Ireland look to end their Test drought with two games in 2023

With the potential of two Test matches next year, including a second against England, Ireland is on track to end their Test match hiatus. Ireland’s team started playing Test cricket very late and has played only three matches in their cricketing history, losing all three of them. Their first game was against Pakistan in May 2018, following which they faced Afghanistan and England in 2019.

Following reports that Cricket Ireland is in early negotiations with the England and Wales Cricket Board about conducting a four- or five-day match prior to England’s summer Ashes series, the team is also poised to play a Test match against either Sri Lanka or Pakistan in March next year, making it two in the calendar year.

According to a report by Belfast Telegraph, with England dedicated to six Tests per summer, and five matches scheduled to be played between England and Australia like usual, there is headroom for one extra, most certainly as a warm-up for England in early June. Because Lords has previously hosted an Ashes Test and the World Test Championship final, a return to the renowned venue is unlikely.

Ireland got Test status in 2017

Since Trent Bridge and Ageas Bowl have not been named under the team’s Test match schedule, the two venues will be frontrunners for the Ireland game. Ireland was given Test status in June 2017, and last played in the year July 2019 at Lord’s against England which they lost by a huge margin of 143 runs.

Batting first, Ireland restricted the hosts to mere 85 runs and posted 207 runs in their first innings. England made a strong comeback in the second innings as they scored 303 runs, and dished out the visitors’ lineup for just 38 runs to grab a magnificent victory.

In the limited-overs format, Ireland is set to host India for two T20Is in June, followed by New Zealand for a three-match T20I series, and as many ODIs in July. They’ll be welcoming South Africa in August for a couple of T20I matches, followed by inviting Afghanistan in the same month for a five-match T20I series before starting their preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup.