Irish Cricket 2009

[TheBoss]

I still don't rate him as a captain or an opener against the top teams.

Yes, He still has to show what he can against the top teams, but he is doing his job for team against the associates and thats really all that matters for the Irish team at the moment.

[OwlsFan]

I see Ed Joyce was out to a freak dismissal when the ball lodged in the pocket of a fielder who had turned his back to him :eek:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46036000/jpg/_46036862_joyce466.jpg

[MariborKev]

Ireland beat Kenya by three wickets at Clontarf today in the first match of the three-game ODI series. McCallan took career-best ODI figures of 4-30 off his ten overs. Great performance.

Porterfield held the Irish response together with 81. John Mooney made a vital 27 off 25 as Ireland chased the target down with seven balls to spare.

Aye,

Caught the last five overs on my way back from work.

Anyone going tomorrow.

As for Joyce, my heart bleeds:D

[Sheridan]

Ireland won the series 3-0 after a tight four-run victory over Kenya yesterday. Young Paul Stirling, inexplicably excluded for the first two games, hit 84 off 92 balls. Should be a fixture at first drop, IMO. Ireland move to 10th in the ODI rankings, overtaking Zimbabwe, as a result of the series win. Porterfield became the first Irish batsman past 1,000 ODI runs during the series.

[endabob1]

So we're the highest ranked non-test nation, that's pretty darned impressive, any chance we can get Morgan & Joyce back and apply for test status

[ArdeeBhoy]

So we're the highest ranked non-test nation, that's pretty darned impressive, any chance we can get Morgan & Joyce back and apply for test status

It is.
But for reasons others'll probably explain better, the ICC move very slowly, so ano.5-10 years knocking on the door I reckon, followed by ano.decade of heavy defeats as Test cricket is vastly different to OD games and involves a very steep learning curve.

[endabob1]

I was being slightly facetious regarding test status, I know the ICC operate a bit like the irb by the time they got around to allowing Italy into the 6 nations a lot of their better players had retired & I fear the same will happen to Argentina.
That said I see Bangladesh beat the Windies in their first test the other day, surely it’s something Irish Cricket should be aspiring to.

[Sheridan]

It was a West Indies C team at best due to a player strike. There's no way Ireland should be considered for Test status until it has a functioning domestic structure. That's something attainable to aspire to in the short term, if the will is there.

[Stuttgart88]

Lords test shaping up interestingly today. I live about 10 mins away and yet I was hoping for rain all weekend!

Strauss is very lucky to have got away got away with his "catch". A Pakistani WK was pilloried for the same thing a few years ago. I think if Aus had just one of those top line batsmen wrongfully given out (bar Hughes maybe) I think they'd be favourites.

New ball fior anderson & Flintoff favours Enghland big time, but if Aus can keep their wicket in tact until lunch then who knows? This could be like Edgaston in 2005 when on the Sunday it could have been all over after 30 mins, or it could have been a shock Aus victory. Instead it was a thrilling English win (off a catch that shouldn't have been given :))

[Aberdonian Stu]

Flintoff makes the early breakthrough, currently 315-6.

[Stuttgart88]

Clarke gone too. I expect that's it now.

Looking out my window & not a cloud in sight!

[Schumi]

375/8. All over now.

[EalingGreen]

It was a West Indies C team at best due to a player strike. There's no way Ireland should be considered for Test status until it has a functioning domestic structure. That's something attainable to aspire to in the short term, if the will is there.
First step: Sort out the domestic structure, as you say.
Second step: Apply for Ireland to join the E&W County set-up as the 20th team; if nothing else, that might keep the likes of Joyce and Morgan from England's clutches a little bit longer.
Third step - Move up the international rankings in the short form of the game (like Sri Lanka?).

Then (and only then), start thinking about Test Status.

P.S. Flintoff has just got his "Five-For" - Cheerio Aussies!

[Sheridan]

Eh, no. If Ireland were integrated into the ECB it would lose any claim to a national team. We need to keep our best players here in a revitalised domestic structure to pass on their expertise, not ship them abroad.

