After all, England is England, and there was never any hope of getting all the household names from the test team. And what state would they have been in given their elevation to number 1 test nation and their open intent on a suitable celebration?
Fringe squad or not, their team has talent aplenty, and although England had a poor World Cup in India, they are now the current world champions at test cricket and Twenty20 cricket. Also, Clontarf is a sell-out for the match, so the scene is set for another great day in Irish cricket. We crave these matches because they give us a platform to parade our skills at the highest level and although they are banana skins for the top countries, they are cup finals for Cricket Ireland. England aren’t running scared, they see this match as an opportunity to blood some of their coming players and at the same time reward a few others who have been unable to break into their formidable test squad. The experienced Finn, Trott, Bopara, Patel and Morgan will show Ireland no favours and the promising Jonathan Bairstow leads a talented bunch of young players who are waiting in the wings. With as heavy programme of ODI and Twenty20 cricket in August, the England selectors are evaluating their strength in depth.
The match is a great test for the Irish team and they should set aside any feeling of being downgraded as the days of showboating at this level are over. Cricket Ireland wants to play more and more competitive international cricket not the exhibition stuff we used to see in the past. Long gone are the days when the test teams made sporadic pilgrimages to Ireland and it was obligatory that they batted first to ensure the crowd were entertained, always at the expense of our bowlers. Ireland are legitimate opponents for any country in ODI cricket these days, so let’s use the opportunity to register another big day in our cricket evolution.
The selection of Eoin Morgan as the England captain has had a bitter-sweet taste for some supporters, but now is the time to bury the myth of Eoin as an Irish player past, present or future. He’s made the most of his opportunity in the English professional game so he should now be seen purely as a formidable opponent. He’s good, but then so is Ed Joyce, and we have seen some magnificent performances from our own players to match anything Morgan has done, so he’s not exactly on a pedestal. In fact none of this England squad should hold any terror for the Irish team. They should certainly be respected and Phil Simmons will ensure that happens, but the spirit within the Irish squad has been boosted by some rousing performances in recent times. Boyd Rankin is having his best season ever in county cricket, both Niall O’Brien and William Porterfield have also risen to another level, Ed Joyce has been brilliant, and big Kevin O’Brien will always have the potential to explode. George Dockrell has recovered from that unfortunate World Cup injury and finally made his county debut, but the big imponderable is the diminutive Paul Stirling. This guy has tremendous talent and his whirlwind century for Middlesex two days ago is another notch on an ever-growing list of personal milestones.
England beware!
Let’s hope the weather is kind and our boys rise to the occasion, as they will need to be at their best to win this game. OK, some of the big names are missing, but players with something to prove will be a much more formidable test that a few guys with hangovers!
Go for it Ireland.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
