News

DUBLIN – Cricket Ireland today confirmed the dates and venues of 11 men’s home international fixtures for 2020, an Ireland Wolves match, the men’s Test Triangle Inter-Provincial Series and the women’s Super 3s Series for the 2020 home season, with the season shaping up to be the biggest volume of top-level cricket action ever in Ireland.
The fixtures were rubber-stamped following a meeting of Cricket Ireland’s Match Allocation Group last Friday.

Men’s home internationals – 2020

The confirmed fixtures are:

• 14 May 2020: Ireland vs Bangladesh – 1st ODI – Stormont
• 16 May 2020: Ireland vs Bangladesh – 2nd ODI – Stormont
• 19 May 2020: Ireland vs Bangladesh – 3rd ODI – Stormont

• 19 June 2020: Ireland vs New Zealand – 1st T20I – Bready
• 21 June 2020: Ireland vs New Zealand – 2nd T20I – Bready
• 23 June 2020: Ireland vs New Zealand – 3rd T20I – Bready
• 27 June 2020: Ireland vs New Zealand – 1st ODI – Stormont
• 30 June 2020: Ireland vs New Zealand – 2nd ODI – Stormont
• 2 July 2020: Ireland vs New Zealand – 3rd ODI – Stormont

• 12 July 2020: Ireland vs Pakistan – 1st T20I – Malahide
• 14 July 2020: Ireland vs Pakistan – 2nd T20I – Malahide

Four remaining fixtures are still to be allocated and will have dates and venues confirmed in January due to venue negotiation currently underway – these are the T20 Internationals against Bangladesh, scheduled to be played in late May 2020 following the ODI series with that country.

Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said:

“There is no doubt that this will remain one of the biggest home seasons for Ireland, with the hosting of the number one T20I side in the world, and the runners-up at the most recent 50-over world cup. However, this has also undoubtedly been our most complex match allocation process ever, given the multiple challenges we are working through. Chief among these is the loss of access to one of our international grounds for at least 2020, with Clontarf undergoing extensive renovations.”

“With this venue loss, we have been reduced to 12 pitches available across our three remaining international grounds that need to cater for 15 matches. Given the ICC’s high standards of expectation regarding pitch quality, this has influenced several of the match allocations. Also key to our deliberations has been the need to provide a high volume of white-ball cricket given the T20 World Cup in October and the start of the World Cup Super League.”

“The match allocation process has obvious knock-on effects to the inter-provincial fixtures and finalisation of club cricket scheduling, so we have been eager to resolve these fixture allocations as expediently as possible.”

“The outstanding fixtures that remain unallocated at this stage are the T20 Internationals against Bangladesh. We are currently investigating venue options that will fit with our limited scheduling windows and fresh pitch availability – this includes looking at an option of hosting the Bangladesh T20Is in neutral venues in England as a temporary option until our venue and pitch capacity is back at full strength.”

“Despite some recent commentary, it has always been a strategic priority – let alone a necessity – of the Cricket Ireland Board to see international fixtures spread around our venues, and we believe the schedule we have released will achieve this, including seeing Bready host key New Zealand internationals with the support of Derry & Strabane Council and the Northern Ireland Department of Communities. This was a matter both the Cricket Ireland Board and Match Allocation Group discussed in great detail, and all parties have worked hard in collaboration to reach this positive solution.”

“We stated last week that we were still hopeful of staging the inaugural season of the Euro T20 Slam and we have put plans in motion to facilitate that should our discussions with the organisers progress positively. We shall be providing further information on that in due course.”

“Finally, I also want to acknowledge and thank the outstanding work done by all of our venues, and the local authorities that support them, to help us navigate the challenges that we face in putting on the quantity of matches we have to such a high standard. It is a great testament to the can-do approach that has always marked out our volunteers as among the best in Irish sport.”

The Ireland Men’s team head out shortly for a six-match tour of the West Indies in January, travel to India in March to play a series against Afghanistan, and then travel to Zimbabwe in in April, before launching a big home season in mid-May. The year will also include a three-match ODI series against England in September as part of the World Cup Super League, followed by participation in the Men’s T20 World Cup in October.

