Image Credit: facebook.com/cricketireland
Before the World Cup, the group spent time at a high-performance camp in South Africa. When Ireland competed in their first World Cup during the 2007 Cricket World Cup, many critics were taken aback by their performance. Jeremy Bray, who was awarded player of the game after scoring Ireland’s first-ever World Cup century, helped them tie Zimbabwe in their opening game on March 15, and the last few overs of efficient bowling by Trent Johnston and Andre Botha. The fourth-ranked team in the world, Pakistan, was defeated by them by three wickets in their second game, which was played on St. Patrick’s Day, sending Pakistan packing.
| 17 March 2007 |
| 132 Pakistan (45.4 overs)
29 Kamran Akmal (47) Rankin, Boyd, 3/32 (9 overs) |
v | Irish 133/7 (41.4 overs)
72 Niall O’Brien (107) 29. Mohammad Sami (10 overs) |
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| (D/L method) Ireland won by three wickets.
Kingston, Jamaica’s Sabina Park Brian Jerling and Billy Bowden, both from New Zealand, served as the officials (SA) Niall O’Brien was named the game’s MVP (Ire) |
With these two victories, Ireland reached the Super 8 phase of the tournament. In their final group stage encounter, they suffered an eight-wicket loss to the West Indies. In the Super 8 stage, they lost to England, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Sri Lanka five times, but they also overcame Bangladesh, the ninth-ranked team in the world, by a score of 74 runs. Dublin welcomed the players as heroes. After the World Cup, Birrell was replaced as coach by former West Indies cricketer Phil Simmons. India and South Africa were scheduled to play in a series of One Day Internationals in Ireland in June 2007. Ireland also competed in one-off matches against the two groups at Stormont.
Scotland, the Netherlands, and the West Indies competed in a quadrangular match in July at Belfast and Dublin, Ireland. Despite the weather forcing the cancellation of their straight encounter, Ireland and the West Indies both defeated Scotland and the Netherlands. The West Indies won the match thanks to a bonus point earned against the Netherlands.
Trent Johnston resigned in March 2008, and William Porterfield was appointed captain in his place. After the competition’s commencement in June, Ireland’s first game in the 2007–08 ICC Intercontinental Cup took place in August. In November 2008, the team’s season came to an end. Ireland finished second in the round-robin stage of the competition and faced Namibia in the final match. Ireland won the Intercontinental Cup for the third time in a row with their nine-wicket triumph. In March 2008, Ireland lost each of the three one-day internationals it played against Bangladesh. Ireland played Scotland and New Zealand in a tri-series in July, and they dropped both of their games.
| 2 March 2011 |
| England
327/8 (50 overs) (50 overs) Trott, Jonathan 92 (92) Johnston, Trent 2/58 (10 overs) (10 overs) |
v | 329/7 Ireland (49.1 overs)
O’Brien, Kevin (63) Swann, Graeme 3/47 (10 overs) (10 overs) |
Ireland prevailed by 3 wickets.
Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium
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Billy Bowden and Aleem Dar (Pak) are the umpires (NZ)
The MVP of the game was Kevin O’Brien (Ire)
The Associate nations, who stood to lose the most from a tournament with fewer teams, vehemently objected and pleaded with the ICC to change its mind. Ireland led the way in this. The ICC announced shortly after the tournament that the World Cups in 2015 and 2019 will each include ten teams. In June, the option was altered. After the World Cup, Ireland lost every ODI match it played against Pakistan, England, and Scotland. The second One-Day International versus Sri Lanka was postponed due to rain. In 2011, Ireland played 12 ODIs, winning four of them.
To advance to the ICC ODI Championship and earn a spot in the 2015 Cricket World Cup, Ireland quit the World Cricket League but did not take part in the ICC Intercontinental Cup. Ireland defeated the Netherlands in their World Cup opener match.
| 16 February 2015 |
| Caribbean 304/7 (50 overs)
102 Lendl Simmons (84) 3/50 George Dockrell (10 overs) |
v | Irish 307/6 (45.5 overs)
Stirling, Paul 92 (84) (84) Taylor, Jerome 3/71 (8.5 overs) |
Ireland triumphed by 4 wickets.
Umpires: Bruce Oxenford and Richard Illingworth (English) (Aus)
Paul Stirling won the game’s MVP award (Ire)
The United Arab Emirates was defeated by two wickets with four balls remaining in their second game when the target was 279 runs. Three of the five 300-run or more World Cup chases that were successful were contributed by Ireland.
In July 2016, Ireland played in their first five-match One-Day International series against Afghanistan, which resulted in a 2-2 tie despite the first ODI being postponed due to inclement weather. In September, Ireland made the trip to South Africa for a one-match ODI series against Australia and the hosts, although they lost both games. At the ICC board meeting in October, Ireland was granted first-class status for its regional competition, the Inter-Provincial Championship. In May 2017, Ireland first participated in a two-match ODI series in England, although they lost both contests.
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