Wikipedia

Inter-Provincial Cup

This article is about the cricket tournament. For the defunct Canadian soccer competition, see Inter-Provincial Cup (soccer).

The Inter-Provincial Cup is a limited-overs cricket tournament in Ireland between the four leading cricketing provinces of Ireland.

Inter-Provincial Cup
Countries Ireland
AdministratorCricket Ireland
FormatList A (from 2017 onwards)
First edition2013
Latest edition2023
Next edition2024
Tournament formatDouble round-robin
Number of teams4 (from 2021)
3 (from 2013 to 2020)
Current championNorthern Knights (2nd title)
Most successfulLeinster Lightning (8 titles)
Most runsKevin O'Brien (1,071)
Most wicketsGeorge Dockrell (53)
WebsiteCricket Ireland

The tournament was held for the first time in 2013 across venues in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Up to and including the 2016 tournament, the matches were not given List A status. However, at an International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in October 2016, List A status was awarded to all future matches.[1][2]

History edit

Background edit

The Ireland cricket team enjoyed increasing success at the international level in the late 2000's and into the 2010's which boosted the popularity of the game in the country. They had earned the reputation of a giant killer after upsetting teams like Pakistan and Bangladesh (2007 Cricket World Cup), and England (2011 Cricket World Cup). Their good performances in major international tournaments meant that Cricket Ireland openly started bidding for Test match status to the International Cricket Council.[3]

Nevertheless, one of the main stumbling road blocks for Ireland from getting to play the pinnacle of the game was a lack of a first-class cricket infrastructure at home, among other things. As early as August 2011, Cricket Ireland announced plans of a domestic first-class tournament.[4] In January 2012, Cricket Ireland announced the ambitious 'Vision 2020' plan which announced the establishment of a first-class structure by 2015 and achievement of Test status by 2020. It also began work on a cricket academy to find talented players across the country and improving grass-roots cricket in the country.

For the first time professional contacts, with central, A, B, and C levels were established. Plans for Test status were established partly to stem the flow of their star cricketers moving away to England in hope of playing Test cricket such as Ed Joyce, Eoin Morgan and Boyd Rankin.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

According to Richard Holdsworth in an interview with Setanta Sports, Cricket Ireland were pleased with the strategic progress that had been made as of November 2012.[11] In December 2012, Ireland got a $1.5m boost as increased funding from the ICC to establish elite domestic competitions in the country.[12]

Format edit

The tournament is played in a double round-robin format, with each team playing each other twice, once at home and once away.

Points summary edit

Points are scored as follows:

  • Win – 4 points
  • Tie or no result – 2 points
  • Loss – 0 points
  • Bonus point – 1 point awarded to a team winning a match with a run rate equal to 1.25 times that of the losing team

Teams edit

According to Richard Holdsworth's interview to Setanta Sports, three teams would initially participate in the tournament, Leinster cricket team, Northern cricket team and North West cricket team as Munster and Connacht were considered still quite far away from fielding a competitive team for provincial tournaments. They were also given a separate limited overs names much similar to the systems in England and Australia, i.e., like Nottinghamshire Outlaws and South Australia Redbacks. In this case, the names are Leinster Lightning, Northern Knights and North West Warriors.[13][14]

From the 2021 season Munster Reds joined the Inter Provincial Cup having previously only competed in the Twenty20 Inter-Provincial Trophy[15]

Team First season Titles 2023 position
Leinster Lightning 2013 8 2nd
Northern Knights 2013 2 1st
North West Warriors 2013 0 4th
Munster Reds 2021 1 3rd

Competition placings edit

2013 to present edit

Season Winner Second Third Fourth
2013 Northern Knights Leinster Lightning North West Warriors N/A
2014 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights North West Warriors N/A
2015 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights North West Warriors N/A
2016 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights North West Warriors N/A
2017 Leinster Lightning North West Warriors Northern Knights N/A
2018 Leinster Lightning North West Warriors Northern Knights N/A
2019 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights North West Warriors N/A
2020 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights North West Warriors N/A
2021 Leinster Lightning North West Warriors Northern Knights Munster Reds
2022 Munster Reds North West Warriors Leinster Lightning Northern Knights
2023 Northern Knights Leinster Lightning Munster Reds North West Warriors

All-time records edit

(All records correct to end of 2023 season)

Team records edit

Highest innings totals[16] edit

Score Team Opps Venue Date Sc
425/7 Leinster Lightning North West Warriors The Vineyard 14 Aug 2023 [1]
353/9 Leinster Lightning Northern Knights Stormont 5 Sep 2023 [2]
332/7 Leinster Lightning North West Warriors New Strabane Park 30 May 2016 [3]
320 ao Leinster Lightning Northern Knights Anglesea Road 2 Aug 2015 [4]
316/8 Northern Knights Leinster Lightning Sydney Parade 16 May 2023 [5]

Lowest completed innings totals[17] edit

Score Team Opps Venue Date Sc
90 ao Munster Reds North West Warriors Mardyke 19 May 2022 [6]
105 ao North West Warriors Northern Knights Stormont 4 May 2015 [7]
120 ao North West Warriors Northern Knights Lodge Road 26 May 2014 [8]
123 ao North West Warriors Leinster Lightning The Village 1 Jun 2013 [9]
123 ao Northern Knights North West Warriors Bready 12 May 2022 [10]

Individual records – batting edit

Most career runs[18] edit

Runs Innings Player Team Average
1071 32 Kevin O'Brien Lightning/Reds 46.57
1041 26 Andrew Balbirnie Leinster Lightning 45.26
972 25 George Dockrell Leinster Lightning 69.43
867 36 Andy McBrine North West Warriors 25.50
814 26 Lorcan Tucker Leinster Lightning 37.00

