Ireland's greatest cricketing success to date was to reach the Super 8 of the 2007 Cricket World Club following victory over Pakistan and a tied game with Zimbabwe in the groups stages. The most significant, and most publicised, success in a one-off match occurred four years later, with a three-wicket victory over England in 2011 Cricket World Cup in which Kevin O'Brien scored the World Cup's fastest ever century[9] and Ireland set a World Cup record with by "chasing" 327 runs. During 2007 World Cup Ireland had major success with their victory by three wickets over Pakistan in a 2007 Cricket World Cup group match.[10]
The victory over Pakistan in 2007 was overshadowed by the sudden death of the Pakistan Coach Bob Woolmer that night. Ireland also managed to beat the West Indies in their prime in 1968 at Sion Mills, 25 years before Ireland were accepted as an associate by the ICC. [citation needed]
The Irish Cricket Union was formally dissolved and then formed afresh as a limited company on 3 February 2008, at its annual general meeting.[11]
In August 2011, Cricket Ireland announced its plans to put in place a first-class structure, which is a major achievement for the nation on their path to gaining Test status.[13]
In 2012, Cricket Ireland announced that it had found the pathway to Test status for their tremendously successful men's team by 2020. Targets include an increase in the number of people playing the game in Ireland to 50,000, reaching eighth in the world rankings and establishing a domestic first-class structure. A number of commercial deals have been secured, allowing Ireland to unveil their strategic plan to 2015 and target their ultimate ambition of securing Test status.
Cricket Ireland has offered a record 23 professional contracts to players, in three categories, for 2012, a development Phil Simmons says is vital for their continued improvement. Simmons, the Ireland coach, has also agreed a two-year extension to his contract which will take him through to at least the end of Ireland's World Cup qualifying campaign late next year.
Initiatives to swell participation numbers to 50,000 will include the establishment of regional academies; a Get into Cricket scheme which will seek to attract six to 12-year-olds to take up the game in clubs and schools; a Better Clubs Initiative, which will encourage clubs to improve their facilities; and the Cricket Ireland national awards which will recognise contributions ranging from players to volunteers.[14] In another sign of the growing popularity of cricket in Ireland, the Irish provided a record 23 national contracts for the 2012 season, which also included not only the senior and regular members of the squad, but also fringe players. The contracts, for the first time, were divided into sections: Category A, Category B, and Category C (for fringe players).[15]
In June 2017, the ICC awarded Full Membership to Ireland and Afghanistan, allowing them the opportunity to play Test matches.[3]
Objectives
Vision to 2020 - Ireland a Test nation
To set out a series of stretching goals including increasing the number of participants in the game to 50,000
Reaching 8th in the world ODI rankings by 2015
Establishing a domestic first-class structure
Reinforcing cricket as the 4th-most major sport in Ireland[15]
Grass roots initiatives
Reflecting the rising popularity of the game in Ireland, Cricket Ireland committed to developing the grass roots of the sport over the next four years. New plans were unveiled to provide a significant boost to the domestic game with a series of initiatives designed to strengthen the game on the island and help achieve the ambitious target of 50,000 participants by 2015.
The initiatives include:-
The 'Get into Cricket Scheme' - a major new programme targeting schools and clubs encouraging 6-to-12-year-olds to take up the game for the first time.
The National Cup – a new domestic national club competition for clubs not already competing in the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup. This provides 32 new clubs with the chance to compete for an All Ireland title and the opportunity to play cricket outside of their local area.
The 'Better Clubs Initiative' – an innovative programme supporting local clubs across the country to improve their facilities. This programme is a volunteering initiative aimed at encouraging local cricket supporters, their friend and families to undertake work to improve the facilities at their local club houses and grounds.
The Cricket Ireland National Awards – a major awards event recognising players, coaches, volunteers, groundsmen, officials and clubs for the contribution they make to the game in Ireland. This will be an annual event starting in 2012.
The establishment of Regional Academies to develop and foster the young talent from the ages of 15 to 19 and ensure a pipeline of players for International teams.
The re-launch of the Inter-Provincial Championship as a precursor to setting up a first-class domestic playing infrastructure in Ireland.
The Scotland national men's cricket team represents the country of Scotland. They play most of their home matches at The Grange, Edinburgh, as well as at other venues around Scotland.
The Ireland men's cricket team represents all of Ireland in international cricket. The Irish Cricket Union, operating under the brand Cricket Ireland, is the sport's governing body in Ireland, and they organise the international team. The team have a number of home grounds, including Malahide in County Dublin, Stormont, Belfast, Bready in the north-west and Clontarf in Dublin city. A further ground is planned for the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, Dublin for 2030. Due to the short season allowed by the Irish climate, and lack of large scale facilities, Ireland also occasionally play 'home matches' in venues in England and further abroad.
The Afghanistan men's national cricket team represents Afghanistan in men's international cricket. It is a full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Test, One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) status.
