made

Ireland Under-19s Men made history in their final game of the 2024 ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup, beating New Zealand by 41 runs (DLS).
cricketireland.ie cricketireland.ie
Click to expand...

This is what Ireland has achieved.

1. First-ever win by an Irish side over a New Zealand side at any level
2. 8th place finish - highest-ever placing for Ireland at U19 World Cup
3. Automatic qualification achieved for 2026 tournament
 
Ireland Men will take on Pakistan Men in three T20Is at Clontarf on 10, 12 and 14 May 2024.

These matches will start at 3pm each day.

The two sides are building up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June, and will meet each other on 16 June 2024 in the first Group Stage of the tournament.
 
T20 World Cup in focus as Ireland outline busy summer schedule

Ireland Men's team will have seven home T20Is in May ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.
Ireland face Pakistan in a three-match home T20I series followed by a tri-series also involving Netherlands and Scotland ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.

The seven games will be crucial as the Irish team amp up preparations for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean Islands and USA where they are in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, Canada and USA.

2007 CWC | Ireland upset Pakistan and knock them out
Ireland Men will also play a maiden Test match against Zimbabwe in July with Stormont in Belfast set to host a Test match for the first time.

The men's team will also play South Africa in two T20Is and three ODIs in Abu Dhabi in September-October.

Ireland Men's team fixtures
Pakistan series

10 May: Ireland Men v Pakistan Men (1st T20I; Clontarf)

12 May: Ireland Men v Pakistan Men (2nd T20I; Clontarf)

14 May: Ireland Men v Pakistan Men (3rd T20I; Clontarf)

Tri-Series

19 May 2024: Ireland v Netherlands (T20I; VRA; start 4pm)

20 May 2024: Ireland v Scotland (T20I; VRA; start 5pm)

23 May 2024: Ireland v Scotland (T20I; VRA; start TBC)

24 May 2024: Ireland v Netherlands (T20I; VRA; start TBC)

T20 World Cup 2024

31 May: Warm-up Match v TBC (T20I; Fort Lauderdale)

5 June: India Men v Ireland Men (T20I; New York)

7 June: Ireland Men v Canada Men (T20I; New York)

14 June: USA Men v Ireland Men (T20I; Fort Lauderdale)

16 June: Ireland Men v Pakistan Men (T20I; Fort Lauderdale)

Zimbabwe Test

25-29 July: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men (Test Match; Stormont; 11am start time)

South Africa series

27 September: Ireland Men v South Africa Men (1st T20I; Abu Dhabi)

29 September: Ireland Men v South Africa Men (2nd T20I; Abu Dhabi)

2 October: Ireland Men v South Africa Men (1st ODI; Abu Dhabi)

4 October: Ireland Men v South Africa Men (2nd ODI; Abu Dhabi)

7 October: Ireland Men v South Africa Men (3rd ODI; Abu Dhabi)

Source: ICC
 
Cricket Ireland and the Irish Cricketers’ Association (ICA) have reached an agreement on the terms of player contracts, paving the way for updated men’s and women’s contracts to be issued for 2024-25

Cricket Ireland and the ICA will now finalise the terms of an inaugural Memorandum of Understanding, which both parties believe is progressing very well. This agreement will secure the overall relationship between Cricket Ireland and contracted players and will reflect the best-practice relationships that exist in other Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA)-aligned countries around the world.

Revised contracts will be issued immediately and will apply until the end of February 2025.

Further details about the MoU and contracts will be published in due course.

Warren Deutrom, CEO of Cricket Ireland, said:

“We are delighted to have reached agreement around player contract terms for this year. The new contract structure reflects a more sophisticated model which includes revenue share models, performance bonus agreements, and other factors we are looking to codify in the MOU we are now finalising with the ICA.

“From the inception of player payments, the Cricket Ireland Board has always prioritised our senior men’s and women’s players to reward them for their huge part in driving forward the sport in Ireland. The players have received the biggest share of the new money in Irish cricket this year. That is as it should be. I believe we have done our best to reward players for their hard work and success without forgetting our duty to fund the rest of the sport, particularly at grassroots, club and provincial level, to ensure we can produce future internationals as well.

“These negotiations have taken time to finalise due to the later than planned sign-off of our budget and the complexity of the new model for player contracts. However, at all times, we have been working very positively with the ICA to ensure we reached an agreement that works for all.

“I want to sincerely thank Cecelia and everyone at ICA for helping us navigate these complex discussions – there has been an excellent level of cooperation, formal and informal, which means we remained focus on reaching an agreed position, and that same approach will surely help us reach agreement in the coming months on our first-ever MOU with ICA.”

Cecelia Joyce, President of the ICA, said:

“The ICA was founded in 2017 with the core aims of advocating and providing a voice for players and contributing to the growth of the game in Ireland.

“Our members have been unified throughout this whole process and the outcome is a significant one for all professional players in Ireland, and the game. It ensures greater transparency and clarity with respect to the players’ share of revenue and on contracting structures for the next period.

“The most successful models in Cricket and other sports globally are built on partnership and acknowledge players as key stakeholders. This outcome is a significant step towards that model and we are looking forward to finalising the first comprehensive MOU between CI and ICA to align with best practice as a priority.

