Josh Little has been bought by the Gujarat Titans, 2021 champions.
4.4 crore is the price, that’s close to half a million USD
The first current Ireland international to be picked up in an IPL auction
Big news coming out of Abbotstown.
Irish government has approved plans for a cricket stadium. A square and 4,000 seats are set to be ready by 2028.
The first time govt has put in writing that Abbotstown will be built in time for the 2030 World Cup
R Ashwin did a preview show about the ‘associate nations’ where his panel talked about Ireland
It went pretty much as well as expected…
Congrats to Peter Chase on coming out of retirement to make the Ireland squad, and to Mark Adair for his stellar Craig Young impersonation
Josh Little: “I have loved playing international cricket for Ireland - and that will always remain my priority, but to be able to learn and play in the IPL will be an incredible opportunity”
Sadly, the Tolerance Oval does not have an honours board to record Mark Adair’s five wicket haul.
Still, Ireland’s seamers showed a level of skill not seen since Murtagh at Lord’s
See link in bio for analysis of how the seamers swung and nipped their way into the ascendancy
Little's figures at this
#T20WorldCup
27 overs, 11 wickets, 189 runs conceded at an economy of 7
Taken a wicket for every 17 runs conceded at a strike-rate of 15 balls per wicket
In an interview last summer, Andrew Balbirnie said the 2022 World Cup was the highlight of his captaincy career.
Strongly suspect today’s knock is the new number one
Andy Balbirnie says if McBrine was one hit away from a century James McCollum would have batted. Says McBrine didn’t want to risk further injury to McCollum and described chaotic scenes of him padded up with crutches
Signing off from Clontarf with one of the moments of the day. Brian Stirling (white hat) congratulates his son Paul and Andrew Balbirnie, two long-time friends and teammates, after Ireland’a win
WC qualifiers post-mortem
- Playing in Lord's instead of travelling early to Zim
- being surprised by conditions
- unsure of best XI
- 9 ODIs this year vs 19 days of Test cricket
Players underperformed, but the big questions remain off the pitch
Jerry Flannery showing the value of having someone who understands the importance of kicking and the gainline, the main trends of the game, on Co-comms
And of course of someone who can eloquently explain what’s going on, instead of just calling the whole thing boring
As Ireland's attention turns to red ball, two Test capped players recently turned down central contracts.
Murray Commins and Theo van Woerkom have returned to South Africa and New Zealand respectively.
Explained: Why the pair ended their Ireland careers
See link in bio
New Ireland ODI (left, Dark green) and T20 (right) kits revealed.
Thoughts? When Macron hopefully fixes their site will you buy a shirt?
After some time under when O’Neills where kit could not be purchased, replica jerseys no doubt should be welcomed by fans
Spot the difference
On two occasions in this series, Ben White has now been denied wickets by the on-field umpire calling a no ball.
Does he have reasons to feel aggrieved on both counts?
Cricket Ireland have confirmed that Ireland will play Pakistan in Clontarf on May 10, 12 and 14.
Tri-series in the Netherlands set to be confirmed by that board soon
All matches (or postponements) after the World Cup, including the Zim Test at Stormont, are not yet finalised
Email from YMCA CC chairman to members:
‘We have had several meetings with Lansdowne, and they have agreed in principle to offer us a new rental agreement for the 2024 season’
It’s fun to STAY at the YMCA
Politicians rarely pay attention to cricket, but Cricket Ireland needs the government to write a large cheque if Abbotstown stadium is to be built in time for the 2030 T20 World Cup
Indications of an upcoming general election, though, don’t bode well for cricket
Story in bio
Amy Hunter just hit her first 100 in T20 internationals
She is now the only Irish woman to have a century in both ODIs and T20Is
Ireland score 191/3 in the first innings vs Zimbabwe, their third highest ever total
Perhaps unfairly written off after struggles in Tests and ODIs - not to mention a significant injury - Ben White has snuck under the radar as a useful T20 bowler
Friday night was a breakout display in a World Cup year, but it wasn't altogether unexpected
Story via link in bio
🚨Paul Stirling interview
- ‘Ireland comes first’
- Ambitions to stay as captain at World Cups in 2024 & 2027
- Reflecting on franchise goals
- How waking up at 6am extends his career
- ‘I’d run through a brick wall for William Porterfield’
New updates in ICC ODI Batting Rankings:
▶️Babar Azam remain at the top spot in the latest ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings.
