History of the Ireland Cricket Team

Cricket was a well-liked sport in Ireland when it was first played there in the nineteenth century, in 1855. Throughout the second half of the 19th century, Ireland travelled to Canada and the US and occasionally welcomed guests for sporting events. The national cricket teams of Scotland and Ireland initially competed against one another in 1888, and their rivalry quickly developed into one of the two nations’ most significant cross-continental rivalries.

Another example is Ireland’s triumph in 1904 over a visiting South African side. They played their first game against the top-tier competition on May 19, 1902, against a London County team that included W.G. Grace. Sir Tim O’Brien served as the Irish team’s captain, and they triumphed by 238 runs. The game rose in appeal up to the early 1880s. Cricket’s expansion was hampered by the Irish Land Commission’s land dispute in the 1880s and the Gaelic Athletic Association’s prohibition of playing “foreign,” but British, games. The playing of foreign sports, such as cricket, by participants in Irish sports, such as hurling and Gaelic football, was illegal until the restriction was lifted in 1970.

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Before 1993

Ireland did not play first-class cricket again for five years after their 1902 trip to England, which contained four matches that ended in one win, two draws, and one loss. In 1894, Ireland played the South Africans and lost its first match against a Test-playing nation; nevertheless, in 1904, Ireland defeated the South Africans to win its first Test match. Both the annual matchup against the MCC, which began in 1924, and the inaugural annual first-class match between Ireland and Scotland were played in 1909.

Ireland has nonetheless occasionally shocked nations that play Test cricket. In a three-day match in Dublin in 1928, when Ireland faced the West Indies for the first time, the Caribbean team was destroyed by 60 runs. In a 1969 encounter at Sion Mills in County Tyrone, the West Indies were bowled out for 25 in a victory by nine wickets for the team. On the West Indies team, Clive Lloyd and Clyde Walcott participated. Before defeating Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in 2003, Ireland had never defeated a visiting side.

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In reality, a 1979 first-class match between Ireland and Sri Lanka that was called off due to bad weather finished in a tie. Ireland managed 341 for 7 in two innings, whereas Sri Lanka only got to 288 for 6 in one. At the time, Sri Lanka, the Scots, and the Irish were the main contenders for the title of the top non-Test nation. Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands have occasionally competed in tournaments involving English county cricket teams, such as the Benson & Hedges Cup and the Friends Provident Trophy. Non-Irish people were permitted to represent Ireland in these matches because county cricket does not have a nationality restriction.

Test Status (2017–Present)

Ireland’s desire to play Test cricket before 2020 was officially announced by Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom in January 2012. Part of the reason they sought Test status was to stop the influx of Irish cricketers who were travelling to England against the law to play Test cricket. Deutrom declared the goal when announcing the updated strategic plan for Irish cricket until 2015. The strategy had several challenging goals, including maintaining cricket’s rating as the fifth most popular team sport in Ireland, growing the player pool by 50,000, and achieving the eighth place in the international rankings.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), which released the information in October 2017, stated that Ireland will host Pakistan in May 2018. Ireland’s maiden “tour” test against Afghanistan took place in March 2019, and they were defeated by a score of 7 wickets. The next month, in July 2019, Lord’s hosted a four-day Test match against England. Despite not competing in the first two ICC World Test Championships, along with Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, Ireland will play sixteen Test matches between 2019 and 2023.

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Compared to four years ago, Ireland’s cricket team is in far better shape. A rising number of people are playing the game as it gains popularity. Cricket matches are also closely followed by large crowds on radio and television.