Irish Cricket 2023

wicorthered · 25-06-2023 2:19pm

This was arguably the best preparation Ireland have ever had for a qualifying tournament. CI themselves have said the last two years have been spent with an eye on this tournament, they've played plenty of cricket this year, they've played in Zimbabwe this year, they have a fully fit, match fit squad, they're playing mainly associates. There is literally no excuses for the worst qualifying performance in Irish History.

How does Balbirnie defend this, how does he find positives, how does he keep his job? What does Malan actually do on the training pitch. Why is Josh Little so poor for Ireland and so good in franchise cricket. What has happened Paul Stirling? Why does Delaney bowl 10 overs one game and none for the next 3? Why did McBrine suddenly start opening after a career never opening?

If CI have any interest in being in a competitive country they'd rip up the current plans and start again. Drop Stirling, Balbirnie, Little, Hume, McBrine for the T20 qualifiers and try and blood fresh talent. The likes of Italy, Austria and Denmark should be no threat to the Wolves, so throw some of those into the squad. There's a losing mentality in this squad, that needs to be replaced.

This squad would easily qualify and actually win some games.

R. Adair, Doheny, Cummins, Tucker, H. Tector, T. Tector Campher, Dockrell Capt, Kane, G Delaney, M. Adair, D Delaney, Mayes, Foster, Humphreys

MFPM · 25-06-2023 3:22pm

Not even a contest in the end. While there's no shame in losing to SL the defeats to Scotland and Oman in particular shouldn't happen. World Cup chances gone.

VillaMad · 25-06-2023 6:37pm

Second successive World Cup that Ireland have failed to qualify for, so not a major surprise there as having the likes of the West Indies, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in this tournament was always going to make qualification difficult.

The huge problem is that this team is a million miles away both in talent and temperament and there are no quick fixes. They have no idea how to win games and are now consistently losing to Associate nations. Changes have to be made obviously.

wicorthered is correct in his assessments and the questions about team selections. Another one is why was Barry McCarthy playing his first ODI in two years today for instance when we have been scratching around with terrible spinners all winter and poor international standard bowlers like Hume and Hand. Questions, questions, questions, but no solutions.

Weighing it all up, when Ireland got test status, it was a proud moment but years later, we can't play a Test match at home for financial reasons and were then belittled by the English media when we did get a game. Test matches have taken a huge hit with the growth of T20 cricket and now only really favours the big 3. Our domestic matches are a million miles away from international standard and by getting Test status our players can now no longer play county cricket and that has hurt everyone in their development.

Furze99 · 25-06-2023 9:15pm

Another day, another dollar, another loss.

Reported by cricinfo that Balbirnie considered it very disappointing but you’ve got to move on. I wonder what that means?

Strumms · 25-06-2023 9:34pm

Problem is the likes of Barry McCarthy isn’t or shouldn’t be an international cricketer. He never looks the part but when you get to the nitty gritty of his performances statistically you see that he should be nowhere near the team.

61 wickets in 38 ODIs…. So averaging 1.6 wickets per match. 20 wickets in 19 T20i’s. Close to just one wicket per match.

He lasted two years at Durham, zero impact then back to the Leinster Lightening.

wicorthered · 25-06-2023 10:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764898#Comment_120764898

McCarthy is actually a decent wicket taker. He's 8th fastest in history to 50 ODI wickets, Adair only got his 50th today in 38 games. McCarthy's big issue and why I agree he's not international class, is he is unable to bowl an over with out at least one boundary. That's the issue with every bowler we have. They simply cannot build pressure, there's a 4/6 every over. When batters tee off they wilt

riffmongous · 25-06-2023 11:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764780#Comment_120764780

He was also talking about pride playing for Ireland, you'd think if he had any real pride in Irish cricket he'd step down as captain at this point.

Strumms · 26-06-2023 12:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765395#Comment_120765395

He’s not, apart from his overall stats …He took 2 wickets in the 3 match series vs the mighty Netherlands in ‘21. Shipped a heap of runs too. That’s not ‘decent’… being fast to a landmark in a snapshot of time doesn’t trump consistency and isn’t a barometer of overall ability…

he’s not a good wicket taker. He is extremely average and inconsistent. if the pitch isn’t seam friendly he offers us SFA….

I’d advocate a change in captaincy… I can’t listen to Balbernie’s BS soundbites constantly downplaying poor performances and bad results …. He is the Ireland captain not a PR spin doctor… people pay money and spend time going to watch the team. At least have some credibility when you have a bad day and say it as it is…

“ disappointing but you’ve got to move on “… how insightful….move on from Balbernie, quick.

Strumms · 26-06-2023 4:22pm

Ladies made a good start Vs West Indies . Bowled a few too many loose deliveries the last while though. WI 86/1 from 18.

Strumms · 26-06-2023 4:55pm

Ladies now behind the 8 ball, desperate for wickets, too many gimmie deliveries now… fûck. WI girls unloading, 135/1 after 26…. 300+ on the cards.. Deep Cover and Long Off boundaries getting peppered.

