Ireland Academy squad named for 2022 European Cricket Championships

DUBLIN – Cricket Ireland has today announced a 12-player Ireland Academy squad that will represent Ireland at the 2022 European Cricket Championships to be held at Cartama Oval in Spain from 12-16 September 2022. The European Cricket Championships (ECC) is an annual tournament played by European national teams, under the auspices of the European Cricket Network. The ECC is the first international T10 cricket event ever to be staged.

In 2022, the ECC will feature 21 teams from a range of countries including Ireland, England, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, France, and Scotland.Teams will be placed into four groups of five teams, with the England XI receiving automatic qualification into finals week. Ireland have been drawn in Group A, alongside Spain, Austria, Czech Republic and Portugal. Should Ireland qualify out of the group they will move on to finals week, which takes place between 10-14 of October. 

More information can be found here: https://www.ecn.cricket/european-cricket-championship  

 IRELAND SQUAD

 John Matchett (CIYMS), Scott Macbeth (Bready), Cameron Melly (Cardiff UCCE), John McNally (Clontarf), Séamus Lynch (Terenure), Jared Wilson (Newbuildings), Michael O’Reilly (YMCA), Max Burton (Cliftonville Academy), Finn Catherwood (Beaconsfield CC), Matthew Humphreys (Lisburn), Muzamil Sherzad (North Kildare), Carson McCullough (CIYMS), Jamie Forbes (YMCA).

Head coach: Pete Johnston

Assistant coach: Albert van der Merwe

Pete Johnston, National Academy and Performance Manager, said:     

 “We’re very excited to have been invited to the European Cricket Championships at Cartama Oval, Spain. Tournament cricket provides us with the opportunity to see our players develop under pressure - the games will come thick and fast, with two games per day. The popularity of new shorter formats is growing globally, and our first experience of T10 cricket should prove to be very rewarding.

 “The selectors have been very specific about the skill sets we were looking for in this format and have chosen talented positive players that have impressed domestically in white ball cricket. There is the added incentive for the guys to progress through the group and play in a finals week in October. 

 “T10 cricket will certainly put our dynamic fielding, death bowling and power hitting into overdrive, and this can only benefit by improving and increasing our depth of talented white ball players.”