Irish Cricket 2023

selwyn froggitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120531075#Comment_120531075

It's happened to England a few times where they have hit 400+

Mysterypunter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120531075#Comment_120531075

Bangladesh lost to New Zealand a few years ago after making 595/8d, New Zealand got 539, Bangladesh 160 all out & New Zealand 217/3. By an innings? Probably none

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120531075#Comment_120531075

Apparently it may be a new record, a dubious one. I suppose another positive to salvage is that we played near enough 5 full days on the trot, bar a few hours lost to rain. So valuable experience in that regard. Fair dues to Tector in this innings and hopefully we can hold onto him as a player unlike others of his calibre in the past. A pity we hadn't a few more yesterday and today with his resolve and skill.

riffmongous

Highest first innings score to result in an innings defeat according to the cricinfo live score anyway

riffmongous

Balbirnie also had a very good game (and I've been very critical of him in the past, so fair play)

What bugs me more than the weak batting there is the huge scoring rate they had, its supposed to be test cricket after all. I didn't get to watch the game but how were the field settings?

Gillespy

Very disappointed for Tector. Overall better, largely due to winning the toss. Despite the first innings being put into perspective it was still nice to see a response and happy for the lads that made their hundreds.

To be honest, it would be a terrible reflection on Sri Lankan cricket and the overall health of the game outside the so called Big Three really if Ireland rocked up in their backyard and pushed them close. I might never see Ireland win a series there and that wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Looking at the future tours program for a realistic test to try and win, I see Zimbabwe later this year.

Strumms

The great effort in the first innings really pushed expectations to the point where a draw was eminently possible / likely.

then we end up loosing with over a session remaining. It’s the hope that kills ya.

A seriously sorry looking scorecard too in the second innings

This is key : One solitary half century and…. only a single other batsman scoring more than…. 20 ! Seriously conservative strike rates aswell so it wasn’t throwing the bat and them getting unlucky.

as much credit they were due for scoring 492 in the first innings…scoring 202 in the second…..that’s not nearly good enough…. You have to perform over each inning. These one off big flash in the pan scores are useless unless you back them up… even a 320 in the second would have saved us.

im only now going to look for the post match media but…. I’m sure Balbernie will be scuttering out of him about it being a ‘learning curve’ and how they’ll take the experience as a valuable lesson but he’s ‘overall’ happy how the tour went…well maybe not, there doesn’t seem to be any reaction covered by print or online media but will be interesting never the less if he does give thoughts. Nothing on sports sites or cricket Irelands social media.

strange… you expect some reaction from the captain, win lose or draw.

Royale with Cheese

I haven't seen much of it but surely the issue in this match was the bowling. 200 all out on the final day out a test match isn't particularly unusual, giving up 700 runs for only 3 wickets is.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120531806#Comment_120531806

Well let’s be honest, both were contributing to the result… Sri Lanka probably would have scored 900 plus runs, maybe 1000 runs had they not decided to declare.

not taking wickets and batsmen failing in the second innings killed us….

VillaMad

With such a small selection pool to chose from, Ireland simply don't have enough good players and they can only try and paper over those large cracks.

Stirling is certainly a class player, albeit more of a white ball player. Harry Tector is a potential world class player and Tucker has come on in leaps and bounds in the past year. Balbirnie and McBrine are solid/average international players who will have the occasional good days and mostly bad days. Campher will stay going day in and day out for you and after that then you are scraping the barrel with regards the eleven today.

What you would like is Ireland to have a few home tests in their own conditions to give themselves the best chance. The costs associated with this though mean that a home test match is further away than ever and this makes it hard to do anything.

You do fear the Lords test match at the beginning of June that if Ireland can't take wickets, that loads of records could be broken. Hopefully Little and Adair will be back for that which could give them something to think about but at this moment in the time, the bowling stocks are bare.

Royale with Cheese

Ireland took 9 wickets across two completed test matches. That's getting into not good enough to be playing at this level territory.

Honestly the batting looks ok to me, there are enough players capable of getting a score. The bowling is quite worrying.

EveryoneKnowsNobodyCares

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120530903#Comment_120530903

Positivity, definitely. No room for half measures, especially with some of that bowling from Asitha Fernando. But what I'm wondering is this: as an approach to simply defending the wicket, not risking any runs (not even singles to remain on strike) and holding out for a draw, what would be the risk in trying to simply deflect every ball into the ground so there's no being out caught, run out, etc and you're simply trying not to lose wickets?

wicorthered

After the three tests who has made a positive impression.

I think Tector and Tucker made the biggest impressions. Both showed the makings of high class test batsmen.

Campher showed the makings of a decent batsman but I'd be very skeptical of his bowling, he's certainly not a front line option.

McBrine had a good couple of weeks, his batting was a real bonus and he bowled with accuracy offering the control others didn't

Adair and Hume bowled okish considering conditions. Both will be much better in home conditions.

