Cricket in Ireland
Encyclopedia
Cricket
is a long established sport in Ireland
. Cricket is governed by Cricket Ireland, which maintains the Ireland Cricket team and Ireland women's cricket team. Following the team's success in 2007 Cricket World Cup
, the sport increased its fanbase in Ireland
. Ireland is an Associate member of International Cricket Council
and plays in tournaments like World Cricket League
and ICC Intercontinental Cup
which are the qualifying rounds for Associate teams to gain promotion to One Day International and Test
matches, including Cricket World Cup
and ICC World Twenty20
. Ireland
has been impressive in recent years and are qualified for 2009 ICC World Twenty20
and 2011 Cricket World Cup
. They were, also, runners-up in 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier
and thus, participated in 2010 ICC World Twenty20
in the West Indies. In 2011 Cricket World Cup
, they had beaten England in the league matches.
by the English in the towns of Kilkenny
and Ballinasloe in the early 19th century. In the 1830s, the game began to drop down; many of the clubs which were founded in the following 30 years are still in existence today. The first Irish national team played in 1855 against The Gentlemen of England in Dublin. In the 1850s, the Englishman Charles Lawrence
was responsible for developing the game in Ireland through his coaching. In the 1850s and 1860s, Ireland was visited for the first time by touring professional teams. Ireland's first match against Marylebone Cricket Club
– the M.C.C. – was in 1858.
The game increased in popularity until the early 1880s. The land war in the 1880s resulting from the Irish Land Commission
and a ban on playing "foreign" games by the Gaelic Athletic Association
set back the spread of cricket. The ban was not lifted until 1970. Anyone playing foreign games such as cricket would be banned from the extremely popular Irish games such as hurling
and Gaelic football
. Irish teams toured Canada and the USA in 1879, 1888, 1892, and 1909. On top of this, Ireland defeated a touring South African side in 1904. Their first match with first-class
status was played on 19 May 1902 against a London County side including W.G. Grace. The Irish, captained by Sir Tim O'Brien
, lost convincingly by 238 runs
.
The first Irish national team took the field in 1855 long before any Test match was ever played. The match was versus the Gentlemen of England in Dublin. The touring professional teams all came to Ireland in the 1850s and 1860s. The first match against the M.C.C.
was in 1858.
The spread of cricket continued until the early 1880s. Two events then became retarding factors. The first was the outbreak of land wars when landlord and tenant were alienated. The second was a ban placed on the playing of foreign games by the Gaelic Athletic Association
which is the governing body for hurling
and Gaelic football
. This ban was not lifted until 1970. If a player played Gaelic games he could not play the foreign games. If he did he would be banned from the Irish games.
The 2005 ICC Trophy
was hosted by Ireland.
After Ireland's successes at the 2007 World Cup
, cricket experienced a popularity boom in Ireland, with participation reaching record levels.
(ICU) – the governing body of Irish cricket – was officially founded in 1923, although its predecessor had been active since 1890. In 2007, it announced major changes in order to bring it in-line with the main cricket governing bodies. After the World Cup, Irish cricket experienced a dip in success with poor results in the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy as many players were unavailable. The Irish cricket team was – and still is – an amateur side and most of the players had full-time jobs with commitments conflicting with cricket. After the World Cup there were delays in paying the players which resulted in them ignoring the press in protest to their treatment after an Intercontinental Cup match against Kenya.
Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of the ICU, has stated that it wants to "seek actively to place Irish players into top-level cricket, by developing relationships with [especially] county cricket which will incorporate appropriate player release for Irish international duty, and feeder systems for developing Irish cricketers". The reorganised ICU's sought to make closer links with the English counties, encourage the development of age group cricket, and to introduce a professional element into the Irish game. They also want to take the Irish cricket team on winter tours more often. In an attempt to prevent the game losing players to counties or other commitments such as jobs, it was suggested that central contracts should be introduced, however this never came to fruition.
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Ireland, along with Scotland, has at times played in competitions for English county cricket sides, including the Benson & Hedges Cup
and the Friends Provident Trophy (previously the C&G Trophy
). Since there is no nationality restriction in county cricket, non-Irish players have competed for Ireland in these matches. For example Hansie Cronje
of South Africa competed for Ireland in the 1997 Benson & Hedges Cup, and more recently New Zealander Jesse Ryder
played for Ireland in 2007. In 2004 Ireland beat Surrey
by five wickets in the C&G Trophy.
