Paul McCrum
Encyclopedia
Paul McCrum is an Irish former cricket
er. A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium
bowler, he played 74 times for the Ireland cricket team between 1989 and 1998 including four first-class
matches against Scotland and 16 List A matches. He also played for the Northern Ireland national cricket team
in the cricket tournament
at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
. His brother Charles
also played cricket for Ireland.
. He next played the following year in two matches against New Zealand and two against Worcestershire
. After a match against the MCC
in Coleraine
he made his List A debut against Sussex
in a NatWest Trophy match in June 1990. This was followed by a match against Wales in July and his first-class debut against Scotland in August.
He went on an Irish tour to Zimbabwe
in March 1991, averaging 29.91 with the ball on the tour, returning home to play against Middlesex
, Free Foresters
, the Duchess of Norfolk's XI, the MCC at Lord's
and Wales. The following year, he played against Middlesex, Scotland, Durham
, the MCC and twice against an England amateur XI.
In 1993 Ireland gained associate membership of the International Cricket Council
and McCrum was a regular member of the side at the time, playing nine times that year, including internationals against Scotland, Australia, Wales and the Netherlands. He only appeared three times the following year however, playing against Papua New Guinea, Gibraltar and the UAE in the 1994 ICC Trophy
, and he did not play at all in 1995.
He returned to a regular place in the team in 1996, starting that year with four matches in the Benson & Hedges Cup
. This was followed by matches against Wales and the MCC before a NatWest Trophy match against Sussex in Belfast
. He then played for Ireland in the Triple Crown Tournament
in Wales
and European Championship
.
In 1997, he represented Ireland at the 1997 ICC Trophy
in Kuala Lumpur
, before matches in the summer against Middlesex, Somerset
and Glamorgan
in the Benson & Hedges Cup and against Yorkshire
in the NatWest Trophy. He then played again in the Triple Crown Tournament before finishing the year with his final first-class match against Scotland and a match against the MCC at Lord's. The following year would be the end of his international career. Following three matches in the Benson & Hedges Cup, he played a match against Wales before finishing his Ireland career against South Africa. Though he never played again for the full Ireland team, he did play for Northern Ireland at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia, playing once against South Africa.
at an average of 15.43, with a top score of 63 against Wales in July 1991, his only half-century
. He took 106 wickets at an average
of 32.32, with a best bowling performance of 5/52 against the MCC in June 1996, the only time he took five wickets in an innings. He is one of only 15 players to take 100 wickets for Ireland.
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...
er. A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
bowler, he played 74 times for the Ireland cricket team between 1989 and 1998 including four 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...
matches against Scotland and 16 List A matches. He also played for the Northern Ireland national cricket team
Northern Ireland national cricket team
The Northern Ireland national cricket team has represented Northern Ireland in international cricket competition once, in the 1998 Commonwealth Games.-History:...
in the cricket tournament
Cricket at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
Cricket was included in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. This was the first—and, to date, only—time cricket has been played at a Commonwealth Games. Matches were played over 50 overs, and had List A status, although they were not full One Day Internationals...
at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
. His brother Charles
Charles McCrum
Charles McCrum is an Irish former cricketer. A right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler, he played 22 times for the Ireland cricket team between 1990 and 1994 including one first-class match against Scotland and two List A matches in the NatWest Trophy...
also played cricket for Ireland.
Career
Paul McCrum made his debut for Ireland in May 1989 when he played two matches against NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire 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...
. He next played the following year in two matches against New Zealand and two against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire...
. After a match against the MCC
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...
in Coleraine
Coleraine
Coleraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...
he made his List A debut against 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...
in a NatWest Trophy match in June 1990. This was followed by a match against Wales in July and his first-class debut against Scotland in August.
He went on an Irish tour to Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
in March 1991, averaging 29.91 with the ball on the tour, returning home to play against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex 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 Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
, Free Foresters
Free Foresters Cricket Club
Free Foresters Cricket Club is an English amateur cricket club, established in 1856 for players from the Midland counties of England. It is a 'wandering' club, having no home ground....
, the Duchess of Norfolk's XI, the MCC at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
and Wales. The following year, he played against Middlesex, Scotland, Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham 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 Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
, the MCC and twice against an England amateur XI.
In 1993 Ireland gained associate membership of the 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 McCrum was a regular member of the side at the time, playing nine times that year, including internationals against Scotland, Australia, Wales and the Netherlands. He only appeared three times the following year however, playing against Papua New Guinea, Gibraltar and the UAE in the 1994 ICC Trophy
1994 ICC Trophy
The ABN-AMRO 1994 ICC Trophy was a cricket tournament that took place in Kenya in February/March 1994. It was the qualifying tournament for the 1996 Cricket World Cup. The UAE defeated the host nation Kenya in the final and the Netherlands finished 3rd with all 3 sides qualifing for their first...
, and he did not play at all in 1995.
He returned to a regular place in the team in 1996, starting that year with four matches in 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....
. This was followed by matches against Wales and the MCC before a NatWest Trophy match against Sussex in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. He then played for Ireland in the Triple Crown Tournament
Triple Crown Tournament
The Triple Crown Tournament was a cricket competition staged annually from 1993 to 2001 between the Home Nations; that is to say Ireland, Scotland, Wales and a team representing England...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and European Championship
European Cricket Championship
The European Cricket Championship is a group of various tournaments in which national cricket sides throughout Europe compete. The tournament is designed to encourage and develop the best players in countries where cricket is not a major sport and Europe's only Test cricket playing country,...
.
In 1997, he represented Ireland at the 1997 ICC Trophy
1997 ICC Trophy
The Carlsberg 1997 ICC Trophy was a cricket tournament played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in March/April 1997. It was the qualification tournament for the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Kenya and for the first time Bangladesh and Scotland all Qualified.-First round:...
in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, before matches in the summer against Middlesex, Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset 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 Somerset...
and Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan 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 Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
in the Benson & Hedges Cup and against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
in the NatWest Trophy. He then played again in the Triple Crown Tournament before finishing the year with his final first-class match against Scotland and a match against the MCC at Lord's. The following year would be the end of his international career. Following three matches in the Benson & Hedges Cup, he played a match against Wales before finishing his Ireland career against South Africa. Though he never played again for the full Ireland team, he did play for Northern Ireland at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia, playing once against South Africa.
Statistics
In all matches for Ireland, Paul McCrum scored 355 runsRun (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
at an average of 15.43, with a top score of 63 against Wales in July 1991, his only half-century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
. He took 106 wickets at an average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 32.32, with a best bowling performance of 5/52 against the MCC in June 1996, the only time he took five wickets in an innings. He is one of only 15 players to take 100 wickets for Ireland.