Highest individual scores[19] edit

Score Player For Opps Venue Date Sc
152 PJ Moor Munster Reds Leinster Lightning Sydney Parade 10 May 2022 [11]
136 Simi Singh Leinster Lightning North West Warriors New Strabane Park 30 May 2016 [12]
133 Lorcan Tucker Leinster Lightning North West Warriors The Vineyard 14 Aug 2023 [13]
128 Luke Georgeson Northern Knights Munster Reds Stormont 30 Jun 2021 [14]
126 Andrew Balbirnie Leinster Lightning Northern Knights The Green 16 May 2021 [15]

Most runs scored in a season edit

Runs Innings Player Team Season
364 5 George Dockrell Leinster Lightning 2021
352 6 Murray Commins Munster Reds 2021
350 4 Andrew Balbirnie Leinster Lightning 2019
317 5 Luke Georgeson Northern Knights 2021
258 5 William Porterfield North West Warriors 2021

Individual records – bowling edit

Most career wickets[20] edit

Wickets Matches Player Team Average
53 36 George Dockrell Leinster Lightning 21.51
50 42 Tyrone Kane Lightning/Reds 22.70
42 37 Simi Singh Leinster Lightning 24.40
38 27 Craig Young North West Warriors 26.39
37 38 Andy McBrine North West Warriors 30.59

Best bowling in an innings[21] edit

Bowling Player Team Opps Venue Date Sc
6/26 Gavin Hoey Leinster Lightning Northern Knights Stormont 5 Sep 2023 [16]
6/39 Barry McCarthy Leinster Lightning Munster Reds Sydney Parade 22 May 2021 [17]
6/42 Tyrone Kane Leinster Lightning Northern Knights Stormont 20 Aug 2019 [18]
5/16 Liam McCarthy Munster Reds North West Warriors Bready 4 Sep 2023 [19]
5/21 George Dockrell Leinster Lightning Northern Knights The Vineyard 4 Jun 2018 [20]

Most wickets in a season edit

Wickets Average Player Team Season
17 12.58 Barry McCarthy Leinster Lightning 2021
15 16.46 Liam McCarthy Munster Reds 2023
15 19.86 Theo van Woerkom Northern Knights 2023
13 17.15 Josh Manley Munster Reds 2021
12 15.75 Mike Frost Munster Reds 2022

Partnership records edit

Highest partnerships for each wicket[22] edit

Wicket P/Ship Player 1 Player 2 Team Opps Venue Date Sc
1st 158 William Porterfield David Rankin North West Warriors Northern Knights Stormont 28 May 2018 [21]
2nd 240 Andy McBrine Stephen Doheny North West Warriors Northern Knights Stormont 2 Jun 2022 [22]
3rd 202 John Anderson Simi Singh Leinster Lightning North West Warriors New Strabane Park 30 May 2016 [23]
4th 157 Tyrone Kane PJ Moor Munster Reds Leinster Lightning Sydney Parade 18 May 2023 [24]
5th 187 Andrew Balbirnie Kevin O'Brien Leinster Lightning North West Warriors The Vineyard 3 May 2014 [25]
6th 102 Neil Rock Mark Adair Northern Knights Munster Reds Mardyke 15 Aug 2023 [26]
7th 215* Simi Singh George Dockrell Leinster Lightning Northern Knights The Vineyard 4 Jun 2018 [27]
8th 103 Tyrone Kane Lorcan Tucker Leinster Lightning North West Warriors Observatory Lane 9 Sep 2018 [28]
9th 72 Shane Getkate Jacob Mulder Northern Knights Leinster Lightning Observatory Lane 31 Jul 2016 [29]
10th 69 Craig Young Andrew Britton North West Warriors Northern Knights La Manga 24 Apr 2019 [30]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Ireland domestic competition awarded first-class status". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  2. ^ "Ireland's Inter-Provincial Championship awarded first-class status". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  3. ^ ICC to consider Ireland's bid for Test status ESPN.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  4. ^ Ireland plan first-class structure ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  5. ^ Ireland unveil Test cricket vision Archived 17 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine CricketEurope4.net. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  6. ^ CI reveals ambitious plans aimed at receiving Test status Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  7. ^ Ireland map out path to Tests ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  8. ^ Ireland's Boyd Rankin retires to play Test cricket for England Cricket Country. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  9. ^ Ireland calls for Test status to 'halt exodus' ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  10. ^ Rankin retires, Holdsworth calls for Test status Archived 12 April 2013 at archive.today irelandcricketwebbly.com. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  11. ^ Cricket Ireland happy with progress of strategic plan Archived 9 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine Setanta Sports. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  12. ^ Ireland receive $1.5 m boost from ICC ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  13. ^ North-West announce shortlist for name Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  14. ^ NCU confirm team name for 2013 Interpros Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 9 March 2013
  15. ^ "Inter-Provincial Series Revamp to include Munster Reds joining 50-over Cup – BBC Sport". 12 February 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Highest Innings Scores". irishcricketarchives.org. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Lowest Completed Innings Scores". irishcricketarchives.org. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Top Run Aggregates". irishcricketarchives.org. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Top Run Scores". irishcricketarchives.org. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Top Wicket Takers". irishcricketarchives.org. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  21. ^ "Best Bowling in an Innings". irishcricketarchives.org. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  22. ^ "Partnerships by Wicket". irishcricketarchives.org. Retrieved 14 April 2024.

External links edit

  • [31]-official website
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