For the 2006 season, the C&G Trophy was reorganised to include a round-robin stage instead of being entirely knock-out. Whereas Ireland had only one match guaranteed in the tournament before, they now had more fixtures against English county sides. For the 2006 tournament, they were bolstered by the signings of Saqlain Mushtaq
and Shahid Afridi
, the two overseas players they were allowed when competing in English domestic competitions. Ireland recorded one win in their nine matches. Their victory was over Gloucestershire
on 30 April by 47 runs.
The C&G Trophy changed its name to Friends Provident Trophy for the 2007 season. In 2007, Ireland played in the Friends Provident Trophy against nine English county sides. Of those nine matches, they lost six and the remaining three matches were abandoned due to rain. They finished bottom in the South Conference of the trophy. For the 2008 season, the round-robin section of the trophy was changed from two divisions to three; Ireland were in the newly formed Midlands Division. In 2008, Ireland played eight games in the Midlands Division, winning one match with one no result and six losses. They finished fifth in the division which had five teams. Ireland's four wicket victory over Warwickshire
on 16 May was Ireland's first win in the competition against a county side for two years. Captain William Porterfield anchored the innings with 69 runs.
team representing all Ireland
(i.e. both the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland
).
Dublin-born batsman Ed Joyce
has played with some success as part of Ireland's ICC Trophy
team and is now a key member of the Sussex
side in England's County Championship
; he also previously captained Middlesex in the 2004 season. He has also played for England. Talented batsman Eoin Morgan
who earlier represented Ireland in tournaments including the ICC World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20
qualified and now plays for England, making no secret of his desire to play Test cricket.
, Munster
, Northern
and North West
- organising its own senior leagues and cups. Since 1982, the Irish Cricket Union has organised the Irish Senior Cup
on an all-Ireland basis.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is a long established sport in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Cricket is governed by Cricket Ireland, which maintains the Ireland Cricket team and Ireland women's cricket team. Following the team's success in 2007 Cricket World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
, the sport increased its fanbase in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Ireland is an Associate member of International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
and plays in tournaments like World Cricket League
World Cricket League
The ICC World Cricket League is a series of international one-day cricket tournaments for national teams without Test status, administered by the International Cricket Council. All associate and affiliate members of the ICC are eligible to compete in the league system, which features a promotion...
and ICC Intercontinental Cup
ICC Intercontinental Cup
The ICC Intercontinental Cup is a cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council as part of its cricket development programme...
which are the qualifying rounds for Associate teams to gain promotion to One Day International and Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
matches, including Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
and ICC World Twenty20
ICC World Twenty20
The ICC World Twenty20 or ICC World T20 also referred to as the T20 World Cup is the international championship of Twenty20 cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council...
. Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
has been impressive in recent years and are qualified for 2009 ICC World Twenty20
2009 ICC World Twenty20
The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 was an international Twenty20 cricket tournament which took place in England in June 2009. It was the second ICC World Twenty20 tournament, following the inaugural event in South Africa in September 2007...
and 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
. They were, also, runners-up in 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier
2010 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier
The 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier was played from February 9–13, 2010 in the United Arab Emirates and a part of ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier series...
and thus, participated in 2010 ICC World Twenty20
2010 ICC World Twenty20
-------------------------------------------------Group A:---------Group B:---------Group C:---------Group D:---------Super 8s:...
in the West Indies. In 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
, they had beaten England in the league matches.
History
Cricket was introduced to IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
by the English in the towns of Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
and Ballinasloe in the early 19th century. In the 1830s, the game began to drop down; many of the clubs which were founded in the following 30 years are still in existence today. The first Irish national team played in 1855 against The Gentlemen of England in Dublin. In the 1850s, the Englishman Charles Lawrence
Charles Lawrence (cricketer)
Charles Lawrence was a Surrey cricketer, represented England but is most notable as the captain-coach of the Aborigine cricket team that toured England in 1868, the first ever tour of England by an Australian team....
was responsible for developing the game in Ireland through his coaching. In the 1850s and 1860s, Ireland was visited for the first time by touring professional teams. Ireland's first match against Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
– the M.C.C. – was in 1858.
