Ireland join Test fold and lined up for bow at Lord’s

IRELAND could be playing Test cricket against England at Lord’s next year after yesterday’s momentous decision to promote them to cricket’s top table.

Both Ireland and Afghanistan were awarded full member status by cricket’s governing body the ICC and will be playing Test cricket within the next 12 months.

And the ECB hope to provide Ireland with the perfect introduction to the ultimate form of the game by inviting them to play a one- off maiden Test at the home of cricket towards the end of next summer.

It is a huge boost for both countries and also to the wider health of the game as Test cricket struggles to retain its primacy in the everevolving world of Twenty20 and one-day international cricket.

The plan is for Ireland and Afghanistan to form a group of three with Zimbabwe in what will, in effect, be a second division playing occasional Tests against the leading nine nations but with no promotion or relegation.

Meanwhile, Tom Curran and Dawid Malan are in line for full international debuts in England’s second Twenty20 international against South Africa at Taunton this evening. Surrey bowler Curran (right) and Middlesex batsman Malan are set to come in for the rested Mark Wood and Alex Hales with England 1-0 up.

Stuart Broad will today discover whether he is in danger of adding to England’s injury woes by becoming a doubt for the first Test against South Africa. Broad was last night awaiting results of a scan on his sore left heel after bowling just one over on the final day of Notts’ victory over Leicestershire and could join Chris Woakes on the sidelines ahead of the Lord’s Test starting on July 6.

The problem, which Broad has bowled through for some time, was not initially felt to be serious but the specialist who examined it found an area of ‘concern’ and ordered scans to discover whether there is more than just bruising. It is a worry for England, who will definitely be without Woakes when the fourmatch series begins, while Jimmy Anderson has only just returned from a thigh problem.