Niall O'Brien (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Niall John O'Brien is an Irish cricketer educated at Marian College, Ballsbridge
. He is a left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. O'Brien's brother Kevin
plays with him in the Irish team. His father, Brendan
, played cricket for Ireland from 1966 to 1981, and his sister Ciara O'Brien is in the Irish women's hockey team.
. His brother Kevin
is also a member of the Irish team. Their father Brendan
played 52 times for Ireland.
Along with fellow Irish player Ed Joyce
, O'Brien made a series of impressive performances for Ireland before starting to take part in English cricket with Kent
. O'Brien found multiple chances to perform for his county as fellow wicket-keeper Geraint Jones
has found himself performing more often for the England cricket team.
After being released by Kent he signed a one-year deal with Northamptonshire for 2007. At the end of the 2008 season
, O'Brien was named Northamptonshire's player of the year and was rewarded for his consistent performances with a three year contract with the club. A representative of Northamptonshire CCC said "Niall, who has just returned from international duty, was in sensational form last season with the bat, scoring over 850 championship runs and piling on the runs in one-day competitions in a new pinch-hitter role". In a tour match against Australia during the 2009 Ashes
in July 2009, O'Brien made scores of 30 and 58 in a match Northamptonshire lost. During his half century, he scored seven boundaries off the struggling Mitchell Johnson
. O'Brien missed most of the 2010 after undergoing finger surgery in July; in his absence, David Murphy
was Northamptonshire's first-choice wicket-keeper.
when Lara refused to walk after being apparently caught behind. Ireland caused an upset when they went on to win the match, with O'Brien scoring 58* off 57 balls. In 2006 he was banned for one ICC Intercontinental Cup
match after an outburst criticising the groundsman at an Intercontinental Cup game with Scotland because of condition of the pitch.
His innings of 72 from 107 balls in the 2007 Cricket World Cup
group match against Pakistan helped Ireland earn an upset victory and also earned him the man of the match award.
In the same year, he joined the Essel Group's Indian Cricket League
(ICL) to represent the Delhi Jets team for one season. O'Brien became the first player to play international cricket after playing in the ICL when he played an Intercontinental Cup match against United Arab Emirates in March 2008; he went on to score 174 in Ireland's nine-wicket win.
O'Brien set a World Twenty20 record with his 4 dismissals against Sri Lanka in the Super 8 stage of the 2009 ICC World Twenty20
.
O'Brien was one of seven Ireland players to be nominated for the 2009 Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year (there were fourteen nominees in all), although he did not make the 4-man short-list. O'Brien was selected in Ireland's 15-man squad for the 2011 World Cup
.
O'Brien was selected in Ireland's 15-man squad for the 2011 World Cup
to be hosted by Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka between February and April. During the tournament he became the third player to score 1,000 ODI runs for Ireland after William Porterfield
and his brother Kevin. He passed this landmark in Ireland's five-wicket defeat to India. In the same match, O'Brien and Porterfield established a new records for Ireland's third wicket in ODI, putting on 113 runs together.
competition. O'Brien also assumed a part time coaching role while at the club and considers the time spent in Australia as some of the most vital parts of his career.
He also played two seasons of first grade for North Sydney
in the Sydney Grade Competition in 2003/04 and 2005/06. He also played a season with the Mosman club as an 18 year old.
Marian College (Dublin)
Marian College is a Marist Catholic secondary school on Lansdowne Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin. The school motto is Optimum Optare - the pursuit of excellence. The school was founded in 1954 and has a student population of 413 boys and 12 girls...
. He is a left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. O'Brien's brother Kevin
Kevin O'Brien (cricketer)
Kevin Joseph O'Brien is an Irish cricketer who plays for Railway Union Cricket Club and Gloucestershire. He holds the world record for the fastest century ever scored at a World Cup, coming from 50 balls against England on 2 March 2011. An all-rounder, O'Brien is an aggressive right-handed...
plays with him in the Irish team. His father, Brendan
Brendan O'Brien (cricketer)
Brendan Anthony O'Brien is a former Irish cricketer. O'Brien was a right-handed batsman. He was born at Galway, County Galway....
, played cricket for Ireland from 1966 to 1981, and his sister Ciara O'Brien is in the Irish women's hockey team.