To complement the men’s international schedule, Cricket Ireland can also confirm the first Ireland Wolves home fixture for 2020:

• 11 May 2020: Ireland Wolves vs Bangladesh – North Down (1-day match)

Test Triangle Inter-Provincial Series – 2020

The Test Triangle Inter-Provincial Series is the peak domestic men’s cricket competition in Ireland. The Series features three concurrently-run competitions played between May and September annually:

• The Inter-Provincial Championship (three-day matches)
• The Inter-Provincial Cup (50-over matches)
• The Inter-Provincial Trophy (20-over matches)

The fixtures, including dates and venues, have now been finalised:

Inter-Provincial Cup fixtures – 2020
• 8 May 2020: Northern Knights v North West Warriors – IP50 – Waringstown CC
• 10 May 2020: Northern Knights v Leinster Lightning – IP50 – Waringstown CC
• 1 June 2020: Leinster Lightning v North West Warriors – IP50 – The Hills CC
• 4 June 2020: Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights – IP50 – North County CC
• 7 June 2020: North West Warriors v Northern Knights – IP50 – Eglinton CC
• 9 June 2020: North West Warriors v Leinster Lightning – IP50 – Eglinton CC
• 6 July 2020: Leinster Lightning v North West Warriors – IP50 – Leinster CC
• 26 July 2020: Northern Knights v Leinster Lightning – IP50 – Belmont
• 29 July 2020: North West Warriors v Northern Knights – IP50 – Bready

Inter-Provincial Trophy fixtures – 2020
The IP Trophy fixtures are played as part of six-match T20 festivals over three-day periods.

• 12 to 14 June 2020: IPT20 Festival – North Down CC
• 1 to 3 August 2020: IPT20 Festival – Pembroke CC

Inter-Provincial Championship fixtures – 2020
• 11 to 13 August 2020: Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights – IPC – Pembroke CC
• 18 to 20 August 2020: North West Warriors v Leinster Lightning – IPC – Bready
• 25 to 27 August 2020: Northern Knights v North West Warriors – IPC – Stormont

Richard Holdsworth, Performance Director of Cricket Ireland, said:

“The Test Triangle Inter-Provincial Series is a key breeding ground and talent pathway for the senior men’s international side. It is crucial that the fixture format responds to the needs of the international team, as well as provide opportunities for emerging talent. As such, there has been an increased focus on white-ball fixtures over the 2019 schedule given the international sides participation in the T20 World Cup in October, and the start of our participation in the World Cup Super League.”

“We will be looking to provide additional preparation fixtures for our international players ahead of travelling to the world cup.”

“We would like to thank the Provincial Unions for working collaboratively on this scheduling process, and look forward to another big year for domestic cricket in Ireland.”

Women’s Super 3s Series – 2020

The Super 3s Series is the peak domestic women’s cricket competition in Ireland featuring three sides – Scorchers, Dragons and Typhoons – playing a white-ball multi-format competition.

The fixtures, including dates and venues, have now been finalised:

Super 3s Series fixtures – 2020
• 10 May 2020: Typhoons vs Scorchers – 50 over – Merrion CC
• 17 May 2020: Typhoons vs Dragons – 50 over – North County CC
• 24 May 2020: Scorchers vs Dragons – 50 over – The Hills CC
• 7 June 2020: Typhoons vs Scorchers – 50 over – Lisburn
• 21 June 2020: Typhoons vs Dragons – 50 over – Leinster CC
• 27 June 2020: Scorchers vs Dragons – 50 over – North Kildare CC
• 1 August 2020: Round-Robin Festival – 20 over – Venue TBC
• 3 August 2020: Round-Robin Festival – 20 over – Venue TBC
• 9 August 2020: Round-Robin Festival – 20 over – Laurelvale

Richard Holdsworth, Performance Director of Cricket Ireland, said:

“The Super 3s Series is an important talent pathway for the senior women’s international side, that provides an opportunity to see best v best in the Irish domestic women’s cricket scene. With a 50-over world cup qualifier to be played in 2020, the priority is to increase the 50-over matches ahead of that qualifier – and we have doubled the number of matches in that format from the 2019 schedule.”

“However, the main good news from this fixture schedule is the move by Cricket Ireland to increase the visibility of the women’s game by allocating a range of venues more accessible by fans, and taking two matches to venues in Northern Ireland. We hope that with complementary promotional work around these fixtures, we can improve the opportunity for young girls in particular to be able to watch their cricketing role models in action more readily.”

“The women’s internationals will not only entail the World Cup Qualifier, but also overseas matches against competitive opposition. We expect to announce this schedule in early 2020.”

Further fixtures for 2020

Given these peak representative fixtures have now been allocated, work is now underway on match allocations for the following, which will be announced in early 2020:

• Clear Currency Irish Senior Cup Final
• Clear Currency National Cup Final
• Sunday Independent All-Ireland T20 Finals
• Youth internationals
• Junior Inter-Provincial Series

Craig Easdown
2020 is set to be the busiest year in Irish international cricket
Yes
Connaught