Inter-Provincial Cup

Last updated

Inter-Provincial Cup
Inter-Provincial Cup logo.png
CountriesFlag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
Administrator Cricket Ireland
Format List A (from 2017 onwards)
First edition 2013
Latest edition 2024
Tournament format Double round-robin
Number of teams4 (from 2021)
3 (from 2013 to 2020)
Current champion Leinster Lightning (9th title)
Most successful Leinster Lightning (9 titles)
Most runs Kevin O'Brien (1,071)
Most wickets George Dockrell (53)
Website Cricket Ireland

The Inter-Provincial Cup is a limited-overs cricket tournament in Ireland between the four leading cricketing provinces of Ireland.

Contents

The tournament was held for the first time in 2013 across venues in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Up to and including the 2016 tournament, the matches were not given List A status. However, at an International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in October 2016, List A status was awarded to all future matches. [1] [2]

History

Background

The Ireland cricket team enjoyed increasing success at the international level in the late 2000's and into the 2010's which boosted the popularity of the game in the country. They had earned the reputation of a giant killer after upsetting teams like Pakistan and Bangladesh (2007 Cricket World Cup), and England (2011 Cricket World Cup). Their good performances in major international tournaments meant that Cricket Ireland openly started bidding for Test match status to the International Cricket Council. [3]

Nevertheless, one of the main stumbling road blocks for Ireland from getting to play the pinnacle of the game was a lack of a first-class cricket infrastructure at home, among other things. As early as August 2011, Cricket Ireland announced plans of a domestic first-class tournament. [4] In January 2012, Cricket Ireland announced the ambitious 'Vision 2020' plan which announced the establishment of a first-class structure by 2015 and achievement of Test status by 2020. It also began work on a cricket academy to find talented players across the country and improving grass-roots cricket in the country.

For the first time professional contacts, with central, A, B, and C levels were established. Plans for Test status were established partly to stem the flow of their star cricketers moving away to England in hope of playing Test cricket such as Ed Joyce, Eoin Morgan and Boyd Rankin. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

According to Richard Holdsworth in an interview with Setanta Sports, Cricket Ireland were pleased with the strategic progress that had been made as of November 2012. [11] In December 2012, Ireland got a $1.5m boost as increased funding from the ICC to establish elite domestic competitions in the country. [12]

Format

The tournament is played in a double round-robin format, with each team playing each other twice, once at home and once away.

Points summary

Points are scored as follows:

Teams

According to Richard Holdsworth's interview to Setanta Sports, three teams would initially participate in the tournament, Leinster cricket team, Northern cricket team and North West cricket team as Munster and Connacht were considered still quite far away from fielding a competitive team for provincial tournaments. They were also given a separate limited overs names much similar to the systems in England and Australia, i.e., like Nottinghamshire Outlaws and South Australia Redbacks. In this case, the names are Leinster Lightning, Northern Knights and North West Warriors. [13] [14]

From the 2021 season Munster Reds joined the Inter Provincial Cup having previously only competed in the Twenty20 Inter-Provincial Trophy [15]

TeamFirst seasonTitles
Leinster Lightning 20139
Northern Knights 20132
North West Warriors 20130
Munster Reds 20211

Competition placings

2013 to present

SeasonWinnerSecondThirdFourth
2013 Northern Knights Leinster Lightning North West Warriors DNP
2014 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights North West Warriors
2015 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights North West Warriors
2016 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights North West Warriors
2017 Leinster Lightning North West Warriors Northern Knights
2018 Leinster Lightning North West Warriors Northern Knights
2019 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights North West Warriors
2020 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights North West Warriors
2021 Leinster Lightning North West Warriors Northern Knights Munster Reds
2022 Munster Reds North West Warriors Leinster Lightning Northern Knights
2023 Northern Knights Leinster Lightning Munster Reds North West Warriors
2024 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights Munster Reds North West Warriors

DNP - Did Not Participate

All-time records

(All records correct to end of 2023 season)

Team records

Highest innings totals [16]

ScoreTeamOppsVenueDateSc
425/7 Leinster Lightning North West Warriors The Vineyard 14 Aug 2023
353/9 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights Stormont 5 Sep 2023
332/7 Leinster Lightning North West Warriors New Strabane Park 30 May 2016
320 ao Leinster Lightning Northern Knights Anglesea Road 2 Aug 2015
316/8 Northern Knights Leinster Lightning Sydney Parade 16 May 2023

