Irish Cricket 2023

VillaMad

So the Ireland men's team begins their year tomorrow with a tour of Zimbabwe. After some impressive performances last year, hopes are high that Ireland can replicate some of those again.

Another big year with the One day format taking over this year albeit with a big T20 qualifier in July. A test match in Lords is to one to look forward too. Nothing announced as of yet for the home internationals. Australia and New Zealand are touring England and usually Ireland play at least one of them.

Confirmed fixtures for the year:

January 2023 - Ireland Tour of Zimbabwe

Matches : 3 ODI's and 3 T20's

Spring 2023 - Tours to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Matches: TBC

May/June 2023 - Tour of England

Matches: Tour Match vs Essex and Test match against England

June 2023 - 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier (in Zimbabwe)

Matches: TBC (10 teams with 2 to qualify)

July 2023 - 2023 T20 World Cup Europe Regional Final (in Scotland)

Matches: TBC (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Scotland - 2 to qualify)

September 2023 - Tour of England

Matches: 3 ODI's

October/November 2023 - 50 over Cricket World Cup (India)

Matches: TBC

Ireland's Women's team had a super year last year by winning in Pakistan and also qualifying for the T20 World Cup by seeing off Scotland and Zimbabwe. That T20 World Cup will take place next month in South Africa with Ireland in Group B against England, India, Pakistan and the West Indies.

Strumms

app.icc.tv and you can watch the Zimbabwe vs Ireland games for free.

You might need to sign up to an account, I’m logged in anyway so….

VillaMad

So no Stirling, Tucker or Little who are all involved in T20 competitions for this series that starts today which I think is no bad thing as we need to broaden the side and have more options.

Debuts then for Ross Adair (brother of Mark) and Stephen Doheny who are both integral parts of the domestic competitions. A recall as well for Tyrone Kane who features for the first time in almost 4 years.

Zimbabwe pretty much full strength apart from Sikandar Raza who is off to franchise cricket. The big news for them is Gary Ballance returning to the country of his birth. A fresh start for the former England batsmen who left Yorkshire amidst the storm of the racism case against Azeem Rafiq.

VillaMad

So end of the powerplay and Ireland are struggling at 28-3. Ross Adair was bowled for 5 runs and Balbirnie hit a poor shot straight to a fielder. Stephen Doheny played a few nice shots before he edged a wide one to the keeper.

KevIRL

No idea what the pitch is like but 70/5 after 13 overs isnt exactly setting the world alight.

wicorthered

Another pretty abject batting performance. Do Ireland actually employ a batting coach. Masakadza looking like prime Murli at this stage. The weakness against spin bowling is staggering, in that there hasn't been any improvement in this area. It Irelands biggest weakness, and the coaching staff don't appear to be able to solve any of it.

VillaMad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120098009#Comment_120098009

Nice bit of turn for the spinners but not a bad pitch by any means. Spinners have had them in knots at times. Poor batting effort from Ireland.

Strumms

5.75 an over needed by Zimbabwe from the off. No pressure whatsoever on them to be hitting boundaries… just rotating the strike will suffice for the win….

115 is a really poor and embarrassing total to set. To be bowled out is also very poor…Zimbabwe are one place ahead of Ireland in the international T20 rankings but only by a handful of points so you’d have wanted it to be competitive whatever the result.

Ireland only found the boundary 13 times over the innings of 116 deliveries…and scored 114 runs.

we start well with the ball though, Tector gets Irvine… much needed positive start….but we’ll need wickets to be a tumbling to have a chance.

Strumms

Worrying how poor Doherty has been with the gloves... actually shelled two wickets... dropped the ball to miss affecting a simple stumping with the batsman feet from his ground and missing an edge that went through him...

wicorthered

Captain needs to look at himself again today. The only way Ireland win that game is to bowl Zimbabwe out. Why didn't he bowl Adair out from the start, why was he holding back overs? McCarthy gets his second over in the 15th over, he's a better wicket taker than Campher, he should've bowled his overs. Run rate and keeping it tight didn't matter a jot!

The team selection sometimes seems very very odd. On a spinning pitch, they don't play Ben White, but then Hand and McCarthy bowl a combined 3 overs. If that's all the're going to bowl on that pitch, why play both of them over a spinner? If White had played for Hand say, Kane could've been a seaming back up, so that base is still covered.

Furze99

Not at the races.