▶️ Ireland's young gun Harry Tector makes massive gains to jump inside the top 10 in the latest ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings.
Cricket Ireland will receive €333,334 in funding from Sport Ireland this year.
This takes total public funding into CI to €1.2 million since 2021.
These are high performance funds not infrastructure, so do not include any future money to be invested into Abbotstown stadium
Cricket in America
So far, I’ve passed thru 3 security checks, spoken to 2 guys with machine guns and been sniffed by a rather large dog.
Also nearly got run over by India’s presidential convoy
#Murica
☘️ First current Irish international bought at
#IPLAuctions
🏆 Playing with the champs
@gujarat_titans
🏏 Ramifications on which Ireland games will be missed (potentially 2 Test matches)
Full story on a historic day for Irish cricket ⬇️
7 years after they both became ICC full members, Afghanistan are World Cup semifinalists as Ireland crashed out without a win.
How has a war torn country overtaken a more politically stable nation?
Not all full memberships are created equal. Story ⬇️
Helpful that Cricket Ireland scheduled the game the day before the Saturday supplement, but always nice to see cricket making the front page of the sports section
#buyapaper
India trained at Ireland's new High Performance Centre yesterday.
Jasprit Bumrah on the grass nets which have reportedly had some recent spice to them: "Little bit of help for the bowlers... all in all it was a very good session. Great facilities and very happy with them."
Spoke to Eoin Morgan in the build-up to Lord’s
- why he was in Dublin coaching kids a week after retirement
- documenting changes in the Irish pathway to pro cricket since he left for England
- Irish players reaching the level he left to achieve
What we saw in Stormont shows there is so much both wrong and right about Irish Test cricket
It's a batshit, confusing mess which ultimately fills people with joy. You can try to make sense of it, but for now at least, that just removes the fun.
Column on a historic win in bio
For the first time, Josh Little has spoken on his franchise-induced red ball absence. He has guaranteed that he will one day play Test cricket
Little has set a timeline of returning to red ball in 18 months' time once his current franchise contract expires
Story via link in bio
☘️ 🇿🇼
Ireland squad for Zimbabwe Test
Humphreys and Hoey in, no Liam McCarthy
Balbirnie (c), M Adair, C Campher, G Hoey, G Hume, M Humphreys, A McBrine, B McCarthy, J McCollum, PJ Moor, P Stirling, H Tector, L Tucker, C Young
Andrew Balbirnie sums up the implication of beating Pakistan, given these two meet at the WC next month, nicely:
"We won't dine out on this...but big teams are completely aware of what we can do when we perform"
Reaction and analysis from Clontarf ⬇️
The youngest member of the Tector clan becomes the second international cricketer in the family, Alice following in the footsteps of her older brother, Harry
Should we be all that surprised that the New York pitch has become the dominant talking point?
The ICC couldn’t even get Ireland’s travel and preparation right, let alone a complicated drop in pitch
Welcome to cricket’s culture of incompetence
Story via link in bio
Been a long time since I've seen Josh Little this fired up.
He cramps Williams for room and gets him to chop on.
What follows can only be described as a death stare, Little giving a send-off with the eyes. Williams isn't happy and words are had as he trudges off
Ross Adair with 65 off 47 in his second international. @ fours and 4 sixes - strike rate of 138 showing off the power he has displayed at interpro level.
Planning & design begins for our new National Cricket Stadium 📢
📍at the National Sports Campus
#Blanchardstown
This will deliver a transformational impact on Irish cricket, enabling Ireland to host major international cricket events.
If ever there was a marker of the importance of regular T20 cricket, today was it. Ireland have played seven games in quick succession on this trip, and they are playing much better now than at the start.
A perfectly-timed run to reach the
#T20WorldCup
Ireland's first Test win is historic, but it is the beginning of the end of that red ball history
Test cricket is dying and Ireland will suffer more than most.
