Ireland Cricket Season 2022

nice bit of green

Fantastic. Great reward and confidence boost for all concerned.

county

Beating the West Indies in their own back garden has a nice feel about it.

fergiesfav

No that the dust had settled on that tour, there's plenty of positives but the same old negatives to ponder.

The positives are McBrine and Tector. There's a welcome selection headache facing the selectors for the Zimbabwe series. Surely McBrine has done enough to cement the number 3 spot. I'd move Balbirnie up to open. When Tectors super ODI form, that looks a really strong top order. Adair, Young and Little have wickets in them. They can be expensive, but if they can tighten that up, they're in a decent pace unit. McBrine (again) had a great series with the ball and with Simi back, that's a good spin department. Campher has had good spells with both the bat and ball and if he can just get some consistency in both departments he'd be a great in the all rounders spot. Alternatively Ruhan Pretorius is qualified this year and could bat at 6, although his bowling wouldn't be as strong as Camphers.

The negatives are the usual faults. They can't finish teams off in the field and way to often let the opposition off the hook. There doesn't look to be an easy fix to this. Usually express pace is a great way to blow away lower orders. Good an all as I think the above bowlers are they lack serious heat, although Little looks sharper lately. David Delaney if he could get fit, is the only option I see, that could regularly bowl 90mph consistently. I'd also wonder do they get defensive when they get 6/7 wickets. Is there more emphasis on run rate and batters making mistakes than actively trying to bowl a team out?

Outside the top 4, Campher is the only one that looks like he can bat in ODIs. Similar to the bowling how often have the middle/lower orders let strong starts peter out. I think the middle order dont have the composure or shot selection for international cricket. We see time and again the lack of strike rotation. It's like they don't know how to take singles. This leads to stalled run rates and panicky slogging. Now that Murray Commins is qualified, he could be worth a run at number 5 instead of Dockrell.

The keeper situation looks bleak. Tucker looks the best of a bad bunch but I wouldn't have him any higher than 7 in the line up. I think a passport holding keeper should be scouted for.

For the first ODI v Zimbabwe I'd like the look of.

Stirling

Balbirnie

McBrine

Tector

Commins

Campher

Simi Singh

Tucker

Adair

Little

Young

There's the basis of a competitive team there. Not world beating but definitely as competitive as any previous Irish sides. They just need to get a bit more canny and stop letting games drift away from them.

KevIRL

Looking at the Super League Table and results. We are currently 3rd with 68 points although have played 18 matches including completed series against the other 2 weakest teams in Zimbabwe and Netherlands. We have however left a decent amount of points behind. In order of needlessness or being unfortunate

• Losing 2 points due to slow over rate in the first ODI v West Indies
• Losing 5 points in a rained off game v Zim after posting a target of 283
• Losing 10 points v Netherlands when failing to chase down a total 196
• Losing 10 points v Zim when failing to chase a total of 267 despite being 184/4 after 38 overs
• Losing 10 points v WI in the first ODI despite being in 2 match winning positions with bat and ball.

Can argue we got a fortunate 5 points v SA in a rained off game maybe but in order for us to qualify automatically we definitely needed to be getting series wins v Zim and Netherlands as well as getting some wins against some of the bigger teams. We have managed 4 wins v WI, SA and Eng just a pity about some of the other dropped points - a potential extra 37 points in that list.

On the plus side automatic qualification still isnt completely gone and even if we dont get it we'll still have a shout in the qualifier. Also, its very unlikely we finish bottom of the table now which means we cant be relegated at the end of this cycle

fergiesfav

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118490524#Comment_118490524

They've scrapped this league anyway, so relegation is off the table.

The one run defeat to Holland was particularly annoying

KevIRL

Have they scrapped the league? I must have completely missed that, was still being referred to in commentary the other day

fergiesfav

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118495621#Comment_118495621

This is the one and only edition. Qualification will again be based on the airy fairy ranking system. In reality I'm sure the bigger nations would rather play each other in meaningless bilateral series than play the likes if Ireland, Zimb and Holland.

The ICC are the only be sporting body that want to limit participating countries. Even FIFA don't want to limit football to 8 nations

KevIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118495872#Comment_118495872

ah ffs. They manage to stumble onto something good and then mess it up

whatawaster81

Ireland under 19s just started batting now against India chasing the very reachable 309. On sky sports if anyone's bothered

Peter File

Hope they can reach 100 as they are really under pressure.

107/7 now

whatawaster81

All out for 133 after 39 overs. Hopefully it's good experience for them because they were up against a different class.

No_Hope_Club

Rumour that India will play couple of T20s here in summer

Strumms

Ireland U-21’s set a target of 312 from 47 overs. A disaster of a start …7/2 after 2.1…. A couple of giveaway wickets really… needing over 7 an over, be tough..

Strumms

But now 37/2 after 6… some really nice attacking batting, taking the game back to SA….. but as I type we lose another one. 40/3.

looking great playing attacking shots but defending not too good.

KevIRL

Paul Stirling and Simi Singh named in the ICC ODI team of the year. Great achievement for the leds

No_Hope_Club

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118516952#Comment_118516952

And Gaby Lewis in the women's ODI team of the year.

No_Hope_Club

U19s beat Canada by 94 runs to qualify for the plate semi-finals. In with a chance of 9th place.

No_Hope_Club

Andy McBrine sneaks into the Top 10 ICC Rankings for ODI bowlers.

Peter File

U19's have bowled Zimbabwe out for 166. The game is available free on YouTube via sky sports cricket channel.

KevIRL

Going great guns in the chase. One foot in the plate final against UAE (who beat west indies today). Think being in the final ensures qualification for next world cup too

No_Hope_Club

Comprehensive win for u19s.