Strumms

I share the point about the captaincy. It was clear we were going to need rapid wickets to stand any chance yet Balbernie with an ultra defensive field. Nothing new from him, it just boils my piss. Almost hoping for a mistake as opposed to being brave and trying to put pressure back on the opposition. The amount of our fielders just placed to save runs.. bizarre.

Strumms

And not forgetting, just 3 of our batsmen scored double figure scores.

Gareth Delaney top scored, with 24.

VillaMad

I wouldn't be hugely harsh on them today. Only Tector has been playing since the World Cup and this tour is in the middle of the Zimbabwe domestic season. Missing 3 key players and so it was always going to be a little bit of an uphill challenge.

No real consequences on this tour so a huge chance to give the likes of Doheny and Ross Adair a go and see whether they sink or swim at international level. Only way you will know is by giving them the opportunity.

Hopefully the cobwebs might be blown off a couple of them after today and a better performance is ahead of them on Saturday.

Strumms

Zimbabwe will be clear favourites for the second T20.

not nearly enough runs scored by the Irish and Zimbabwe never needed to get out of 3rd gear to successfully chase with two overs and 5 wickets to spare…

wonder will Ireland opt for anything different tactically, especially if they win the toss ? Does the management and captain feel like making a change or two ? Do they believe that players coming in might make a difference, be capable of making a difference ?

Starts 11am our time.. fixture again at the Harare Sports Club… broadcast live on icc.tv site… broadcasts are quality.

VillaMad

Haven't been watching the game but it seems like a decent effort from the Irish bowlers.

Who knew that Harry Tector was such an effective opening bowler?

Zimbabwe all out for 144 with 3 runs out and some decent death bowling from Adair and Graham Hume who came into the side for Barry McCarthy.

Strumms

Great effort to bowl the opposition out… much improved with the ball and by and large excellent in the field.

7.2 an over required, get off to a positive start and it’s doable…. 25/3 or thereabouts and it’s start the car…. We just need to have partnerships.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120106960#Comment_120106960

Saw the first few overs and wasn't that great - going at 10 an over at one stage. Their lad Kaia was looking impressive & very threatening but got himself stupidly run out. If he'd stayed a bit longer, they could easily be 180-200.

Strumms

Good start by ireland but as per usual.. cannot maintain the momentum 27-0 after 5... lots of blocking and finding fielders with tempered batting.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120107146#Comment_120107146

Yep, steady start but a run a ball ain't going to cut the mustard.

Strumms

Plus for ireland is we haven't lost wickets so why not risk it for a biscuit... RRR is over 8 now... ... 98 from 72. Delicately poised.

Strumms

18 from that over... needed and puts us back in pole position.. don't fùck it up lads come on !!!!

35 from 32

Furze99

Fair dues, well managed in the end :)

Ross Adair MOTM?

Strumms

only negative from a sporting perspective was the antics and skullduggery by the Zimbabweans… their ‘injured’ player at the end getting treatment one foot from the boundary rope for about 5 minutes, just when the irish innings had momentum…. Feck all wrong with him as he’s up and scurrying away…. Both physios had one eye on the umpire, would you not be more concerned treating your ‘injured’ player…then repeatedly and furtively looking back towards the wicket !?

100% deliberate tactics to unsettle, delay and kill momentum…..

hopefully we take them in the decider…

wicorthered

Great performance today. Very professional in the chase, They managed it perfectly and never let the rate get out of control. Promising knock from Adair. Good bowling performance, it's a pity Hume isn't 22 not 32, would be a great Murtagh replacement.

The ability is there, that's why days like Thurs are so frustrating. They just need to develop consistency

Furze99

Keeping an eye on decider - Zim mixed up their bowling better I think and faster chaps bowled fuller. Hard to score off.

We started well in the field and had an early squeeze on but not as much variety and bowling short - bang, bang, bang - leaked loads runs.

Strumms

That catch by Balbernie off White....class..

We just need to keep limiting the boundaries.... 8.88 required 5.92 the current..

Strumms

19 from Dockrells over and from favourites to going to lose with an over or so remaining...

Strumms

Ireland Vs Zimbabwe, ok the series was lost but we managed to win one game and we’re competitive in the other two. Probably should have won another but composure at the death is lacking.

ODI series starts tomorrow morning. But at 7.15am our time…weather not looking at all good for not only cricket tomorrow but the remainder of the series.. bout a weeks worth of rain forecasted.

KevIRL

V good partnership here from balbirnie and tector

wicorthered

Tector is a genuine world class ODI batsman. I'm looking forward to seeing him in tests, he could be even better in that format!! If he could bring that level of play to the T20 team it would solve a lot of issues.