The game increased in popularity until the early 1880s. The land war in the 1880s resulting from the Irish Land Commission
Irish Land Commission
The Irish Land Commission was created in 1881 as a rent fixing commission by the Land Law Act 1881, also known as the second Irish Land Act...
and a ban on playing "foreign" games by the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
set back the spread of cricket. The ban was not lifted until 1970. Anyone playing foreign games such as cricket would be banned from the extremely popular Irish games such as hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
. Irish teams toured Canada and the USA in 1879, 1888, 1892, and 1909. On top of this, Ireland defeated a touring South African side in 1904. Their first match with first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
status was played on 19 May 1902 against a London County side including W.G. Grace. The Irish, captained by Sir Tim O'Brien
Sir Tim O'Brien, 3rd Baronet
Sir Timothy "Tim" Carew O'Brien, 3rd Baronet was born at Dublin on 5 November 1861 and died at Ramsey, Isle of Man on 9 December 1948. He was an Irish baronet who played cricket for England in five Test matches....
, lost convincingly by 238 runs
The result in cricket
The result in a game of cricket may be a win for one of the two teams playing, a draw or a tie. In the case of a limited overs game, the game can also end with no result...
.
The first Irish national team took the field in 1855 long before any Test match was ever played. The match was versus the Gentlemen of England in Dublin. The touring professional teams all came to Ireland in the 1850s and 1860s. The first match against the M.C.C.
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
was in 1858.
The spread of cricket continued until the early 1880s. Two events then became retarding factors. The first was the outbreak of land wars when landlord and tenant were alienated. The second was a ban placed on the playing of foreign games by the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
which is the governing body for hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
. This ban was not lifted until 1970. If a player played Gaelic games he could not play the foreign games. If he did he would be banned from the Irish games.
The 2005 ICC Trophy
ICC Trophy
The ICC World Cup Qualifier is an international one-day cricket tournament run under the auspices of the International Cricket Council. Any Associate or Affiliate member of the ICC may attempt to qualify for the ICC Trophy by means of a system of regional qualifying events. The test-playing Full...
was hosted by Ireland.
After Ireland's successes at the 2007 World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
, cricket experienced a popularity boom in Ireland, with participation reaching record levels.
Governing body
The Irish Cricket UnionIrish Cricket Union
Cricket Ireland, officially the Irish Cricket Union , is the governing body for cricket in Ireland , and oversees the Ireland cricket team and Ireland women's cricket team...
(ICU) – the governing body of Irish cricket – was officially founded in 1923, although its predecessor had been active since 1890. In 2007, it announced major changes in order to bring it in-line with the main cricket governing bodies. After the World Cup, Irish cricket experienced a dip in success with poor results in the 2007 Friends Provident Trophy as many players were unavailable. The Irish cricket team was – and still is – an amateur side and most of the players had full-time jobs with commitments conflicting with cricket. After the World Cup there were delays in paying the players which resulted in them ignoring the press in protest to their treatment after an Intercontinental Cup match against Kenya.
Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of the ICU, has stated that it wants to "seek actively to place Irish players into top-level cricket, by developing relationships with [especially] county cricket which will incorporate appropriate player release for Irish international duty, and feeder systems for developing Irish cricketers". The reorganised ICU's sought to make closer links with the English counties, encourage the development of age group cricket, and to introduce a professional element into the Irish game. They also want to take the Irish cricket team on winter tours more often. In an attempt to prevent the game losing players to counties or other commitments such as jobs, it was suggested that central contracts should be introduced, however this never came to fruition.
English county competition
Ireland, along with Scotland, has at times played in competitions for English county cricket sides, including the Benson & Hedges Cup
Benson & Hedges Cup
The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one-day cricket competition for first-class counties in England and Wales that was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest sponsorship deals....
and the Friends Provident Trophy (previously the C&G Trophy
C&G Trophy
The Friends Provident Trophy was a one-day cricket competition in the United Kingdom.It was one of the four tournaments in which the eighteen first-class counties compete each season. They were joined by teams from Scotland and Ireland...
). Since there is no nationality restriction in county cricket, non-Irish players have competed for Ireland in these matches. For example Hansie Cronje
Hansie Cronje
Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje was a South African cricketer and captain of the South African national cricket team in the 1990s...
of South Africa competed for Ireland in the 1997 Benson & Hedges Cup, and more recently New Zealander Jesse Ryder
Jesse Ryder
Jesse Daniel Ryder is a New Zealand cricketer. He is a middle-order batsman for Tests and is an opening batsman in ODIs. Ryder also bowls useful medium-pace. He has previously represented his country in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup of 2002...
played for Ireland in 2007. In 2004 Ireland beat Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
by five wickets in the C&G Trophy.
