Ireland is getting ready for test cricket

While their involvement in global tournaments is being restricted by the ICC, Ireland’s progress towards Test cricket is going OK. With the opportunities offered up by the Intercontinental Cup and a giant returning to the side, their time in the longer form is coming

Associates have been treated with contempt in recent times. The ICC are adamant about sticking to a 10-team World Cup from 2019, making it extremely challenging for the likes of Ireland to qualify. Along with Afghanistan they have a shot at automatic qualification by being included in the rankings table but to climb into the top eight is inconceivable.

Ireland are only scheduled to play six ODIs against Test nations, including South Africa and Australia, in 2016. This is a modest improvement from the five they managed last year outside the World Cup, which included a wash-out against England.

With World Cup qualification seemingly remote, the emphasis then turns to Twenty20, but reaching the tournament proper remains ambitious. Ireland’s pre-tournament group includes Bangladesh who will be powerful in subcontinental conditions. And with the World T20 due to take place every four years, the opportunity to challenge the elite of one-day cricket is diminishing by the year.

However, the Intercontinental Cup presents Ireland with a chance to achieve their ultimate dream: Test prominence. The winners of the two-year competition will, for the first time, take on the 10th-ranked Test team in 2018. This will comprise of a home-and-away two-match series, where a four-year cycle beckons if the associate side is victorious.

Ireland have dominated previous editions of the tournament, winning it four times and are on course for a fifth title. Victory over Papua New Guinea will put Ireland top of the eight-team contest after three rounds, with just four to play, plus a final should they feature in the top two.

Ireland have never been more equipped for Test cricket. Inclusion into the ODI ranking table has meant more funding and an increasing amount of one-day cricket against top teams, which will inevitably enhance the quality of the team. As demonstrated in last year’s World Cup where they narrowly missed out on the quarter-finals, Ireland have a very competitive batting line-up full of accomplished county players.

Captain William Porterfield has played 115 first-class matches for Ireland, Gloucestershire and current county Warwickshire. Despite an average nearer 30 than 40, the fact he has come up against a vast array England bowlers past and present, coupled with his eight ODI tons, shows Porterfield certainly has the proficiency if Ireland were to make the step up.

Fellow opener Paul Stirling has dazzled throughout his 62 ODIs, hitting five hundreds – two against Pakistan – at a strike-rate of 93.47. Clearly more suited to the one-day game – he averaged just over 16 for Middlesex in the County Championship last season – Stirling has proven his ability against the world’s best and is a crucial member of the Irish side.

If Ireland were to make the Test grade, they will hope batsman Ed Joyce sticks around for the inauguration. The 37-year-old possesses an outstanding record to date, which includes a century against Australia while playing for England in one of his 17 ODIs for them. In last year’s World Cup he averaged 41 with a sublime 112 against Zimbabwe and more recently scored a career-best 231 against UAE in last year’s Intercontinental Cup match. A player of his record certainly deserves a Test cap or two to add to his CV.

With the likes of the O’Brien brothers, Gary Wilson and up-and-coming batsman Andrew Balbirnie, the top seven is an established force to be reckoned with, certainly capable of giving Zimbabwe a run for their money.

The bowling department floundered during an impressive World Cup campaign. The lack of a viable quick seam option meant medium-pace veterans Alex Cusack and John Mooney were left leading the attack. Now they have both retired, that responsibility falls to Tim Murtagh and the returning Boyd Rankin.

Murtagh was sorely missed in the World Cup as he suffered an injury prior to the tournament. The 34-year-old was impressive for Middlesex last season, taking 46 wickets at 25.95 and, now approaching 600 first-class wickets, is an invaluable member of Ireland’s bowling arsenal.

But arguably Ireland’s biggest coup in recent months was the announcement of Boyd Rankin’s long-awaited return. The towering seamer last played for Ireland in 2012 after deciding to pursue Test cricket with England. But he only made seven ODI appearances along with two T20Is and a solitary Test in the 5-0 humiliation to Australia, in which Peter Siddle was and remains his only Test victim. Rankin has impressed in his comeback match against Papua New Guinea in the Intercontinental Cup, suggesting he could be the elusive piece of Ireland’s jigsaw as they look to make the ascension to Test cricket.

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