Administrators must act to ensure more days like last week can happen, but will they?
Story via link in bio
Matthew Humphreys has just taken a First Class 10fer for Emerging Ireland. He's banging down the door for the Zimbabwe Test
On form alone, he should play. But ignoring so many representative wickets would also send a poor message to fringe Irish players
Analysis via link in bio
We have to talk about Harry Tector.
He passed 50 in 6 of his last 7 ODIs, yet wasn’t given the tools to flourish in T20.
Now he has, and that has only added to his skills in ODIs. Runs of form like this doesn’t often happen. They need to be celebrated
Curtis Campher and George Dockrell kept Ireland in last year's T20 World Cup with their partnership against Scotland.
Have they once again kept their side alive against the same opposition in the hunt for ODI World Cup qualification?
Irish news on World Cup final day.
Cricket Ireland has written to ICC to complain of their treatment in NY.
Hotel changed from close to the ground to 90 mins away 2 weeks before the comp. Food also an issue at the new hotel
ICC pays for teams at WCs
Sport Ireland has contacted Cricket Ireland to discuss in-ground gambling ads at Ireland vs India.
One website featured has been accused of taking bets on children’s sport. Others feature content of a sexual nature.
CI has apologised ‘unreservedly’ ⬇️
Official confirmation of Ireland fixtures expected soon after yesterday’s board meeting.
The home Test will be in July against Zimbabwe in Stormont
T20s vs Pakistan in May were slated for UK but sounds like they may now be in Clontarf
Games vs SA could be abroad
George Dockrell signs for Lancashire for the remainder of their blast campaign.
Former Ireland captain William Porterfield, who gave Dockrell his international debut, is an assistant coach at Old Trafford
Ridiculous game. Adair with a diving stunner of a catch keeps Ireland in it, only for an inside edge to wrong foot Tucker, allowing Zim to scamper thru for a 1 wicket win.
Best game Ireland have been involved in for a long time.
Shame it wasn't shown on tv/stream
Lankan Premier League auction currently ongoing. Lorcan Tucker has been picked up by the Colombo Strikers for $10,000.
Competition dates are July 31st-August 22nd.
As with Josh Little's 100 stint, there is a clash with Ireland's T20 series vs India
NEWS: Ireland women are set to tour Zimbabwe next month.
Eight game tour including 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is.
The last time the two played, Ireland won by 4 runs at a T20WC qualifier in 2022.
Last time they played a bilateral series, Amy Hunter became cricket’s youngest centurion
Big news out of Ireland camp. Ross Adair has been called up for the Zimbabwe T20s as Tucker will play in the UAE franchise league.
Stirling and Little already missing those games due to franchise commitments.
Tector will play franchise in Nepal but will be back for Zim games
☘️🇵🇰 'That's just mean fast bowling'
Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi has never played a senior match vs Ireland. Yet six years ago at an U19 WC, his sheer pace was too much for Ireland's teenagers
Some of them recount their ordeal ahead of today's series opener ⬇️
See link in bio
Josh Little will play for
@MultanSultans
in next year’s
@OfficialPSL
Understand Quetta Gladiators were interested but they picked Hasaranga and Naseem, opening the door for Multan.
As a platinum pick, Little is in line for roughly $130k
#PSL2023
#PSLDRAFT
Semi interesting Irish angle to the RCB game. If Bangalore lose they’re out of the IPL and Maxwell travels to Birmingham for the blast.
That means Stirling’s time as an overseas for the bears finishes and he’ll be fully available for Ire vs Essex.
Josh Little's most economical spell of his short IPL career in his final game before flying to Chelmsford for Ireland vs Bangladesh.
1-24 off 4 overs vs Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson the wicket. Played across a ball angling away from him, top edge into the covers.