Lowest completed innings totals [17]

ScoreTeamOppsVenueDateSc
90 ao Munster Reds North West Warriors Mardyke 19 May 2022
105 ao North West Warriors Northern Knights Stormont 4 May 2015
120 ao North West Warriors Northern Knights Lodge Road 26 May 2014
123 ao North West Warriors Leinster Lightning The Village 1 Jun 2013
123 ao Northern Knights North West Warriors Bready 12 May 2022

Individual records – batting

Most career runs [18]

RunsInningsPlayerTeamAverage
107132 Kevin O'Brien Lightning/Reds 46.57
104126 Andrew Balbirnie Leinster Lightning 45.26
97225 George Dockrell Leinster Lightning 69.43
86736 Andy McBrine North West Warriors 25.50
81426 Lorcan Tucker Leinster Lightning 37.00

Highest individual scores [19]

ScorePlayerForOppsVenueDateSc
152 PJ Moor Munster Reds Leinster Lightning Sydney Parade 10 May 2022
136 Simi Singh Leinster Lightning North West Warriors New Strabane Park 30 May 2016
133 Lorcan Tucker Leinster Lightning North West Warriors The Vineyard 14 Aug 2023
128 Luke Georgeson Northern Knights Munster Reds Stormont 30 Jun 2021
126 Andrew Balbirnie Leinster Lightning Northern Knights The Green 16 May 2021

Most runs scored in a season

RunsInningsPlayerTeamSeason
3645 George Dockrell Leinster Lightning 2021
3526 Murray Commins Munster Reds 2021
3504 Andrew Balbirnie Leinster Lightning 2019
3175 Luke Georgeson Northern Knights 2021
2585 William Porterfield North West Warriors 2021

Individual records – bowling

Most career wickets [20]

WicketsMatchesPlayerTeamAverage
5336 George Dockrell Leinster Lightning 21.51
5042 Tyrone Kane Lightning/Reds 22.70
4237 Simi Singh Leinster Lightning 24.40
3827 Craig Young North West Warriors 26.39
3738 Andy McBrine North West Warriors 30.59

Best bowling in an innings [21]

BowlingPlayerTeamOppsVenueDateSc
6/26 Gavin Hoey Leinster Lightning Northern Knights Stormont 5 Sep 2023
6/39 Barry McCarthy Leinster Lightning Munster Reds Sydney Parade 22 May 2021
6/42 Tyrone Kane Leinster Lightning Northern Knights Stormont 20 Aug 2019
5/16 Liam McCarthy Munster Reds North West Warriors Bready 4 Sep 2023
5/21 George Dockrell Leinster Lightning Northern Knights The Vineyard 4 Jun 2018

Most wickets in a season

WicketsAveragePlayerTeamSeason
1712.58 Barry McCarthy Leinster Lightning 2021
1516.46 Liam McCarthy Munster Reds 2023
1519.86 Theo van Woerkom Northern Knights 2023
1317.15Josh Manley Munster Reds 2021
1215.75 Mike Frost Munster Reds 2022

Partnership records

Highest partnerships for each wicket [22]

WicketP/ShipPlayer 1Player 2TeamOppsVenueDateSc
1st158 William Porterfield David Rankin North West Warriors Northern Knights Stormont 28 May 2018
2nd240 Andy McBrine Stephen Doheny North West Warriors Northern Knights Stormont 2 Jun 2022
3rd202 John Anderson Simi Singh Leinster Lightning North West Warriors New Strabane Park 30 May 2016
4th157 Tyrone Kane PJ Moor Munster Reds Leinster Lightning Sydney Parade 18 May 2023
5th187 Andrew Balbirnie Kevin O'Brien Leinster Lightning North West Warriors The Vineyard 3 May 2014
6th102 Neil Rock Mark Adair Northern Knights Munster Reds Mardyke 15 Aug 2023
7th215* Simi Singh George Dockrell Leinster Lightning Northern Knights The Vineyard 4 Jun 2018
8th103 Tyrone Kane Lorcan Tucker Leinster Lightning North West Warriors Observatory Lane 9 Sep 2018
9th72 Shane Getkate Jacob Mulder Northern Knights Leinster Lightning Observatory Lane 31 Jul 2016
10th69 Craig Young Andrew Britton North West Warriors Northern Knights La Manga 24 Apr 2019

See also

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