Ireland reach Cricket World Cup

[Thunderblaster]

What a great occasion for Irish sport. I'm sure that people will be attending cricket grounds in their droves and the pubs will be packed with punters watching......cricket I cannot imagine George Hamilton commentating a cricket game or Ger Canning or Jimmy Magee. I don't think people personally care about Ireland qualifying for the Cricket World Cup and endure watching some boring crap on telly. Sleeping would be more exciting.

[Plastic Paddy]

No Thunderblaster, don't sit on the fence - say what you really mean...

PP

[gspain]

In fairness, that seems to be an oversight on subpage 2. The previous page carries a full report. Media coverage of this tournament was outrageously scant, however.

For the record, the result was as follows:

Canada: 238-9 (50 overs.)
Ireland: 241-6 (49.2 overs.)

Ireland face Scotland, who defeated Bermuda in the other semi, in Wednesday's final.

I checked RTE 1 (Sky Digital) a few times from 3pm. Only 1 page with the fixtures and results to follow right up until 9pm. I did see the report next time I checked after 10pm.

I had checked Aertel but Newstalk had a reporter at the game.

[gspain]

I know there has been a lot of talk about Ed Joyce . . . I'm in two minds over this.
Yes he would be better off playing at a higher level, and that is undoubtedly England, but what class of an Irishman would do that?
I'm not into all this passport-switching that some people love. I live in England, my wife is English and I like it here but I'll die with that Irish passport of mine.

I'm not that well up on eligibility rules but I don't think you need a British passport to play for England.

Even playing for Middlesex he is already at a level well above the Irish team. I still stand by my original argument and say good luck to him.

Would you feel the same if Sonia O'Sullivan had defected to Australia last year?

[stickyjoe]

agree with you there gspain.
would love to see Ed stay and play for us but I can`t argue with him if he does decide to play for england. alrhough it would be strange watching him play for england

roll on the west indies 2007. might be a bit hot over there for the leprechaun suits

[Ash]

I cannot imagine George Hamilton commentating a cricket game or Ger Canning or Jimmy Magee.

Nah, it'd have to go to Peter Collins ... he must have commentated on every
other sport rte have shown!

[swinfordfc]

Well done to the irish team hope they beat scotland to win this trophy!!!!! ireland in cricket world cup lads that sounds good

[Stuttgart88]

I know there has been a lot of talk about Ed Joyce . . . I'm in two minds over this.
Yes he would be better off playing at a higher level, and that is undoubtedly England, but what class of an Irishman would do that?
I'm not into all this passport-switching that some people love. I live in England, my wife is English and I like it here but I'll die with that Irish passport of mine.

I think Cricket's unique in that there are only 11 (?) test playing nations so it's not as if he's really turning his back on Ireland to play for England. I actually think it'd be great to have an Irishman playing test cricket & it'd do the status of Irish cricket the world of good. I'm sick of offering objective criticism of England's Test performance over the years only to be rebuffed with "well we're better than Ireland" type nonsense.

Good luck to him. Not sure it'd be enough to get me to support them though!

I'm not sure passport switching is required either. I think residency is the only criterion.

As fot the ICC Trophy: Ireland vs Scotland on Wednesday. Ed Joyce is being flown back by Middx I hear. Come on you toffs in green!

Live score updates can be got by going to www.icctrophy2005.org

[Réiteoir]

Ireland come under the juristriction of the ECB (or in it's old entity - the Test and County Cricket Board - TCCB)

Ireland are permitted to play in the C&G Trophy - and have been for years - I remember going down each year to watch them play Worcestershire in the B&H Trophy (they had a certain Alan Lewis playing for them in those days - he's now too busy refereeing International Rugby to turn out for the cricket team)

Joyce should et dispensation to play for Ireland in the World Cup if he did play Test cricket for England (as with Dougie Brown playing for Scotland and England).

Each year England play Wales in a one-day friendly in Cardiff - you get players like Robert Croft turning out for Wales but then playing for England in the Test Series. iirc Wales beat England in the last such game

And finally - some of the England side aren't English anyway - Andy Caddick was born and brought up in Australia and I think Pietersen is actually South African

[Pauro 76]

going to be weird cheering on Ireland in the cricket. Like many Irish people I havent a notion about what the game is about, and not particularly bothered either, but ill cheer them on nonetheless....

[Macy]

And finally - some of the England side aren't English anyway - Andy Caddick was born and brought up in Australia and I think Pietersen is actually South African

Caddick was/is a Kiwi rather than an Aussie.

[Schumi]

Anyone going to the final tomorrow?

[gspain]

Anyone going to the final tomorrow?

No would like. I am on holidays and all but decided to go to Belfast to cheer on Shels. Football always wins out.

Good luck to Ireland though.

[tayto repairman]

you can be from any country in the world and still play for england as long as you play first class county cricket there.

a whole host of foreigners have played for england over the years - inc. allan lamb, robin smith, andy caddick, chris broad, graeme hick, phil defrictas, devon malcolm, chris lewis and gladstone small & alex tudor.

well done to the irish lads.

[razor]

Final Groups for next years World cup have been finalised.

Confirmed World Cup Pools

Pool 1 - St Kitts - Australia, South Africa, Holland, Scotland
Pool 2 - Trinidad - Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Bermuda
Pool 3 - St Lucia - New Zealand, England, Kenya, Canada
Pool 4 - Jamaica - West Indies, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Ireland

[Partizan]

Looks like we're off to Jamaica mon

[Rory H]

st patricks day in jamaica....watching cricket


see you there!!!

[thejollyrodger]

pakistan and west indies look like top teams..can we make it out of our group ?

[bigmac]

pakistan and west indies look like top teams..can we make it out of our group ?

not a hope unfortunately. maybe if we had been in the group with 2 non-test playing nations but they have the Aussies and S. Africans there so I doubt it. Also depends on whether Zimbabwe put out a proper team or a political team made up of Mugabe supporters. We did beat the WIndies the last time they were here though so nothing is impossible, should be great atmosphere at that game. I think the Pakistan game is on St. Patrick's Day btw.