For the 2006 season, the C&G Trophy was reorganised to include a round-robin stage instead of being entirely knock-out. Whereas Ireland had only one match guaranteed in the tournament before, they now had more fixtures against English county sides. For the 2006 tournament, they were bolstered by the signings of Saqlain Mushtaq
Saqlain Mushtaq
Saqlain Mushtaq is a Pakistani cricketer, regarded as one of the finest off spin bowlers of all time.He is best known for pioneering the "doosra", which he employed to great effect during his career...
and Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi
Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi , popularly known as Shahid Afridi , is a Pakistani cricketer. Between 1996 and 2011, Afridi played 27 Tests, 325 One Day Internationals, and 43 Twenty20 Internationals for the Pakistani national team...
, the two overseas players they were allowed when competing in English domestic competitions. Ireland recorded one win in their nine matches. Their victory was over Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
on 30 April by 47 runs.
The C&G Trophy changed its name to Friends Provident Trophy for the 2007 season. In 2007, Ireland played in the Friends Provident Trophy against nine English county sides. Of those nine matches, they lost six and the remaining three matches were abandoned due to rain. They finished bottom in the South Conference of the trophy. For the 2008 season, the round-robin section of the trophy was changed from two divisions to three; Ireland were in the newly formed Midlands Division. In 2008, Ireland played eight games in the Midlands Division, winning one match with one no result and six losses. They finished fifth in the division which had five teams. Ireland's four wicket victory over Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
on 16 May was Ireland's first win in the competition against a county side for two years. Captain William Porterfield anchored the innings with 69 runs.
National team
The Ireland cricket team is the cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team representing all Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(i.e. both the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
).
Dublin-born batsman Ed Joyce
Ed Joyce
Edmund Christopher Joyce is an Irish cricketer who has played for both the Irish and English national cricket teams. After beginning his career with Middlesex, he moved to Sussex in 2009. A left-handed batsman and occasional right-arm bowler of medium pace, Joyce is widely regarded as one of the...
has played with some success as part of Ireland's ICC Trophy
ICC Trophy
The ICC World Cup Qualifier is an international one-day cricket tournament run under the auspices of the International Cricket Council. Any Associate or Affiliate member of the ICC may attempt to qualify for the ICC Trophy by means of a system of regional qualifying events. The test-playing Full...
team and is now a key member of the Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
side in England's County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
; he also previously captained Middlesex in the 2004 season. He has also played for England. Talented batsman Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan
Eoin Joseph Gerard Morgan is an Irish cricketer who plays for the England national cricket team. A left-handed batsman, he plays county cricket for Middlesex and has been selected for England's Test, ODI and Twenty20 squads. He originally represented his native Ireland at international level...
who earlier represented Ireland in tournaments including the ICC World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20
ICC World Twenty20
The ICC World Twenty20 or ICC World T20 also referred to as the T20 World Cup is the international championship of Twenty20 cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council...
qualified and now plays for England, making no secret of his desire to play Test cricket.
Club cricket
Club cricket is organised on a provincial basis, with each of four provinces - LeinsterLeinster Cricket Union
The Leinster Cricket Union, also known as Cricket Leinster, is one of four provincial governing bodies for cricket in Ireland. Along with the Northern, Munster and North West unions, it makes up the Irish Cricket Union , the supreme governing body of Irish cricket.The Leinster jurisdiction covers...
, Munster
Munster Cricket Union
The Munster Cricket Union is one of four provincial governing bodies for cricket in Ireland. Along with the Northern, Leinster and North West unions, it makes up the Irish Cricket Union , the supreme governing body of Irish cricket....
, Northern
Northern Cricket Union of Ireland
The Northern Cricket Union of Ireland, more usually referred to as the Northern Cricket Union or the N.C.U., is one of four provincial governing bodies in Ireland...
and North West
North West of Ireland Cricket Union
The North West of Ireland Cricket Union, often referred to as the North West Cricket Union, is one of four provincial governing bodies in Ireland...
- organising its own senior leagues and cups. Since 1982, the Irish Cricket Union has organised the Irish Senior Cup
Irish Senior Cup
Irish Senior Cup may refer to*Irish Senior Cup - knockout competition for senior men's cricket clubs in Ireland*Irish Senior Cup - knockout competition for senior men's hockey clubs in Ireland...
on an all-Ireland basis.