West Indies join Ireland’s international summer
WEST INDIES are returning to Ireland for the first time since 2007 next year as part of a sixmatch one-day international Tri-series, also involving Bangladesh.
The series will be played immediately after the ODI against England on May 3 and all games will be in Dublin, but Northern Ireland fans haven’t been forgotten in a hectic first half of international cricket in 2019, announced yesterday by Cricket Ireland, with Bready hosting its first ODI against Zimbabwe in July, and Afghanistan playing two games at Stormont.
Indeed, after the eight games in Dublin, completed by May 17, the rest of Ireland’s home season will be divided exclusively between Belfast and the north west, with Stormont also host- ing two ODIs against Zimbabwe and Bready two T20s against the same opposition.
As this year, when Bangladesh and New Zealand were the visitors to Dublin for a Tri-Series, each team will play the others twice, and Ireland’s first game against West Indies on Sunday May 5 will be at Clontarf, their first ODI there since they lost to Sri Lanka in 2014.
After games against Bangladesh and West Indies on May 9 and 11 at Malahide, Ireland return to Castle Avenue for their second game against the Tigers on May 15 before the final, between the top two, at Malahide two days later.
By then, Afghanistan will have arrived in Belfast to fulfil their commitments as per the Future Tours Programme for two ODIs against Ireland on May 19 and 21.
The World Cup then takes centre stage in England — Ireland missed out on qualification to West Indies and Afghanistan at the tournament in Zimbabwe last March — but Ireland will play a six-match series against Zimbabwe from July 1-13, starting and finishing at Bready, with three games at Stormont in between. The ODIs are first, followed by the three T20 internationals.
Eleven days later, Ireland play England in their only Test match of the summer at Lord’s.
Although West Indies A played Ireland in two List A games at Stormont in 2010, this will be the senior side’s — with Chris Gayle set the be the star attraction — first visit here for 12 years when one Eoin Morgan, opening the batting for Ireland, was 37 not out when rain abandoned the game in the 18th over.
Ireland lost all four Tri-series games this year with the now retired Niall O’Brien scoring their only century.
Meanwhile, the draw for the Bank of Ireland Senior Cup was also made yesterday, with holders Brigade, who ended Donemana’s record-equalling six-year grip on the trophy in last year’s semi-final, drawn at home to Championship side Burndennett.
The match of the round should be at Donemana, with Coleraine the visitors in one of two all-Premiership ties, the other at The Rectory where last year’s Championship winners Glendermott host first-time Premiership champions Bready.
Bank of Ireland Senior Cup 1st round: Drummond v Eglinton, St Johnston v Ballyspallen, Fox Lodge v Ardmore, Donemana v Coleraine, Brigade v Burndennett, Killyclooney v Bonds Glen, Glendermott v Bready, Newbuildings v Strabane. Ireland’s 2019 one-day fixtures (ODIs unless stated)
May3: England (Malahide)
May 5: WestIndies (Clontarf)
May7: WI Bangladesh (Clontarf)
May9: Bangladesh (Malahide)
May 11: West Indies (Malahide)
May 13: WI Bangladesh (Malahide)
May 15: Bangladesh (Clontarf)
May 17: Tri-Series Final (Malahide)
May 19, 21: Afghanistan (Stormont)
July 1: Zimbabwe (Bready)
July 4, 7: Zimbabwe (Stormont)
July 10: Zimbabwe T20I (Stormont)
July 12,13: Zimbabwe T20Is (Bready)