#RRvsGT
The words 'option' and 'clarity' shouldn't describe Curtis Campher's innings yesterday
Yet his cold, calculated approach leads to reverse ramps with the game on the line
For Campher, it's just business. Everyone else should bask in the batshit audacity
Analysis via link in bio
✍️💰☘️ Contracts update
Irish players recently secured a first Test win not knowing how much they would be paid in 2024
A deep dive into the quest for salary increases and why Cricket Ireland's financial uncertainty has led unprecedented delays to negotiations
See link in bio
🚨Big Ireland news day ☘️
- No Stirling in red ball
- Sri Lanka Test confirmed
- PJ Moor picked
- Humphreys steps up from U19s
- Malan explains D Delany absence
- Craig Young fit again
- Chelmsford games confirmed
Squads for Bangla and SL tours ⬇️
Gaby Lewis, Amy Hunter, Mary Waldron, Laura Delany, Arlene Kelly and Jane Maguire the Irish players who have registered for first WIPL auction.
No Prendergast due to academic commitments
Auction is the same day as Ireland’s WT20 opener vs England
Fionn Hand goes from not being in the squad to taking 3-18 for Ireland in their victory over the Dutch.
One game probably not enough to force his way into the World Cup plane, but another similar outing will ask the question at least
In recent years, Ireland women have jumped between dizzying success and inconsistent comedowns.
After an impressive series win over Sri Lanka, are the good times here to stay?
Why Ireland should aim to be in the world's top six sooner rather than later
Story via link in bio
Fionn Hand has been called into the Ireland squad for Tuesday's final T20 vs Pakistan and the upcoming tri-series in the Netherlands
Barry McCarthy didn't play on Sunday due to a back spasm, but was seen walking around the boundary during play. No other injury details public yet
Harry Tector in good form during the mid innings break speaking about his dad Heatley who is in Chelmsford: "Maybe give him a little less screen time during the second innings, he likes it a lot."
NEW: Ireland men last week declined central contracts offers made to them by Cricket Ireland
Ireland women are set to vote on their offers soon
Unclear this time around why the rejection, but players have previously sought pay rises
Josh little plays his first game of this year’s IPL after sitting out Gujarat’s first 10 contests.
4-45 including the scalps of du Plessis, Patidar, Maxwell and Green in a losing effort
First player from each country with 4+ wicket haul in IPL
AUS🇦🇺 - Glenn McGrath in 2008
PAK🇵🇰 - Sohail Tanvir in 2008
IND🇮🇳 - L Balaji in 2008
SA🇿🇦 - Makhaya Ntini in 2008
SL🇱🇰 - Dilhara Fernando in 2008
WI🏝️ - Kevon Cooper in 2012
ENG🏴 - Dimitri Mascarenhas in 2012
NZ🇳🇿 -
Craig Young generally doesn’t bowl at the death. But he gets the 20th over here, defending 11 and he takes 1-7 to secure the win.
Some of the ghosts of Michael Bracewell discarded as Ireland’s attack comes up trumps to win the game
One last World Cup debrief/photo dump
Ireland's comp comes down to one debate. Were the players unable to adapt or did the ICC shift the goalposts too much by offering up such unusual conditions?
Either way, this
#t20cwc
was a crapshoot and☘️ lost big
Story via link in bio
Cricket Ireland recently acquired two Tesla Ys for senior staff members
Given recent controversy surrounding fixtures and budgetary issues, this is a potential optics issue
Chairman Brian MacNeice released the following statement
On Friday, Cricket Ireland chairman Brian MacNeice released a statement acknowledging the purchase of Teslas for the use of CI’s CEO and CFO
On Saturday, the below questions were put to CI’s media team, chairman, CEO and CFO
As of today, (Thursday), no response has been given
Weird aul day in Florida.
Bowling fightback papers over some of the batting cracks, but with no World Cup scalps to celebrate, attention now turns to the sparse home summer.
Irish cricket is in a strange place
Report from Lauderhill ⬇️
Given the attempts to market this as the dawn of a new red ball era (despite only being one match for now), complete with new team jerseys and branding, the decision to not broadcast the first domestic First Class game in Ireland since 2019 is... odd
Franchise watch 🚨
Curtis Campher has signed for the Chattogram Challengers and Harry Tector the Sylhet Strikers, both in the Bangladesh Premier League. They join Paul Stirling at Fortune Barishal
Comp is in Jan. No longer clashes with Afghan series which has been moved to Feb