Dreaming of a draw

Dave Sihra (Dave Meets Ball - Substack)

At Mirpur on the final day of the series Ireland could have got their first draw in test cricket, but despite the loss we still managed to learn a little bit extra about this side.

When will we finally do it? Our men’s side have their first test win in the bag. They then went a run with three in three. But when will we finally get our first draw?

Ireland weren’t too off from doing it at Mirpur. Curtis Campher (71*) batted out a phenomenal 259 deliveries which itself is a record for most balls faced by an Ireland batter in a test match. The previous record was 229 from his own innings of 111 against Sri Lanka in 2023.

But are draws really a thing anymore? They’re certainly integral to the test cricket experience - just simply playing time to avoid defeat. The very first draw goes all the way back to 1881.

Think: Michael Atherton batting 492 balls to draw a test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Or Carrickfergus’s own AB de Villiers batting out 220 deliveries for just 33 runs to draw a test at Adelaide.

Of the 35 mens tests so far in 2025, we have only had two draws. For comparison there were 11 draws in the 43 tests in 2003 and even 12 from 48 in 2005. Ireland were always unlikely to make history and chase down 509, but they could have made history of their own drawing their first ever test and the third men’s test of the year.

Beyond numbers, what’s the significance? To win a test match a certain amount has to go your way, and that’s certainly been the case in the ones we have been successful in. Think tough catches going to hand, or a key session lasting a certain length of time. There’s getting selections absolutely nailed on, and of course the toss. But what happens when things don’t go your way?

Ireland have done remarkably well to win the tests we have, but things have been tough in the ones we’ve lost and could be tougher yet again during a World Test Championship cycle in 2027. While drawing tests appears to have largely left the game, it may become especially important for us to find a way to draw when we’re really up against it to go with occasional wins.

As with most things in test cricket, it’s easier said than done. England Men may currently even argue that it’s easier to win a test match than to draw one. But we got close at Mirpur.

Final notes

Gavin Hoey certainly played his part in the Day Five rearguard, staying out in the middle for 104 deliveries and scoring 37 to go with his four wickets on debut. He even looked the part at the crease, playing a lovely flamingo flick for a boundary through mid wicket.

Depending his own form with the ball, Hoey could soon challenge Matthew Humphreys for his own spot based on what he adds with the bat.

Humphreys of course is the man preferred - he has a test match five-for, he’s got a six-for from when he bowled Ireland to test victory in Zimbabwe, but the Lisburn spinner may need to consider his dismissals in both innings at Mirpur.

Historically the case for your number one or number two spinner can come down to what else they bring. Shane Warne obviously had raw talent from the outset but was also a handy number 8 bat and a decent slip fielder to help build a case. Graeme Swann’s similar skills for England edged out Panesar.

If you played two spinners outside Asia, the main case would most likely be if Hoey’s runs (along with his wickets) could give that bit extra in a low scoring test match. However in a future when Andy McBrine possibly decides to move on, a Hoey/Humphreys spin partnership could prove very effective.

Finally, how good is Curtis Campher. No, really - what’s the ceiling? He’s a player that can take five wickets in five balls, not to mention four in four at the 2021 T20 World Cup to knock out the Dutch. At the next one he gets 72 (32) and 2/9 to knock out Scotland.

Campher has a test century at Galle already in the bag. In a different world he bats out Day Five at Mirpur with a marathon knock and picks up adulation from around the cricket world. But even without the draw, a stay of over six hours is a remarkable innings.

If someone was to tell you that Curtis Campher will score the first triple century for Ireland in test cricket - would you bet against it?

This article was originally published on Dave Sihra’s Substack: Dave Meets Ball