Ireland’s men’s cricket team is set to play a Test match against England at Lord’s in June of next year, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced.
The four-day match will be played from June 1st-4th at the north London venue, while Ireland will return to England for three white-ball games in September.
Ireland played one of the three Test matches in their history at Lord’s in 2019, Tim Murtagh memorably taking five wickets on the first morning to skittle England out for 85. The hosts went on to fight their way back into the ascendancy thanks to 92 from the bat of Jack Leach as Ireland fell to defeat.
While it would be a return to a Test at Lord’s for the first time in four years, June’s fixture is not expected to end Ireland’s exile from the longest format. According to the International Cricket Council Future Tours Programme, a Ireland will play a Test away to Bangladesh in March 2023.
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A tour to Zimbabwe will also take place this January, though at present no plans for a Test have been announced with a white-ball only schedule likely to be revealed.
Ireland have not played a Test since their last trip to Lord’s, the funding behind multi-day cricket proving a sizeable barrier. There has been no First Class domestic red ball league in Ireland since 2019.
Speaking on the announcement of the Lord’s Test, captain Andrew Balbirnie shared his reaction.
“As a player, there’s no doubt that Test cricket is the absolute pinnacle of our sport,” he said. “We were fortunate to play a Test against England at Lord’s back in 2019 – which was a memorable occasion for players and fans alike - so the news that we will be returning to play at Lord’s next year is very welcome.
“That match against England in 2019 was the last Test we have played, so we are excited to be returning to play the red-ball game next year. It’s one of four Test matches we are scheduled to play in 2023, which is so important for such a relatively young squad. There is no better place to really learn, develop and test your game as in multi-day cricket.”
Ireland fixtures vs England 2023
June 1st-4th: Test Match, Lord’s
September 20th: First One Day International, Headingley, Leeds.
September 23rd: Second One Day International, Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
September 26th: Third One Day International, Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.
