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Huge congratulations to Cricket Ireland on another momentous day for the sport that has gone from strength to strength here in recent years. Yes, Ireland has been granted Full Test status and has finally taken her place among the top cricket nations of the earth.
Following their meeting yesterday at the Oval in London, the International Cricket Council (ICC) made the historic decision to upgrade the status of Ireland and Afghanistan from associate to full member. This means Ireland can play Test matches against the world’s best cricketing countries. A mouthwatering prospect.
It is the culmination of a combination of hard work by the players in a series of inspiring results over the years, the dedication of coaches on the ground to promote the game, and the leadership of Cricket Ireland, not least by Warren Deutrom, the Chief Executive.
The news of Ireland’s was welcomed by Mr Deutrom: “It’s fantastic news for all involved with Irish cricket and I’d like to thank ICC and the members for the positive outcome. Test cricket is the pinnacle of the sport and it’s what we’ve all been aiming for. The players have been very clear in their stated objective of wanting to play at the very highest level of the game and it’s clearly a momentous day that we will be able to do that in the very near future, I’d like to thank all those involved with Irish cricket for their drive, enthusiasm and energy over the years which has made this journey an ultimately successful one. We are all justifiably very proud today, but we see this not as the end of the road, but just the first step in taking our wonderful sport further and higher in the years ahead.”
He had summed up the positivity driving Cricket in Ireland saying, “the degree of self-belief and strength from the players we took in 2007, 2011 and 2015 and the extraordinary achievements on the field.”
Kieran Kennedy, our managing director said on behalf of O’Neills: “Congratulations to the whole team at Cricket Ireland on the promotion to ICC test status. This achievement has been thoroughly deserved. Best wishes from your proud kit partner, O’Neills, The Choice of Champions.”
And it’s great news too for the Blarney Army, that loyal band of rowdy but knowledgeable cricket fans, who stick on their O’Neills Cricket Ireland jerseys and follow the Irish team to tournaments world wide and bring their songs, music, craic and banter with them.
And the benefits. Well, more TV coverage, more young players taking up the game, more Irish players can play for their own country at the highest level without declaring for England. And more supporters thanks to greater visibility and promotion.
Cricket is one of Ireland’s fast growing sports. It was first played in Ireland in 1792 and grew to the extent that it was to become extremely popular around the mid 1850s.
In May this year, Ireland played two ODIs against England — at Bristol and Lord's — and pulled an estimated crowd of at least 22,000 for game two at the traditional home of cricket. That can only be good news for the game in Ireland and internationally. Test playing nations will know that Ireland have fans who will travel.
The new found test status will allow the Ireland cricketers to play on the world’s biggest stage, and everyone knows in sport, whatever sport, that Ireland always fancy their chances against anyone. We’re one of the biggest giant killers in world sport. Remember the World Cup in Italy in 1994, the All Blacks unbeaten run shattered in Chicago, a succession of golf heroics in the Ryder Cup. On the biggest stage of all, we mightn’t always do it but when we do, boy do the Irish know how to celebrate.As a test nation Ireland can look forward to many historic days to come. In 1969. Ireland pulled off one of the biggest upsets of 20th century cricket by bowling out a strong West Indian side for just 25 runs in Sion Mills. The West Indies were an exotic attraction in the sleepy West Tyrone village, renowned for its cricket. But there was nothing sleepy about the Irish team who were up for the task and surprised a star studded West Indies side.
The first Cricket match is widely considered to have taken place in the Phoenix Park in Dublin when members of the British Army Garrison played the Gentlemen of Ireland for 1000 Guineas. Ireland defeated England in 1855 by 107 runs in a game considered by Irish cricket historians to be our first international. English historians, perhaps influenced by that result consider a later match against Australia as their first test.
Who can forget St Patrick’s Day in 2007 in Jamaica when Ireland delivered one of the greatest and most unlikely victories in cricket's rich history by beating Pakistan in a tense encounter in Jamaica. Wasn’t much craic back home in Pakistan that day. Inspired by brilliant wicket-keeper batsman Niall O'Brien, Ireland met their target of 128 with three wickets remaining in near darkness. The win knocked Pakistan out of the World Cup. Cue an impromptu Paddy’s Day party in the Caribbean!
The day before Ireland had tied with Zimbabwe, only the third ever draw in World Cup cricket thanks to a century by Jeremy Bray. It was a thrilling encounter and one to whet the appetite but no-one could foresee what lay in store….
Ireland against England at Bangalore's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2011. Only one winner there said the experts. Sure we all know what happened next. The English reached 327-8 from their 50 overs, however, Kevin O'Brien stepped up to hit 113 off 50 balls to help Ireland defeat Andrew Strauss' shocked side. Ireland celebrated in muted style.
Jeremy Bray, Andre Botha and Trent Johnston, Alec O'Riordan, Bob Lambert, Charles Lawrence, John Hynes, Kevin O'Brien, Lucius Gwynn, now and in time to be, wherever green is worn in a cricket pitch, are changed, changed utterly. A Test nation is born.