8 wickets and over 100 balls left.

Looking forward to seeing some of these guys in the senior squad over the next few years.

fergiesfav

Mixed couple of days for cricket in Ireland.

The under 19s are doing great, hopefully they see it through in the final.

Any optimism about the future of Irish cricket is dampened by the news of no first class cricket again this summer.

CI went all in on test match cricket, to the detriment of the other two codes and have now rather pitifully produced 3 test matches in 5 years, only one of which was at home. Considering it's coming up on 3 years since we last played a test and there's obviously no intention of developing the first class game, it's pretty clear the entire process has been a unmitigated failure for the sport here. But it was never about the sport, it was about Deutrom and his mates being able to act the big shot at a Lords test match. Now that he's done that, he's forgotten all about test cricket again and we're left with a shambles of a T20 set up. CIs management have destroyed Irish cricket.

KevIRL

https://twitter.com/PeterDellaPenna/status/1487432226690277377?s=20&t=aYL4FO3yZz0AaIWGsLQOIw

Bad light? Stop play

Bit of rain? Stop play

Earthquake? Have at it lads

Strumms

They need to give tests and limited overs fair focus and opportunity…

need to be mindful too that it’s an ageing squad now … with most of them 30 and over or indeed a couple pushing 40 and it was the ideal opportunity to marry the progressiveness, results, successes , confidence and experience we’ve seen in limited overs by exposing the players and using the momentum gained towards gaining test experience, knowledge, and know how… a different culture…

The Irish cricket team has just won a series against the West Indies, in the West Indies, against pretty much full strength West Indies teams.

so think big, use this…momentum, this confidence….tests, there is literally nothing to be lost.

that said maybe play devils advocate and ask were the test playing nations willing to be committed to playing tests against an emerging side…. like ourselves ? Hmmmm… grand giving us a few one dayers..

the likes of England might not see the value of a weeks practice… all the arrangements…At this juncture…

I don’t see any fixtures beyond the qualifying thing in Bahrain for the T20 World Cup ?

fergiesfav

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118555119#Comment_118555119

A tour to Zimbabwe is scheduled for March/April but with Zimbabwe these things are always touch and go. There's meant to be a a test match but I'd be amazed if it happened.

NZ, Bangladesh and SA are all due in Ireland this summer for ODIs. NZ were originally due to have a test match but I think, surprise surprise, its been scrapped. CI can't afford to host tests, which, I know I'm repeating myself, just emphasises how insane and narcissistic it was applying to be a test nation in the first place.

I think there's no a tri series in Sri Lanka in the late autumn, don't one who the third side would be

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118557411#Comment_118557411

can’t afford to have tests ?

youd think with the almost 900 million the government is spending of our money on overseas aid per year that our government would give a grant of thousands so this could happen ? Such a fućkin backwards kip….

No issues with thinking/dreaming big, the greater crime is having no ambition… but with the bounce that cricket has been given by players, sponsors, clubs, supporters and those working behind the scenes… how about OUR government get on board and do something for a real good sporting opportunity that would be an investment for decades ffs…

fergiesfav

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118557687#Comment_118557687

It costs a couple of 100,000 euro to put on a test match. CI struggle to make that money back. Attendance will be modest, so there is little in the way of gate receipts. Similarly TV interest is usually low, so there's no great TV revenue. So test matches will continue to be loss making for CI, hence they have no interest in them. In fairness this is a problem for an increasing amount of lower ranked test nations. Most test matches worldwide lose money unless one of the big three are involved. Test cricket was never feasible economically for Irish cricket.

The government can't be expected to fund test cricket in Ireland, that's what CI are for and unfortunately they are not up for the job. Playing test cricket was never about growing the game here, it was a vanity project for the board and CEO. At a time every other board in the world were increasingly focusing on T20 cricket and the new audiences it captured, CI decided to focus on test cricket, the format of the game that was being left behind.

CI blew a fortune on setting up a mickey mouse first class structure, that they have now abandoned. Millions were spent campaigning for test status, a campaign that delivered 3 tests in five years and now also looks to have been abandoned. Imagine if that money was ploughed into the grass roots? Imagine the money was spent on better training facilities? Even the players are hugely critical of the set up here. The captain is on record bemoaning the lack of investment. The players didn't believe playing tests was practically. CI could've looked for full member status, without playing tests.

10 years ago Ireland were well placed to develop into a really good T20 cricket side. Imagine the likes of Tector, Little, the Delaneys, Adair coming through a well resourced and equipped youth system, the sky would've been the limit. Instead the had to scratch around practicing on whatever facilities small local clubs could produce.

CI have let the Irish cricket down badly due to mismanagement and general bad decisions. Ireland have been left behind by the likes of Scotland. With a good governing body cricket would be thriving here.

Strumms

I’m reading Malahide can accommodate up to 10,000 spectators. In a restriction free set up of course…

thats a lot of people through the turnstiles over 5 days… 50,000 entries into the ground throughout the test….

it wouldn’t be unreasonable to be asking for 50 euros for a days play…as an ‘average’ ticket price.. across all demographic of attendee.

that is seriously good revenue…and a fair price… ballpark a tenner to watch an hours play.. on average…

2.5 million revenue per test if my maths are correct.. ?

kksaints

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118560270#Comment_118560270

That's a big assumption that the match would reach full capacity for all 5 days. Also €50 per day seems excessive, it would be €250 if you wanted to attend all 5 days.

Fattybojangles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118560270#Comment_118560270

Nobody would pay that most test matches the stadiums are empty the world over.