[endabob1]

I've always thought Ireland, Scotland & Holland could all do with being more involved in the County set up in England, I just assumed Cricket politics would be the issue.

[Sheridan]

It's been an eventful week in Irish cricket. A strong under-19 side won the European Championship in Jersey, qualifying for the World Cup in the process. Although they lost to Scotland in their final match, causing a three-way tie for first place, Ireland's net run-rate secured the laurels. The Netherlands took the second World Cup berth ahead of unlucky Scotland.

In a novel fixture at YMCA's ground, Ireland A took on the Croatian national team in a Twenty20 match. A somewhat unsportingly powerful Irish side racked up 230-4 off their fifty overs. Chris Dougherty, Niall McDonnell and Brian Shields all retired out after scoring fifties. Gary Kidd took 3-18 as Croatia managed 97-7 off their twenty overs. Ireland A won by 133 runs.

The Ireland A squad which will defend its European Championship in the Netherlands this August is as follows: John Mooney (North County, capt), Andrew Balbirnie (Pembroke), Andrew Britton (Fox Lodge), George Dockrell (Leinster), Phil Eaglestone (Strabane), Shane Getkate (Malahide), James Hall (Waringstown), Nigel Jones (CSNI), Gary Kidd (Waringstown), Fintan McAllister (Malahide), Andrew Poynter (Clontarf), Eddie Richardson (North County), Paul Stirling (Carrickfergus), Reinhardt Strydom (YMCA).

Again, a very strong squad which should win the tournament at a canter. One might argue that the number of full internationals in that selection goes something against the ethos of "A" competition.

Finally, Mark Garaway has been announced as CI's Director of Cricket Operations. He was previously assistant to Duncan Fletcher in the England set-up.

[Gather round]

Eh, no. If Ireland were integrated into the ECB it would lose any claim to a national team. We need to keep our best players here in a revitalised domestic structure to pass on their expertise, not ship them abroad

Why? Integration into the FP trophy hasn't lost the claim to a national (two-national?) team.

[holidaysong]

In a novel fixture at YMCA's ground, Ireland A took on the Croatian national team in a Twenty20 match. A somewhat unsportingly powerful Irish side racked up 230-4 off their fifty overs. Chris Dougherty, Niall McDonnell and Brian Shields all retired out after scoring fifties. Gary Kidd took 3-18 as Croatia managed 97-7 off their twenty overs. Ireland A won by 133 runs.


Now that was unsporting..

[TheBoss]

The Croats dont appear to be a good team :D

[shefellover93]

Very shifty umpire:p

[ArdeeBhoy]

Anyone going or interested in going to, er, Stormont?
Have access to tickets if needed....let me know?

[ArdeeBhoy]

Take that as a 'No', then??

[Stuttgart88]

I'm away on holidays for 2 weeks, otherwise I'd have nipped down to my local cricket ground (Lords) for MCC v Ireland next week.

[Sheridan]

Ireland "A" have made a good start to their European Championship defence in the Netherlands. Yesterday, they recorded an easy five-wicket win over Denmark, with Andrew Britton (2-20), Leinster spinner George Dockrell (2-22) and Paul Stirling (39) the stand-out performers.

Today, slow left-armer Gary Kidd returned the remarkable analysis of 8-15 in a rain-affected nine-wicket win over the hosts. Strydom (36*) and Stirling (38*) easily saw Ireland past the small target of 81.

[MariborKev]

Anyone going or interested in going to, er, Stormont?
Have access to tickets if needed....let me know?

I am sure your offer is appreciated AB, but I'd say everyone posting on this thread is well able to access tickets.

[Sheridan]

To round out the above, Ireland "A" retained their European Championship with ease, but subsequently lost heavily to MCC at Lord's.

The Scotland vs. Ireland Intercontinental Cup match ended in a draw. Scotland took nine points to Ireland's three due to their marginal first innings leads of six runs. Ireland were in a winning position, having reduced Scotland to 72-5 chasing 298, but rain forced the abandonment of the final day's play (one wonders whether the Scots did much to protect the pitch, they have previous there.)