Overall Balbirnie has a poor test run. He struggled in the first 2 games and although he hit 95, you really would want your captain to dig in deeper when batting to save a game. His captaincy offers little imagination or inspiration.

Moor,Commins and McCollum all struggled big time and would benefit from more Wolves games.

White and Humphries were thrown into the deep end, and as expected struggled massively. In fairness White in particular showed great heart and kept going but both really need more domestic games before playing another test.

Stirling made a good 100 but then inexplicably for our most experienced batsman didn't last long when the backs were to the wall. You'd have to worry about his fitness when batting long periods

Gillespy

Josh Little motm in his IPL game today. Truth be told he hasn’t been that great in a few games but they obviously see his qualities and he repaid their faith today.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120534663#Comment_120534663

Sure, it's called stonewalling afaik. This fella here I believe was an expert in it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Boycott

Requires skill, nerve and patience to judge what balls to play and what can be left go through.

I'm no expert but I think there maybe an issue in that the shorter forms of limited over cricket played in recent decades, encourage a different skillset and mindset, where the emphasis is on scoring runs. You'd hope though that the coaches for any upcoming test match will do more training in defensive batting. It has it's place, even if boring to watch. Mind you, it can be a real battle of wills with close in fielders clumped around the batter and they shutting them out and watching every ball like a hawk.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120532242#Comment_120532242

That’s a very damming stat… 9 wickets across two innings would be poor enough, but over two tests… jeeez.

I don’t really care that they had little to zero experience of the conditions…they have plenty of experience as cricketers and you adapt…or should adapt.

wicorthered

Ah Cricket Ireland strike again. The Wolves game is washed out in the UK where in CIs head, it never rains. All the while the sun shines in South Dublin. The forecast for the first ODI doesn't seem to good either.

The Wolves needn't worry though, I'm sure they'll have another game organized by 2025! There's not a single governing body as inept in all Irish sport.

VillaMad

Squad to face Bangladesh in 3 ODI's on the 9th, 12th and 14th of May in Chelmsford.

Andrew Balbirnie (capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

All ODI matches to be shown live on Premier Sports.

A 15 man-squad has also been picked to face Essex in a first class match from the 26th-28th of May and England in a Test match from the 1st-4th of June.

Andrew Balbirnie (Capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Tom Mayes, Andrew McBrine, James McCollum, PJ Moor, Conor Olphert, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

No Josh Little for the Lords test match. A trashing awaits for that one.

wicorthered

I'd be surprised if Little ever played a test match. He is on the way to being a global T20 star. His Irish appearances will be seriously limited in the future, to times they don't clash with a T20 league.

Can't blame him really with the better opportunities and cash on offer on the T20 circuit.

KevIRL

Ireland take 2 early wickets after electing to bowl first v Bangladesh in the first ODI today.

wicorthered

Decent start, but again too many boundaries and not building pressure. In the first 9 overs, 7 overs have had at least one boundary. A lot of those down to bad balls as opposed to good shots.

Strumms

A decent start with the two early wickets but Bangladesh have taken charge. Were 15/2 after 3.5 …. now 50/2 after 10.

Adairs review, pitching outside leg and not even hitting in line…. But it’s reviewed.

a real mixed bag, in the latter overs a lot of poor bowling.

KevIRL

108/4 nearing half way stage. Goes without saying but we gotta keep taking wickets

Strumms

123/5 after 27

we are in the driving seat but just need to continue to play sensible probing purposeful cricket....

As I type Little starts bowling wide half volleys that are hit for 4 and then wides and that over of his goes for 13...

136/5 after 28

Strumms

Bad drop.... easy chance... straight to him... over went on to cost Campher and Ireland 10... only mitigation was it was hit hard but the fielder didn't have to move.... disappointing... you need to catch those.

Strumms

A good comeback..

247 the target Ireland need.

4.94 the RRR.

hopefully….they just bat sensibly… aim for one boundary per over.

don’t need them going out trying to hit 4 or 5 boundaries per over, getting reckless and ending up 130/5 …

common sense, boring-ish cricket provides the pathway to victory here.

should be no problem with the right attitude and mindset.

VillaMad

Ireland 65-3 from 16 overs, struggling a tad when the rain came as they were well behind the DLS par score of 90, but as they were 4 overs short of 20 overs, it became a moot point.

Forecast doesn't look good at all for a restart and the game should finish in a no-result, meaning that South Africa will qualify directly for the World Cup.

Strumms

Weather indeed looks terrible. Torrential downpours and the report im reading is saying the outfield is actually waterlogged… that’s as of 18.24 here.

KevIRL

Just as well this series was played over there as the chances of rain in Ireland was judged to be too high

Strumms

Bad luck, we were in reasonable shout. Three wickets down ok, but chasing a modest total. If we’d have gotten to 100/3 say we’d have been favourites….