Post by cully on Jul 31, 2006 16:49:37 GMT
for those of you who wonder how our cricket ranks globally, this will interest you.
We are the victim of our own success
National team may suffer in the long run as county teams continue to sign the top young players in Ireland
By Robin Walsh
30 July 2006
The young lions of Ireland who are taking European cricket by storm are beginning to forge real relationships with the county game in England.
Witness the Under 19s who are currently cutting a swathe through their European Championship in Belfast and Bangor.
I can reveal that a number of them, despite their tender years, are already flirting with leading counties which could well prove to be the forerunner of a lasting relationship.
Take, for example, Paul Stirling of Cliftonville - just 15 and, as sure as most things can be, destined for full international honours.
His two centuries in the opening game against Denmark took the breath away, particularly his second, scored in a matter of 64 balls, when fast runs were the order of the day to add to Ireland's points tally.
I understood the young schoolboy has already been to the nets at the Sussex county ground for practice sessions. The word I get is that he made a serious impression and will be welcomed back anytime as his academic and cricketing lives progress.
Stirling has already played for the Ireland U17s this season to help them retain their European title and next week he will complete a remarkable hat trick when he goes to Denmark to help the Under 15 retain theirs. Woe betide the opposition bowlers.
I also understand that Waringstown's excellent James Hall is already making his way to the famous Edgbaston ground with Warwickshire.
He is due to play for the county 2nd XI next week and, but for the U19 tournament, he would have been playing this week. Such is the demand for his services that the Irish management in turn took the agreeable decision to release him from the tournament over the past couple of days so he could play for his club in the Down and Democrat Senior Cup final against CIYMS at Downpatrick.
Hall came to Warwickshire's notice when he scored 150 against their under 19s for the European Academy and, like young Stirling, is fresh from the European U17 Championship at which he was the victorious captain.
The English counties' continuing interest in the precocious talent that resides south of the border is to be witnessed in another of the U19 squad - Ben Ackland of Merrion whose all-round skills have found a place on Somerset 2nd XI.
The U19 captain, Greg Thompson of Lisburn, already made his way to Lancashire last season and I have it that his predecessor, Gary Wilson of Civil Service North, and Gary Kidd of Waringstown have attracted the interest of Surrey and Sussex respectively.
All of which speaks volumes for the strength of Irish youth cricket which at virtually every age group is bulldozing its way through Europe.
"There's no doubt there is outstanding talent coming through at every level and given our success in Europe it's hardly surprising that the counties are looking at Ireland, north and south, as a breeding ground," says Northern Ireland's Cricket Development Manager, Brian Walsh.
The success of Ed Joyce of Middlesex and the burgeoning talent of Eoin Morgan and Niall O'Brien at Lord's and Canterbury have also done much to raise the stock of Irish cricket in the counties' eyes.
Which is all very fine - but only up to a point, as the official programme for the current U19 Championship observes.
It opines: "An increasing number of young players are attracting the interest of the English counties and, whilst this is gratifying on a personal level, the availability issues this may cause in the future must not be ignored."
The Irish National Coach Adrian Birrell will testify to that on many occasions in the past and his plans for his senior squad in their European Championship in Scotland later this week have been made less than easy over the availability of the Morgans, O'Briens and Andrew Whites.
So there is a problem and, maybe, it will become an even bigger one as the young ones continue to buy a single ticket to England.
Yet it's one of those problems you don't really mind having...
We are the victim of our own success
National team may suffer in the long run as county teams continue to sign the top young players in Ireland
By Robin Walsh
30 July 2006
The young lions of Ireland who are taking European cricket by storm are beginning to forge real relationships with the county game in England.
Witness the Under 19s who are currently cutting a swathe through their European Championship in Belfast and Bangor.
I can reveal that a number of them, despite their tender years, are already flirting with leading counties which could well prove to be the forerunner of a lasting relationship.
Take, for example, Paul Stirling of Cliftonville - just 15 and, as sure as most things can be, destined for full international honours.
His two centuries in the opening game against Denmark took the breath away, particularly his second, scored in a matter of 64 balls, when fast runs were the order of the day to add to Ireland's points tally.
I understood the young schoolboy has already been to the nets at the Sussex county ground for practice sessions. The word I get is that he made a serious impression and will be welcomed back anytime as his academic and cricketing lives progress.
Stirling has already played for the Ireland U17s this season to help them retain their European title and next week he will complete a remarkable hat trick when he goes to Denmark to help the Under 15 retain theirs. Woe betide the opposition bowlers.
I also understand that Waringstown's excellent James Hall is already making his way to the famous Edgbaston ground with Warwickshire.
He is due to play for the county 2nd XI next week and, but for the U19 tournament, he would have been playing this week. Such is the demand for his services that the Irish management in turn took the agreeable decision to release him from the tournament over the past couple of days so he could play for his club in the Down and Democrat Senior Cup final against CIYMS at Downpatrick.
Hall came to Warwickshire's notice when he scored 150 against their under 19s for the European Academy and, like young Stirling, is fresh from the European U17 Championship at which he was the victorious captain.
The English counties' continuing interest in the precocious talent that resides south of the border is to be witnessed in another of the U19 squad - Ben Ackland of Merrion whose all-round skills have found a place on Somerset 2nd XI.
The U19 captain, Greg Thompson of Lisburn, already made his way to Lancashire last season and I have it that his predecessor, Gary Wilson of Civil Service North, and Gary Kidd of Waringstown have attracted the interest of Surrey and Sussex respectively.
All of which speaks volumes for the strength of Irish youth cricket which at virtually every age group is bulldozing its way through Europe.
"There's no doubt there is outstanding talent coming through at every level and given our success in Europe it's hardly surprising that the counties are looking at Ireland, north and south, as a breeding ground," says Northern Ireland's Cricket Development Manager, Brian Walsh.
The success of Ed Joyce of Middlesex and the burgeoning talent of Eoin Morgan and Niall O'Brien at Lord's and Canterbury have also done much to raise the stock of Irish cricket in the counties' eyes.
Which is all very fine - but only up to a point, as the official programme for the current U19 Championship observes.
It opines: "An increasing number of young players are attracting the interest of the English counties and, whilst this is gratifying on a personal level, the availability issues this may cause in the future must not be ignored."
The Irish National Coach Adrian Birrell will testify to that on many occasions in the past and his plans for his senior squad in their European Championship in Scotland later this week have been made less than easy over the availability of the Morgans, O'Briens and Andrew Whites.
So there is a problem and, maybe, it will become an even bigger one as the young ones continue to buy a single ticket to England.
Yet it's one of those problems you don't really mind having...
