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The Best of 2022 Countdown

Sunday, January 1st, 2023

Welcome to our ‘Best of 2022’ countdown! Each year, we reflect on the amazing moments and achievements of the past season. As we count down from number 10 to the top spot, relive the most memorable moments of 2022.

  • #10 – To kick off our look back on 2022, the completion of the net bay construction is certainly a big highlight from the year and has proved to be a huge asset to the club and our members.
  • #9 – A colourful return to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade after a two year gap with a large and energised turnout from the youth section. It was great to see cricket on the streets of #Cork with the Lord Mayor also joining in!
  • #8 – Acknowledging some of the wonderful individual and team performances throughout the season. Too many to choose from — nail-biting match winners, 5 wicket hauls, 50s, 100s… Well done to everyone!
  • #7 – A wonderful finale to the season for the youth section with recognition of achievements at all levels with the U13s and U15s collecting their Munster trophies and medals. A fitting way to celebrate a successful season!
  • #6 – A first Division 3 title for Bilal Ahsan and his 4th XI squad was just reward following a challenging league campaign. Congrats to Bilal and the whole squad on a terrific effort throughout the highs & lows of the season!
  • #5 – The club competed in two All- Ireland Youth Semi-Finals, a first for any Munster club side. Though both results didn’t go our way, the boys and girls on both sides can be proud of their achievements. Well done to all involved!
  • #4 – Once again the Mardyke was looking pristine with some excellent wickets produced throughout the summer. Matt, Francois and the team helped maintain the very high standards that are often taken for granted at the Mardyke.
  • #3 – A first Division 1 title since 2010 ended a long wait for the club with 10 wins, 2 defeats and 2 No results ensuring the 2nd XI finished top of the pile. Well done to Rob Duggan and the squad for their efforts throughout the campaign.
  • #2 – A huge shout out to all of the hard work and organisation of the volunteers and coaches who helped make each of the youth levels function so well from the beginners at ‘Give It A Bash’ and the Softball Academy right up to the U17s.
  • #1 – Number 1 in our countdown has to be the wonderful memorial match in honour of the late, great Dermot Giltinan. For many, it was a chance to remember the great man and pay tribute to his legacy in the game of cricket in Cork and beyond.

Hassett to return for 2022 season

Sunday, February 13th, 2022

It’s the Return of the Mak(ka) with the news that Cormac Hassett will be returning to the Mardyke for the 2022 season. The club is delighted to have the extremely popular Victorian and Irish passport holder back on Leeside after a two year break due to Covid.

Cormac first represented the club with the 4th XI at 15 years of age back in 2011 while his family were spending a few months in Ireland. He later returned in 2015 for the first of a 5 season spell during which time he won a Leinster Championship title in 2016, five Munster Premier Division titles, three Senior Cups and four Senior T20 titles. He succeeded Stephan Grobler as Club Captain in 2018.

Cormac Hassett representing Cork County against Malahide in the 2019 All-Ireland T20 Semi-Final

Hassett has also been capped by the Munster Reds on six occasions making his debut against the Knights at Carrickfergus in 2017 in the Inter-Provincial Twenty20 Trophy. A fantastic innings of 49 against the Leinster Lightning at Sydney Parade in 2019 was certainly the highlight and he has scored 102 runs at a Strike Rate of 99.02 for the provincial franchise. 

Since leaving The Mardyke, Cormac has coached the Stratford Cricket Club to a premiership title and have also played a season in the Northern Territory for Pints Cricket Club. He is currently playing sub-district cricket in Melbourne for Ormond Cricket Club.

With the confirmation of the news, Hassett expressed his excitement at the planned return:

“The time has finally come! I can’t wait to get back down to the Mardyke for the season. I feel like I’m coming home after two long years away.”

“Leah and I are really looking forward to our summer in Cork and we can’t wait to see all of our friends in the Cork County community.”

“Good luck with the pre-season lads and I’ll see you all in April.”

 
 








Cricket Ireland ‘Return to Training’ protocols released

Monday, June 8th, 2020

Cricket Ireland has released its COVID-19 Safe Return to Training Protocols for club cricket in Ireland and launched a series of online COVID-19 Safety Education courses to train nominated club representatives on implementing the protocols on the ground.