“In my role as ICA President, I would personally like to thank the ICA team and all ICA members for their faith, their absolute commitment and their hard work during this journey. I also want to thank the CI Board, Warren and his colleagues at CI for the collaborative way we have managed to finalise these discussions. This is a key moment for all professional cricketers, Cricket Ireland and indeed cricket in Ireland.”
 

Heinrich Malan agrees contract extension until 2027​


Malan, 43, was appointed Ireland Men’s Head Coach in January 2022, beginning work in March that year on an initial three-year contract. His extension will take him to mid-2027, at which time Ireland Men will know if they have qualified for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. That event – to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia – will be a key focus of Malan’s over the next three years.

Speaking ahead of his sides departure for the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup, he said:

“I am delighted with the extension as it provides the squad and coaching staff a great deal more certainty as we build upon the foundations we have put in place over the last two years.

“We are now a three-format squad and – despite our smaller talent pool to draw from compared to other Full Members – we have been gradually building a sustainable structure that ensures we can continue to compete and improve on all three fronts.

“One area I have been keen on developing is our players being able to better read the game situation and then, where they judge it appropriate, to have the freedom and confidence to try and impose their style and natural instincts on the game. Some of our younger players are literally learning this ability on the job, which means there are days they will fail, but failure is a key part of the learning process. What we as coaches are looking for is evidence that those unsuccessful experiences are analysed and understood by the player and become part of the experience they can draw upon in future matches.

“This work has borne fruit in two successful T20 World Cup qualifying campaigns and in our recent Test success. But we are all conscious that we’ve missed out on playing in the last two 50-over world cups, and qualification for the 2027 tournament will be one of the focus areas across the next three years.”

Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director of Cricket Ireland, said:

“Quite honestly, it was a very straightforward decision to extend Heinrich’s contract. Heinrich’s communication has been excellent with players and support personnel, ensuring greater clarity in roles, responsibilities and key planning processes.

“Over the last 18 months or so, the team has improved significantly in the T20 format which was our weakest format. His research into what world-class looks like, and the data he has gathered around the T20 format globally, has led to the production of a blueprint for the Ireland Men’s team which is now showing signs of success with a recent win against Pakistan, and a 3-0 Tri-series win in the Netherlands last week.

“The culture, behaviours and professionalism in the squad is in a very good place, and there is constant work to improve and learn from each international series or global event. Heinrich has also helped shape a support staff set-up that ensure every member has clear roles that complement our players’ development.

“Whilst we know Test cricket is the format we play least currently, we have made good strides with our first Test win in March and are looking forward to more Test cricket this summer and onwards.

“With new leadership in white-ball cricket, the relationship between Heinrich and the two captains has been key. This goes from strength-to-strength and we now have a key focus on strategic planning towards the 2027 Cricket World Cup in mind. I look forward to seeing what the next three years brings.”
 
Ireland will become a complete Air Force, Army and Navy for team Pakistan in this world cup as hey gave us a brief demo last week.

Ireland would have an upper hand for sure!
 
Cricket Ireland says Singh faces fight for life

Ireland all-rounder Simi Singh is facing "life-threatening health circumstances" after it was reported he is suffering from acute liver failure and requires a transplant.

Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom, who confirmed the situation, described it as "shocking" to learn that 37-year-old Singh was seriously ill, and sent him "best wishes and prayers... as he takes on this new fight".

After feeling unwell in Ireland for some time, Singh returned to his native India for treatment earlier this summer.

The Times of India has reported that Singh is in the Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon awaiting a transplant and that his wife Agamdeep will donate part of her liver.

"The transplant is likely to be performed very soon, and the doctors are positive that the outcome will be in Simi's favour and will give him a new lease of life," the cricketer's father-in-law Parvinder Singh told the Times of India.

Deutrom described Singh as "a central figure within Irish cricket – whether at international, provincial or club level".

"He has shown a desire and drive to succeed," Deutrom added.

"We now hope that this same drive will see him come through the current circumstances. Stay strong, Simi, we're all behind you."

Singh has played 35 one-day internationals for Ireland and made 53 T20 appearances for the country, playing in the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup tournaments.


BBC
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Cricket Ireland says Singh faces fight for life

Ireland all-rounder Simi Singh is facing "life-threatening health circumstances" after it was reported he is suffering from acute liver failure and requires a transplant.

Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom, who confirmed the situation, described it as "shocking" to learn that 37-year-old Singh was seriously ill, and sent him "best wishes and prayers... as he takes on this new fight".

After feeling unwell in Ireland for some time, Singh returned to his native India for treatment earlier this summer.

The Times of India has reported that Singh is in the Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon awaiting a transplant and that his wife Agamdeep will donate part of her liver.

"The transplant is likely to be performed very soon, and the doctors are positive that the outcome will be in Simi's favour and will give him a new lease of life," the cricketer's father-in-law Parvinder Singh told the Times of India.

Deutrom described Singh as "a central figure within Irish cricket – whether at international, provincial or club level".

"He has shown a desire and drive to succeed," Deutrom added.

"We now hope that this same drive will see him come through the current circumstances. Stay strong, Simi, we're all behind you."

Singh has played 35 one-day internationals for Ireland and made 53 T20 appearances for the country, playing in the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cup tournaments.


BBC
Click to expand...

May Simi get well soon.

Didn't know Simi was 37. I thought he was much younger.
 
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