Royale with Cheese · 26-06-2023 4:58pm

Whoops. Wrong thread.

Mysterypunter · 26-06-2023 5:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120768805#Comment_120768805

201/4 now 109 from Matthews, some player, think she's a track athlete as well, she'll be bowling later, and usually picks up a few wickets

Mysterypunter · 26-06-2023 7:44pm

Chasing 298, 21/0 from 7

Strumms · 26-06-2023 8:51pm

Prendergast gone. Poor shot to a poor delivery, a long hop and she finds deep mid wicket who doesn’t have to move…

Strumms · 26-06-2023 9:15pm

An awful lot of good shots, finding the boundary fielders instead of the gaps now… a lot of this WI bowling isn’t that special…girls need to take advantage.

7.95 needed an over… starting to struggle

Mysterypunter · 26-06-2023 9:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120770139#Comment_120770139

Only 2 down, but struggling to keep up with the rate

iffandonlyif · 26-06-2023 9:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764134#Comment_120764134

we can't play a Test match at home for financial reasons and were then belittled by the English media when we did get a game

What are the financial reasons? The Pakistan test sold well, no? And what’s the belittling referred to?

Strumms · 26-06-2023 9:46pm

125 from 83

but scoring 2 runs off that over.

on the edge of being too big a get… need a big over..

as I type we lose another.

a tame giveaway.

Strumms · 26-06-2023 10:30pm

Not enough ambition. Content pushing singles for the last few overs. Punished a bad delivery to the boundary as I type but they need to do a lot more then wait to punish the bad balls.

McMahon gone. Given out caught behind despite clearly missing the ball by about 6 inches…. Ball nowhere near the bat… bizarre…. A very vocal appeal obviously influenced the umpire.

desperate run out now.

Mysterypunter · 26-06-2023 10:55pm

Closed on 239/9, lost by 58

dohboy · 27-06-2023 9:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120770268#Comment_120770268

The Pakistan test left CI out of pocket by €1m, I'm sure I read somewhere.

KevIRL · 27-06-2023 9:54am

Stirling and Balbirnie putting in a performance with the bat at long last, but all too late of course

InsideEdge · 27-06-2023 10:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120770530#Comment_120770530

So you've gone from slagging off the Men to slagging off the Women's team now (they are not ladies or girls, it's the Irish Women's Cricket Team). This is a very young team sent to get experience playing a top class international team to help them improve so they don't lack ambition, far from it. The only way these women will improve is playing more matches like this - they face three tough games against Australia at the end of July and this tour will help them immensely.

wicorthered · 27-06-2023 10:44am

Fair play to the two senior batsmen, they've turned up when all is lost. Sums them up really, losers mentality, great under no pressure, crumble under the slightest pressure. Stirling's 100 might be the most pointless 100 ever hit in an Irish game!

Furze99 · 27-06-2023 12:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120771737#Comment_120771737

Useful in terms of carrying on as is, finish on a high etc Sure all is well in the world and forget the rest etc etc

I guess reality is that without major and unlikely changes, we should quit this test playing status and go back to playing and competing with teams at our level. We don’t have the depth of players, the funding or the facilities to play at the top table.

wicorthered · 27-06-2023 12:37pm

What an awful bowling unit this is. UAE tearing the openers apart again.

Furze99 · 27-06-2023 1:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120772367#Comment_120772367

With a kinda dubious wicket, batsman hit on hand and run out while signalling for help. All count in international cricket but don’t think we’d too happy other way around?

Mysterypunter · 27-06-2023 2:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120771737#Comment_120771737

Could have been a pointless 200

Mysterypunter · 27-06-2023 4:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120772550#Comment_120772550

Saw that, he was hit and stood there, and spirit of the game Balbernie took advantage, all that sporting shite is only talk, its a bad look when a captain who can't hit the ball off the square starts that type of thing, the Afghans are always at it, they are the worst by miles, but that's a 50/50 type of wicket, not helped by that annoying cheerleader Niall O'Brien on commentary, we all know the rules, no need to scream and shout

Strumms · 27-06-2023 4:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120771681#Comment_120771681

No. Im objectively commenting and criticising them when I feel it’s warranted….. and I’ll refer to them as ladies, or girls. Thanks.

it’s not a young team exclusively…It’s a team with a great mix of experience and inexperience, age and youth.

the oldest member of the team 39, youngest 17 or 18. Several players over 30 or around it.

It’s a sport, people are entitled to express an opinion. Positive, negative or both.

Their play / tactics lacked ambition. The scoreboard reflected that … they hit just 16 boundaries in 50 overs… an average of one boundary every 3 and a bit overs…..not ok for test matches, not ok in an ODI…if you or the team or anyone close to them can’t take honest criticism, not my problem. That you can’t differentiate between slagging and criticising / discussing ….says all I’m afraid. :)

in other news great to see the lads thump the UAE… some innings from Paul Stirling. 162 from 134.

Irish Cricket 2023

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