Personal life and education
O'Brien was educated in Marian College, BallsbridgeMarian College (Dublin)
Marian College is a Marist Catholic secondary school on Lansdowne Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin. The school motto is Optimum Optare - the pursuit of excellence. The school was founded in 1954 and has a student population of 413 boys and 12 girls...
. His brother Kevin
Kevin O'Brien (cricketer)
Kevin Joseph O'Brien is an Irish cricketer who plays for Railway Union Cricket Club and Gloucestershire. He holds the world record for the fastest century ever scored at a World Cup, coming from 50 balls against England on 2 March 2011. An all-rounder, O'Brien is an aggressive right-handed...
is also a member of the Irish team. Their father Brendan
Brendan O'Brien (cricketer)
Brendan Anthony O'Brien is a former Irish cricketer. O'Brien was a right-handed batsman. He was born at Galway, County Galway....
played 52 times for Ireland.
Kent
| O'Brien's batting statistics with Kent | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | Runs | Average | 100/50 | Highest score | |
| First-class | 38 | 1,122 | 24.93 | 0/7 | 69 |
| LA | 35 | 220 | 15.71 | 0/0 | 43 |
| T20 | 20 | 59 | 11.80 | 0/0 | 12 |
Along with fellow Irish player 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...
, O'Brien made a series of impressive performances for Ireland before starting to take part in English cricket with Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
. O'Brien found multiple chances to perform for his county as fellow wicket-keeper Geraint Jones
Geraint Jones
Geraint Owen Jones MBE is an England cricketer of Welsh extraction but raised in Australia. Until August 2006 he was the first-choice wicketkeeper for England in both Test and One-day cricket, but fell behind Chris Read, Paul Nixon, Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose...
has found himself performing more often for the England cricket team.
Northamptonshire
| O'Brien's batting statistics with Northamptonshire up to the end of 2010 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | Runs | Average | 100/50 | Highest score | |
| First-class | 34 | 1,816 | 34.26 | 4/6 | 168 |
| LA | 31 | 817 | 31.42 | 0/6 | 95 |
| T20 | 27 | 582 | 24.25 | 0/1 | 69 |
After being released by Kent he signed a one-year deal with Northamptonshire for 2007. At the end of the 2008 season
2008 English cricket season
The 2008 season of England's county cricket saw the four regular tournaments played: The LV County Championship , Friends Provident Trophy , NatWest Pro40 League and the Twenty20 Cup...
, O'Brien was named Northamptonshire's player of the year and was rewarded for his consistent performances with a three year contract with the club. A representative of Northamptonshire CCC said "Niall, who has just returned from international duty, was in sensational form last season with the bat, scoring over 850 championship runs and piling on the runs in one-day competitions in a new pinch-hitter role". In a tour match against Australia during the 2009 Ashes
Australian cricket team in England in 2009
The Australia national cricket team toured Great Britain to play a series of cricket matches during the 2009 English cricket season. The team played five Test matches – one in Wales – seven one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals against England. The Australians also...
in July 2009, O'Brien made scores of 30 and 58 in a match Northamptonshire lost. During his half century, he scored seven boundaries off the struggling Mitchell Johnson
Mitchell Johnson (cricketer)
Mitchell Guy Johnson is an Australian cricketer. He is a left-arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman. He was awarded the International Cricket Council's 2009 "Cricketer of the Year" award, the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.-Career:...
. O'Brien missed most of the 2010 after undergoing finger surgery in July; in his absence, David Murphy
David Murphy (cricketer)
David Murphy is a cricket player who plays for Northamptonshire.-Career:He made his first-class debut for Loughborough UCCE in April 2009 and made his county debut with Northants against Surrey two months later. His first One Day game came against the Netherlands the following season, Murphy...
was Northamptonshire's first-choice wicket-keeper.
International career
Niall first gained recognition playing domestic cricket in Leinster for the Railway Union Cricket Club earning a call up to the Ireland A team. From there he established himself as Ireland's number one wicketkeeper. O'Brien himself has said that he has a fiery temperament. On 17 June 2004, he angered Brian LaraBrian Lara
Brian Charles Lara, TC, OCC, AM is a former West Indian international cricket player. Lara is generally regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time...
when Lara refused to walk after being apparently caught behind. Ireland caused an upset when they went on to win the match, with O'Brien scoring 58* off 57 balls. In 2006 he was banned for one 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...
match after an outburst criticising the groundsman at an Intercontinental Cup game with Scotland because of condition of the pitch.