The protocols released today include detailed guides and checklists for preparing a cricket club for restarting activity including cleaning guides, a risk assessment, booking forms and contact tracing process, advice regarding training practices that comply with social distancing and health protocols, and access for a nominated representative for each cricket club to undertake an accredited online training course for dedicated COVID-19 Club Safety Officers.

Clubs will need to register through an online form for the Covid-19 Education and Awareness Training.

If a club’s nominated COVID-19 Safety Officer has already completed accredited COVID-19 Safety training through an alternate provider they are not required to complete the Cricket Ireland course. However, details of the alternate course completed must be lodged with their Provincial Union. 

Provincial Unions have appointed COVID-19 Safety Support Officers who are assigned to clubs in their regions and will be supporting clubs back to activity. While we have developed an approved set of protocols and provided guidelines for implementation, our strong advice to clubs prior to restarting any coordinated activity is to contact your insurer and discuss any matters regarding liability in regards to individual policies. Cricket activity should not resume until a club is set up to comply with the requirements in the return-to-train protocols.”

The detailed documents are now available at: www.cricketireland.ie/covid-19 and any enquiries or issues that arise should be directed to Provincial Unions via the nominated COVID-19 Safety Support Officer.

Cork County is currently undertaking a Risk Assessment prior to submission to Muster Cricket and acquiring the necessary hygiene equipment through the Cricket Ireland channels.

Useful Information

 
 








Kayani & Hassett nominated at Irish Cricket Awards

Wednesday, February 26th, 2020

The 2020 Turkish Airlines Irish Cricket Awards will be held in Dublin on Friday, 28 February, with some familiar faces nominated in two categories at the event. Talha Kayani has been nominated in the Techfynder Club Official of the Year category in recognition of his tireless work in assisting the 1st team as its official scorer and an important member of the club organisation and administration.

Cormac Hassett had a breakthrough season with the Munster Reds at IP20 level with a standout innings of 49 against Leinster at Syndey Parade. Hassett has been an integral part of the club both on and off the field since 2015 and broke into the Reds set up towards the end of the 2017 season.

Techfynder Club Official of the Year Nominees:

  • Joe Connolly
  • David Caldwell
  • Talha Kayani

Test Triangle Inter-Provincial Player of the Year Nominees:

  • Andrew Balbirnie
  • Cormac Hassett
  • Graham Hume
  • Harry Tector








Cork County Team of the 2010s

Wednesday, January 1st, 2020

Following much debate amongst the selection committee, we are pleased to introduce the Cork County 1st XI of the 2010s captained by Stephan Grobler who is also the sides one allowed overseas professional:

Cork County Team of the Decade








Thanks for the memories 2019… Roll on 2020

Tuesday, December 31st, 2019

Thanks for the memories 2019… A look back on a season which had its ups and downs which culminated a Munster Senior Treble but it also saw the club lose some significant club members who passed away during the year.

What a decade the 2010s have been…

  • Premier Division: ?????????
  • Senior Cup: ??????
  • Senior T20 Blast: ????
  • Leinster Division 2: ?
  • Leinster Division 3: ?
  • Cricket Ireland Club of the Year: ?

Here’s to more great memories in the 2020s! #WeAreCounty ??








Thanks for the memories 2018

Monday, December 31st, 2018

2018 was such a busy year both on and off the field with many highs and lows and little success sprinkled along the way so here’s a little look back on the season just gone as we look forward to 2019 with plenty of optimism. Not forgetting the friends we have lost over the past 12 months including Ann O’Connell, Ollie Barriscale & Philip Short.








Carey stars in Southern XI win against NCU U17s

Wednesday, July 4th, 2018

Diarmuid Carey’s 43 with the bat and 6-31 with the ball, combined with excellent knocks of 69 (Seanan Jones) and 59 (Stephen Black) helped the Southern XI to a commanding 50 run victory over the NCU in CIYMS on the first day of the 2018 U17 inter-provincial tournament. This propelled the Southern XI to the top of standings in this year’s tournament following a victory over Leinster 3 weeks ago.