Cricket Canada, known as the Canadian Cricket Association (CCA) until November 2007, is the governing body of cricket in Canada. It was established in 1892 and has its current headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. It administers the national men's and women's teams, as well as several youth teams at various age levels. In addition, Cricket Canada and its affiliates run several grassroots and development programs and leagues nationwide. Cricket Canada is Canada's representative at the International Cricket Council and has been an associate member of that body since 1968. It is included in the ICC Americas region.
David Trent Johnston is an Irish-Australian cricket coach and former player. He was born in Wollongong, New South Wales, and played his early cricket for New South Wales in Australian domestic competitions. A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler, he later moved to Ireland, and made his debut for the Ireland cricket team in 2004. Johnston was subsequently named captain of Ireland, and was a regular fixture in the national team until his retirement in 2013. He coached the Hong Kong national cricket team from 2019 to 2022.
William Thomas Stuart Porterfield is an Irish former cricketer and a former captain of the Ireland cricket team. He played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. A left-handed batsman, he played for Ireland from 2006 to 2022, and has captained Ireland at all levels from Under-13 and is considered one of the greatest Irish cricketers of all time. During Afghanistan T20I series in March 2017, he passed 1,000 runs in T20Is and became the first player from Ireland to do so. In May 2018, he was named as the captain of Ireland's squad for their first ever Test match, against Pakistan. He announced his retirement from international cricket on 16 June 2022.
Kevin Joseph O'Brien is an Irish former international cricketer who played for Leinster and Railway Union Cricket Club. On 16 August 2022, he announced his retirement from international cricket.
The Ireland women's cricket team represents Ireland in international women's cricket. Cricket in Ireland is governed by Cricket Ireland and organised on an All-Ireland basis, meaning the Irish women's team represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Cricket is a minor sport in Canada which is unusual among the former Dominions of the British Empire in not having adopted cricket as a major sport—in contrast with Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the British West Indies.
Sport in Northern Ireland plays an important role in the lives of many Northern Irish people. Most sports are organised on an all-Ireland basis, for example rugby union, Gaelic games, basketball, rugby league, hockey, and cricket, whereas others, like association football and netball are organised on a separate basis for Northern Ireland.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board is the official governing body of cricket in Afghanistan. It is Afghanistan's representative at the International Cricket Council (ICC) and was an associate member of ICC from June 2013 until becoming a full member in June 2017. Before that it was an affiliate member and has been a member of that body since 2001. It is also a member of the Asian Cricket Council.
Sri Lanka is one of the twelve nations that take part in Test cricket and one of the six nations that has won a cricket World Cup. Cricket is played at professional, semi-professional and recreational levels in the country and international cricket matches are watched with interest by a large proportion of the population.
Cricket in Ireland is governed by Cricket Ireland, which maintains the Ireland men's and women's cricket teams. Like several other sports in Ireland, cricket is organised on an All-Ireland basis. Following the team's success in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the sport's popularity increased in Ireland. The country was, until 2017, an associate member of the International Cricket Council and played in tournaments like the World Cricket League and ICC Intercontinental Cup, which are qualifying rounds for associate teams to the Cricket World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20. Ireland qualified for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, the 2011 Cricket World Cup and 2010 ICC World Twenty20. In the 2011 World Cup, they beat England in the group matches.
Paul Robert Stirling is an Irish cricketer. Stirling is the opening batsman for the Ireland cricket team and an occasional right-arm, off-break bowler. He is one of the top 10 run scorers in T20 internationals. He was one of the eleven cricketers to play in Ireland's first ever Test match, against Pakistan, in May 2018. He was appointed as the vice-captain of the Ireland team in June 2020. He subsequently served as interim captain of Ireland in the T20I and ODI format following the resignation of Andrew Balbirnie, before being appointed as permanent limited-overs captain in October 2023.
Cricket in Afghanistan is the most popular sport in the country, which is represented internationally by the Afghanistan national cricket team. Afghanistan's border with the Test playing nation of Pakistan has helped the game to take root. Pakistan's former batsman Inzamam ul Haq has coached the Afghan national team in the past. Afghanistan became a full member of the International Cricket Council on 22 June 2017, enabling the national team to participate in official Test matches.
Andrew Balbirnie is an Irish cricketer, the current captain of the Ireland cricket team in Test cricket. Balbirnie is a right-handed batsman and an occasional wicket-keeper. He was born in Dublin and was educated at St. Andrew's College. He was one of the 11 cricketers to play in Ireland's first ever Test match, against Pakistan, in May 2018. In December 2018, he was one of 19 players to be awarded a central contract by Cricket Ireland for the 2019 season.
Stuart Robert Thompson is an Irish cricketer. Thompson is left-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium-fast. He was one of the eleven cricketers to play in Ireland's first ever Test match, against Pakistan, in May 2018.
The Inter-Provincial Championship is a three-day cricket tournament in Ireland, played between regional teams drawn from three of Ireland's five provincial unions. It parallels first-class cricket tournaments in other countries such as the County Championship of England and the Sheffield Shield of Australia. The tournament was held for the first time in 2013 across venues in Ireland.
The Inter-Provincial Cup is a limited-overs cricket tournament in Ireland between the four leading cricketing provinces of Ireland.
References
↑ "Sponsor Hub". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
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