Ireland to play warm-up matches with local teams in Australia ahead of T20 World Cup 2022

Cricket Ireland and Randwick Petersham Cricket Club have jointly announced a three-match warm-up programme for Ireland Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, which will see the Irish squad training and playing fixtures in Sydney at the picturesque seaside Coogee Oval against a SCG XI, NSW XI and their hosts the current Kingsgrove Sports T20 Premiers between 1-7 October 2022.

The Lefand Cricket Week warm-up fixtures are:

• 4 October: Ireland XI v Randwick Petersham XI (T20; Coogee Oval; start time 1pm)
• 5 October: Ireland XI v SCG XI (T20; Coogee Oval; start time 1pm)
• 7 October: Ireland XI v NSW XI (T20; Coogee Oval; start time 1pm)

Ireland will then travel to Melbourne to play two official ICC Men’s T20 World Cup warm-up matches, before moving to Hobart for the first round of the tournament proper.

The official fixtures will be:

• 11 October: Ireland v Warm-up opponent (T20; MCG; start time 7pm)
• 13 October: Ireland v Warm-up opponent (T20; Junction Oval; start time 3pm)
• 17 October: Ireland v Qualifier 1 (T20 World Cup Round 1; Hobart; start time 7pm)
• 19 October: Ireland v Scotland (T20 World Cup Round 1; Hobart; start time 3pm)
• 21 October: Ireland v West Indies (T20 World Cup Round 1; Hobart; start time 3pm)

Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said:

“We are delighted to return to Sydney for a warm-up programme of matches organised though our friends at Randwick Petersham Cricket Club. We enjoyed the hospitality of Randy Petes as part of our preparation programme in 2015 when we were heading into the 2015 Men’s World Cup and have subsequently formed a formal partnership with the club. This partnership has seen a number of our current senior performance squad spend a summer playing cricket with the club, and while the COVID pandemic put a temporary hold on this movement of players, we hope to resume such opportunities over coming years.

“We would like to thank Club President Mike Whitney, CEO John Stewart and their team for supporting and hosting us during this period, and look forward to reacquainting ourselves with the club’s fantastic facilities.”

Mike Whitney AM, President of Randwick Petersham Cricket Club, said:

“We are excited to welcome Cricket Ireland back to their second home at Coogee Oval and I can’t believe it is eight years since they were here. It is even more special this time as former Overseas Scholarship Programme recipients Andrew Balbirnie, Harry Tector and Barry McCarthy are part of this team and we are proud to see their development and strong performances on the international stage following their time with us.

“It’s our hope that Ireland enjoy their stay in Coogee and gain valuable match preparation, against quality opposition, setting them up for a successful T20 World Cup campaign. Everyone at the Randy Petes are backing the Irish and we ask that Ireland becomes your second team!”

Greg Mail, Chief of Cricket Performance at Cricket NSW, said:

“It will be fantastic to see the relationship between one of our great clubs, Randwick Petersham, and Ireland bring such an exciting week of cricket to life in Coogee. It will be a great event for the local cricket community and a chance for young girls and boys in the area to see top level cricket up close in the lead in to the World Cup.”

Greg Healy, Chairman of the SCG XI, said:

“The SCG XI is honoured to participate in in the quad series at the invitation of Randwick Petersham and we join to welcome the Ireland World Cup squad to Australian shores. We wish all in Irish cricket the best and look forward to assisting in making your Australian experience a career highlight.”