Carey stars in Southern XI win against NCULike all inter-pros, the first day began with an early morning start. However, unlike other years, the sun was shining and the weather is set fair for the entire week. After a victory over Leinster three weeks ago, the Southern XI should have been feeling confident but in their way today was a strong NCU side who had also won their first game (vs NWCU) and whose team had won the corresponding fixture in the U-15’s competition two years ago.

The first thing evident upon arriving at the ground this morning was the sight of a used wicket and a rock hard, rapid outfield. With the sun also out in force, it would be a long toil in the field for whoever had to bowl first. The wicket was clearly going to deteriorate for the second innings, making the toss crucial. Jones called correctly and his delight was evident as he shouted “we’ll have a bat” and ran off gleefully to his team. The Southern XI had the advantage but the pressure was now on to make use of the good batting conditions at their disposal. 

After a quick start, the Southern XI were 16-2 after 3 overs, with Allison accounting for McDonough and Archer early on. From that point, however, the Southern XI dominated. The NCU bowlers were consistently off with their lengths which Black (59, 9 fours) & Jones (69, 8 fours & 1 six) picked off with ease. Black drove well, bisecting mid-off and cover with high frequency. Jones accumulated singles and used his strength to put away the bad ball, highlighted by a big six over the mid-wicket boundary. Neither the seamers nor the spinners could gain any control and as both players brought up their fifties, it seemed as if nothing would unsettle them. Then at 122-2, Black missed a sweep off Malone and was bowled. Suddenly the NCU had an opening they could try and exploit. 

However, what followed was almost the complete opposite. Carey (43, 4 fours & 1 six) joined Jones and the two Corkmen proceeded to take the game to the NCU. Their partnership of 55 came at a run a ball and was highlighted by two lovely reverse swept 4s by Jones, and a couple of extra cover driven 4s by Carey, followed by a 6 for Carey over cow. After 34 overs, the Southern XI were 175-3 with a score of 300 on the cards if the Munster lads kept going. The break seemed to rejuvenate the bowlers and there was a marked improvement in their line and length. A couple of overs later, Jones walked past a ball from Glass and was stumped. Soon after Carey was bowled by Simmonite. From then on, the innings faltered a little and the boundaries became harder to come by. Askew hit a quick-fire 27 (2 fours & 1 six), while some good running and poor fielding helped the Southern XI finish with a highly competitive 259 all out. Allison was the pick of the bowlers with 4-43 off his 9 overs. It was a good comeback by the NCU, who would have fancied themselves as a batting team to begin with. However, with runs on the board, the scoreboard pressure and deteriorating wicket would surely give the Southern XI a good chance. 

The NCU seemed to quell some of the Southern XI’s hope with their opening stand. Jones and MacNulty bowled solidly, but Warke (29, 5 fours) & Metcalf (33, 5 fours) set the NCU off at a good pace. Their opening stand of 69 in 15 overs was highlighted by exquisite drives to the cover fence. They showed that the wicket was still a good track and the Southern XI struggled to pile on pressure. Captain Jones opted to turn to spin. McDonnell (1-29) was tight from the outset, bowling with flight and providing good control. Carey was the more aggressive of the pair, pitching the ball quite full which was greeted with a meaty shot over extra cover for four in his first over. However, both bowlers were extracting variable bounce and spin from the pitch and Carey’s second over produced a double wicket maiden. Metcalf pulled a shorter ball into the hands of deep mid-wicket and then two balls later, Warke was beaten in flight and skied a catch straight to mid-on. McDonnell then had Clarke flick a ball to the man at short mid-wicket and next over Malone hit Carey straight to the man at deep mid-wicket. 69-0 had suddenly become 76-4. 

Burton and Hunter then started to rebuild for the NCU. They put on 40 with ease as Jones rotated his spinners looking for a break through. Just as the NCU looked set to dominate, however, a mix-up led to both batsman ending up at the same end and Burton was run out for 25. Jones brought Carey back on and his first over accounted for Reid. Once again the NCU were in trouble at 118-6. 139 more runs were still required from the final 18 overs. Hunter (68, 9 fours) and Glass started to chip away at the deficit as the Southern XI brought back in the seamers. On this variable bouncing pitch, this provided a relief from the spinners and the batsmen very quickly settled and started finding the boundary. Some poor fielding and well-timed shots brought the game back into the balance. With 10 overs to go, the NCU required just 81, with two well settled batsmen at the crease and a quick outfield at their disposal.