His innings of 72 from 107 balls in the 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...
group match against Pakistan helped Ireland earn an upset victory and also earned him the man of the match award.
In the same year, he joined the Essel Group's Indian Cricket League
Indian Cricket League
The Indian Cricket League was a private cricket league funded by Zee Entertainment Enterprises that operated between 2007 and 2009 in India...
(ICL) to represent the Delhi Jets team for one season. O'Brien became the first player to play international cricket after playing in the ICL when he played an Intercontinental Cup match against United Arab Emirates in March 2008; he went on to score 174 in Ireland's nine-wicket win.
O'Brien set a World Twenty20 record with his 4 dismissals against Sri Lanka in the Super 8 stage of the 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...
.
O'Brien was one of seven Ireland players to be nominated for the 2009 Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year (there were fourteen nominees in all), although he did not make the 4-man short-list. O'Brien was selected in Ireland's 15-man squad for the 2011 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...
.
O'Brien was selected in Ireland's 15-man squad for the 2011 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...
to be hosted by Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka between February and April. During the tournament he became the third player to score 1,000 ODI runs for Ireland after William Porterfield
William Porterfield
William Thomas Stuart Porterfield in Donemana, Northern Ireland, is an Irish cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and the captain of the Ireland cricket team. He has played for the senior Ireland since 2006 and the Under-19s since 2003...
and his brother Kevin. He passed this landmark in Ireland's five-wicket defeat to India. In the same match, O'Brien and Porterfield established a new records for Ireland's third wicket in ODI, putting on 113 runs together.
Cricket in Australia
O'Brien has spent many an Australian summer playing for Mosman Cricket Club in the Sydney Grade CricketSydney Grade Cricket
Sydney Grade Cricket is a cricket competition played in Sydney, Australia. The competition began in 1893 when a number of clubs, which had been playing for many years on an ad hoc basis, voted to create a formal competition structure....
competition. O'Brien also assumed a part time coaching role while at the club and considers the time spent in Australia as some of the most vital parts of his career.
He also played two seasons of first grade for North Sydney
North Sydney Cricket Club
North Sydney District Cricket Club is a cricket club in Sydney, Australia. The Bears as they are known were founded in 1858 playing club's such as Callen Park Mental Hospital, North Sydney joined the Sydney Grade Cricket Competition as an initial member in 1893...
in the Sydney Grade Competition in 2003/04 and 2005/06. He also played a season with the Mosman club as an 18 year old.
Career best performances
as of 13 July 2011| Batting | Bowling | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | Score | Fixture | Venue | Season | |
| ODI | 72 | Ireland v Pakistan | Kingston Sabina Park Sabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket".... |
2007 | n/a | |||
| T20I Twenty20 International A Twenty20 International is a form of cricket which is played over 20 overs per side between two national cricket teams. The game is played under the rules of Twenty20 cricket... |
50 | Ireland v Canada | Colombo (SSC) Sinhalese Sports Club Ground The Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket... |
2010 | n/a | |||
| FC 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... |
176 | Ireland v United Arab Emirates | Windhoek | 2005 | 1-4 | Kent Kent County Cricket Club Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent... v Cambridge UCCE Cambridge University Cricket Club Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University... |
Cambridge Fenner's Fenner's is the University of Cambridge's cricket ground.-History:Fenner's has hosted first-class cricket since 1848, and many of the world's great players have graced the wicket. The ground was established on land leased for the purpose by Francis Fenner, after whom the ground is named.Playing for... |
2006 |
| LA | 121 | Northamptonshire Northamptonshire County Cricket Club Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the... v Hampshire Hampshire County Cricket Club Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it... |
Southampton | 2011 | n/a | |||
| T20 | 84 | Ireland v United States of America | Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium The Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi Arabic ملعب الكريكيت الشيخ زايد cost $22 million to build and is arguably one of the world's finest cricket grounds... |
2010 | n/a | |||