How many talented overseas cricketers in our midst are unaware that the summer game in Ireland has a history which goes back to 1792, when the first recorded match took place at the Phoenix Park?
The first clubs in Ireland came into being in the 1820s, in towns like Carlow, Ballinasloe, Kilkenny and in Tuam, where the cricket club gave birth to the renowned Tuam Stars GFC, as is chronicled by the late Noel O'Donoghue in his excellent history of the Gaelic club, Proud And Upright Men.
In an RTE Radio 1 documentary the other night, a local Tyrrellspass historian recounted how in bygone times the principal organised sport to be played in the picturesque Midlands village was cricket. And the only full international rugby match to be played in Limerick city, between Ireland and Wales on March 19th 1898, took place at the grounds of the Limerick County Cricket Club, long since the premises of Limerick LTC.
Apparently, Australian Nick Ashley, who hit 72 and 54 for Phoenix in recent matches, discovered the club's existence by accident, and there are several similar incidents involving other quality overseas players. Visitors can scarcely be blamed if they assume cricket is not played here at all. Irish cricket, for reasons touched upon in this column before, does not enjoy what you might call a high profile.
And even long-established cricket clubs are hard to find, and hardly any of them are adequately signposted. Some of the directions given in the Leinster Cricket Union Handbook are touching.
Here's how you make your way to Ballyeighan, for example: "Take Limerick Road from Dublin. Turn right for Birr after Maxol Station coming into Roscrea. Coming into Birr look for Nenagh/Portumna. Turn left - drive through Riverstown and head straight on ignoring the turn for Portumna and then Borrisokane. Go on about five miles. Cricket Ground is on right (Green Gate) after a clump of tall trees. Knockshegowna Hill with cross on top is directly on left as you approach Cricket Ground".
Sounds like some sporting version of Brigadoon.
The involvement of quality overseas cricketers can only boost the domestic game, and were some of them to remain here long enough, they could qualify to play for Ireland.
Some local purists baulk at this notion, just as there were a number of dark mutterings at the end of last season when Aussies Jeremy Bray of Phoenix and Michael Morson of Malahide were selected in the Telecom LCU team of the year. This is as ridiculous an attitude as the rule which prevents club professionals from playing in the Royal Liver Irish Senior Cup competition.
Some years ago, before rugby went professional, many of the die-hards were similarly against the presence of overseas players in Irish clubs. Their argument went that they were keeping out and discouraging local talent. "Nonsense!" was the healthy response of a Limerick friend of mine, a former president of the Munster Branch IRFU.
Lining out alongside and training with excellent players could do only good things for their local club-mates, he rightly maintained. "And anyway," he concluded, "when and if the overseas guys go home, with the help of God they'll leave a few pups behind them!"
Meantime, there was high drama at Sunday's Minor Cup semi-final between CYM 5 and Merrion 7 at Bird Avenue, I hear. Despite two-hour and hour-long stoppages because of rain, the match was finished, with umpires Stu Daultrey and Des Watson displaying infinite patience and understanding.
Batting first, Merrion 7 were all out for a not very encouraging 56 in 34 overs. But they went on to win by six runs, as CYM 5 were skittled for 50 in 28 overs, thanks to excellent bowling by 14-year-old Andreas Gilmore, who took 5 for 19 off 11 overs, and Tim Collier, who had the figures of 5 for 18. Merrion 7 will now meet Mayo County in the final at Civil Service CC Saturday week. Incidentally, twins Isobel and Cecilia Joyce performed with panache for the winners; blessed were they among men, you might say.
Jim Wallace has written to me for failing to mention here last week the late E D R (Donald) Shearer's long association with both cricket and soccer in Derry and the North West, which he (rightly) puts down to space limitations or (wrongly) to lack of such knowledge on my part.
"I enclose," writes Mr Wallace, "a few clippings which show the great contribution he made to North West sport both as a dashing centre-forward with Derry City FC and especially in this hotbed of cricket he shone like a jewel when playing for his beloved City of Derry Club scoring numerous centuries and in the process creating records".
Meanwhile, Wasim Haider, Rizwan Uz-Imam and Sanjeev Sharma, Test cricketers all, will line out for the Mid-Ulster Cricket Group X1 against the Leprechauns at Malahide tomorrow. Play begins at 1.30.