Carey, with two overs left, was brought back for his third spell. Once again, he struck early as he spun one past Glass’s advancing feet to have him stumped and complete his five wicket haul. In his next over he tossed one up to Hunter who could only find the safe hands of long-off completing his excellent bowling display with 10-2-31-6. MacNulty (1-37) and Jones (1-47) then put the game beyond doubt with an excellent display of the death bowling. Their yorkers were almost unhittable and they each took a wicket at the death to finally bowl the NCU out for 209, a victory by 50 runs. 

After two matches it leaves the Southern XI on top of the standings with 2 wins, ahead of Leinster & NCU with 1 win each. The final 50 over game is tomorrow against the NWCU before the T20s commence on Thursday. It was a great all-round team performance by the Southern XI, exemplified by the runs from Jones, Black & Carey and the wickets spread amongst nearly all the bowlers. A special mention must also be made about the superb catching display throughout their bowling effort. But in the end, the day belonged to Carey whose 6-31 was the highlight of a great win.

Scorecard

Source: Cian Carey for www.cricketeurope.com








Cawley named in 2018 Irish Senior Academy squad

Thursday, December 14th, 2017

aaron-cawley-ireland-squadMunster Reds and Cork County all-rounder Aaron Cawley was named in the Cricket Ireland Shapoorji Pallonji Men’s Senior Academy squad for 2018. The news comes shortly on the back of his inclusion in the Ireland squad which flies out to New Zealand in the coming weeks to take part in the ICC U19 World Cup.

36 players were named in the latest Cricket Ireland Shapoorji Pallonji Senior and Emerging Academies for the year ahead. 21 of those are in the senior ranks, with five players gaining elevation from last year’s Emerging squad.

They are Rush top-order batsman Stephen Doheny, North County paceman Fionn Hand, Ballyspallen all-rounder Graham Kennedy, Merrion opening bowler Max Neville and Ireland U19 captain Harry Tector, an off-spinner and top order batsman with YMCA and Munster Reds.

Other new faces in the squad include left-arm spinners Ross Allen and Tom Stanton along with emerging fast bowlers David Delany and Aaron Cawley. Six of the senior Academy squad have international experience with James Shannon, Simi Singh, Tyrone Kane, Josh Little, Sean Terry and Lorcan Tucker all capped at senior level.

As well as international honours the Academy was rewarded with individual honours for James Shannon, Simi Singh and Harry Tector at the Turkish Airlines Cricket Ireland Awards 2017, while Academy Coach Ryan Eagleson was awarded Coach of the Year.

There are no fewer than 12 new additions to the Emerging group, five of whom will be representing Ireland Under 19’s in the World Cup next month in New Zealand. They are Phoenix all-rounder Ian Anders, Coleraine leg-spinner Varun Chopra, Pembroke’s talented all-rounder JJ Garth, Rush batting prodigy Neil Rock and Clontarf batsman Andrew Vincent.

Academy Manager Peter Johnston is really pleased with this years intake of players saying:  “We have two really strong Academy groups. It’s great to see the potential in the Emerging group while the Senior Academy contains some exciting athletes who are pushing hard for opportunities with the Wolves and senior team. Indeed, with central contracts still to be announced in the New Year, there is a chance one or two players may move up into the senior squad then.

“Every year the bar gets raised and we are developing good depth covering all bases. While our programme offers a great deal of support, ultimately it comes down to the athletes to take ownership and they should not see their efforts as a sacrifice, but as a positive decision to be the best they can be at their sport and play against the best in the world.” 

The Senior and Emerging Academy train weekly on a regional basis in North County, Jordanstown, and Bready with the support of Ryan Eagleson and Ian McGregor. In addition to these sessions specialist guest coaches are brought in for skill set weekends throughout the winter. There are also a number of educational sessions, drawing from other sports, sport psychology and wellbeing. While Academy players follow fitness programs put in place by lead Strength and Conditioning Coach Brendan Connor. 