Porterfield (77 & 118) and White (55) were the only Irish players to succeed with the bat. Regan West's 7-88 in the first innings rescued Ireland after a poor showing from a toothless new-ball attack devoid of any pace in the absence of Boyd Rankin.

[ArdeeBhoy]

I am sure your offer is appreciated AB, but I'd say everyone posting on this thread is well able to access tickets.

OK, will rephrase that. Is anyone from here going v.Eng. in Belfast??

[MariborKev]

Englands in diffs......

[TheBoss]

Great bowling performance:

England 203/9 (50)

Still a tough ask for Ireland.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Is this on TV?

[Sheridan]

Nope, RTÉ demanded money from Cricket Ireland to show it.

Boss, I don't think it's a tough ask at all, Ireland should chase 204 easily. If they don't it will be because they don't believe in themselves. England only have four genuine bowlers, so Bopara, Collingwood and Wright will have to make up the numbers.

[TheBoss]

In the past, Ireland have struggled to get good totals in previous ODI against top Test teams.

[Sheridan]

It's an England B side at best, and England aren't a top team when it comes to limited overs internationals (ask the Dutch :D).

I am a bit worried by the middle order, though. One could argue that the tail begins at 4. :eek:

[TheBoss]

When will they resume playing, you can always rely on the rain to help England :D

The reduced overs whenever the match resumes, may help Ireland more.

[Sheridan]

Definitely, considering that they lost wickets consistently and scored at less than four an over, their DL par score will be pathetic.

[TheBoss]

I think the target of 116 off 20 overs is slightly unfair, play to resume at around 5:40.

[Sheridan]

Hard to see how they arrived at that.

[Sheridan]

Porterfield gone already, bottling against the big sides as usual. How an England innings of 203 with nine wickets down, which never touched four an over, translates into Ireland requiring almost six an over off 20 is beyond me.

[tricky_colour]

Hard to see how they arrived at that.

Presumably the 'DuckWorth Lewis'? method?


29 or 2 off 4.4 overs. That's about 6.5909090909090909090909090909091 (approx :D) runs an over. Against a required rate of 5.8.

[tricky_colour]

42 for 2 of 6 overs - on target for a win!!

[Sheridan]

Yes, but DL is known to be deficient at setting targets for smaller totals. The principle of the method is based on "resources" (wickets standing, overs remaining) and run-rates. England had lost all but one of their wickets and batted their full complement at a low run-rate. Ridiculous target to set Ireland on that basis. Something that has to be looked at.

Looks like Ireland will chase it anyway, English spinners getting a bit of tap. 48/2 now.

[TheBoss]

Botha gone for LBW - 66/3 - 9 overs

[TheBoss]

Halfway 68/4

48 more to win

[tricky_colour]

Yes, but DL is known to be deficient at setting targets for smaller totals. The principle of the method is based on "resources" (wickets standing, overs remaining) and run-rates. England had lost all but one of their wickets and batted their full complement at a low run-rate. Ridiculous target to set Ireland on that basis. Something that has to be looked at.

Looks like Ireland will chase it anyway, English spinners getting a bit of tap. 48/2 now.

Ridiculously high or ridiculously low?

Looks like a win for Ireland!!

[TheBoss]

Ridiculously high or ridiculously low?

Looks like a win for Ireland!!

A bit high for my liking.

Just wait and see, not quite there yet !

[tricky_colour]

A bit high for my liking.

Just wait and see, not quite there yet !
Need about 5 an over, should be do able with 6 wickets :D;):rolleyes:

[TheBoss]

Mooney and KOB are too passive at the moment, S/R under 40 !

EDIT: KOB out now !!

[Sheridan]

Should just start smoking the ****ers, they've got nothing unless you play back to them. It's only 34 runs, they could and should do it in three overs.

[tricky_colour]

Looks to have gone pear shaped :p

[TheBoss]

Mooney gone, squeaky bum time !!!