There will be an Easter Academy training camp at the European Centre in La Manga, followed by a Wolves tour to the West country to play Bath and Gloucestershire. The final stages are also being compiled for a busy summer programme at all levels.

“This pre-season formula certainly helped many of our players to kick-start their season and have momentum going into the domestic season, and I don’t see next year as being any different. With so many exciting Irish and Wolves fixtures planned for next summer, along with our First-Class domestic Provincial competition there has never been a better time to be an emerging player.”

CRICKET IRELAND SHAPOORJI PALLONJI SENIOR ACADEMY

Ross Allen, Rory Anders, Aaron Cawley, David Delany, Stephen Doheny, Shane Getkate, Fionn Hand, Tyrone Kane, Graham Kennedy, Josh Little, James McCollum, Robert McKinley, Max Neville, James Shannon, Simi Singh, Nathan Smith, Tom Stanton, Harry Tector, Jack Tector, Sean Terry, Lorcan Tucker.

CRICKET IRELAND SHAPOORJI PALLONJI EMERGING ACADEMY

Ian Anders, Varun Chopra, JJ Garth, Gavin Hoey, James Hunter, Kyle Magee, Reece Malone, Oliver Metcalfe, Cian Nulty, Marcus Poskitt, Neil Rock, Sean Stanton, Alex Stiles, Mitchell Thompson, Andrew Vincent.








Cawley named in Ireland U19 World Cup squad

Friday, December 8th, 2017

DHcPayOVwAAMFtgCongratulations to our talented all-rounder Aaron Cawley on his selection for the Cricket Ireland 15-man squad for next month’s ICC U19 World Cup in New Zealand.

This is a fantastic achievement for the young Tipperary man making him the first Munster & Cork County player to feature at such a prestigious international tournament. 

Andrew Vincent of Clontarf is the only addition to the 14 that clinched the qualification tournament in Jersey this summer to secure the World Cup berth in a dramatic encounter against Scotland.

Harry Tector is one of ten Leinster-based players in the squad, which also contains three representatives from the North-West, and one each from the NCU and Munster.

Under 19 Head Coach Ryan Eagleson is urging his young charges to make their mark on the global stage, as many international superstars have done in the past.

“Many of today’s cricket stars have played in past under 19 World Cups and this is a huge opportunity for this group of Irish cricketers to make a name for themselves,” said Eagleson.

“There’s the added incentive of Test cricket now for this talented bunch, and strong displays in the tournament will definitely put them in the shop window with a new senior Head Coach at the helm later this month too.”

World Cup Preparations

Eagleson outlined preparations for the tournament in which the Irish have been drawn in Group D alongside the Asian triumvirate of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“We’ve been training hard both at home and at a recent warm weather camp at the European Centre in La Manga. The players have all been putting in the hard yards with early morning gym sessions and regular skills based sessions and national weekends too. There’s a definite excitement in the camp as we build towards January. 

“We have a training camp planned in New Zealand where we will play two matches against a strong Auckland side as well as three days of practice to adjust to local conditions. We then travel to Christchurch for two official warm up matches against England and Canada.

“We will play our group games in Whangarei where two of our squad Mark Donegan and Sam Murphy have been playing locally over the winter which will be of great benefit not only to the pair, but the entire squad with their accumulated knowledge.”

Ireland face Sri Lanka in their first Group game on January 14th before taking on Pakistan two days later. The Afghanistan clash is down for decision on Saturday January 20th. Go well AC! ☘️?? #BackingAC #BackingGreen

Ireland U19 World Cup Squad Announced

Ireland Under 19 World Cup squad:

Harry Tector (Capt) (YMCA/LCU), Ian Anders (Phoenix/LCU), Aaron Cawley (Cork County/MCU), Varun Chopra (Coleraine/NWCU), Mark Donegan (The Hills/LCU), JJ Garth (Pembroke/LCU), Jamie Grassi (North County/LCU), Reece Kelly (Bready/NWCU), Graham Kennedy (Ballyspallen/NWCU), Josh Little (Pembroke/LCU), Sam Murphy (YMCA/LCU), Max Neville (Merrion/LCU), Neil Rock (Rush/LCU), Morgan Topping (Waringstown/NCU), Andrew Vincent (Clontarf/LCU).