Ian Young thought he was never play cricket again after a freak on-field accident in 2012 but on Saturday he will replace club legend Davy Scanlon as Bready captain for their opening NW Premiership game against Killyclooney.

EIMEAR RICHARDSON showed her experience in Abu Dhabi yesterday as Ireland began their T20 World Cup qualifying campaign with an ultimately comfortable six-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates.

CIARA METCALFE was born too early. If the 45-year-old was in her prime and available to partner fellow leg-spinner Cara Murray, then Ireland would be a shoo-in not only to reach the T20 World Cup finals but to win this month’s qualifying tournament in Abu Dhabi.

T20 World Cups have never been happy hunting grounds for Ireland’s women cricketers. In four previous tournaments they have lost all 17 of their games but there are great hopes for this year’s tournament, to be staged in Bangladesh in September.

Cricket Ireland has today announced a new structure for its international and elite domestic scorers.

Cricket Ireland has today released its umpire and match referee panels for 2024.

There have been a few changes around the region, but one club who have more stability than most is Strabane, although they do have a new skipper in opening batsman Kevin Gallagher.

ARDMORE were the fairytale story in North West cricket last season – a first Premiership title for the unsung Co Derry side after 144 years. But captain Rachit Gaur is refusing to set any targets as they prepare to begin the defence of their crown on Saturday.

Vanuatu beating Zimbabwe highlights the opening day of the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE.

Indonesia's Rohmalia takes seven wickets without conceding a run during the sixth match of Indonesia's 6-0 whitewash of Mongolia.

Ireland Women bounced back from their loss to Scotland with a morale boosting four-wicket victory over the USA in their second and final warm-up game of the T20 World Cup qualifiers.

Sally Barton played a T20I for Gibraltar against Estonia, a month short of her 67th birthday.

A win over Oman in the final of the ACC Premier Cup secures the UAE's spot in the six team tournament next year.

A new season at the Park and there is a new captain on deck with Kevin Gallagher the man in charge as they look to get back to the top flight.

On their day St Johnston proved themselves more than a match for anyone last season, but inconsistency cost them a chance of a Premiership slot.

Ireland will play their first Test match on home soil for more than six years this summer after the confirmation yesterday that a five-day match against Zimbabwe will go ahead in Belfast on July 25-29.

Ireland's Test against Zimbabwe this summer has been confirmed for Belfast in July, but six planned white-ball matches against the same opponents have been scrapped.

Malahide have confirmed that Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin is joining them from The Hills.

The Nedd are back in the senior ranks after clinching the Qualifying League last season, and there's great anticipation around the Ballykelly venue as the season approaches.

Timmy Dougherty is once again skipper at Killyclooney, and he will be looking to replicate the highs of last season, when right up to the final weeks of the year they were in Premiership title contention.

Deryck Vincent revisits the controversial visit of a South African based side to Ireland in 1969.

Every now and again something happens, or takes place, which would warm the cockles of your heart.

To play once for your country is an incredible honour for any sportswoman or sportsman. Lynne Cantwell won the most rugby caps for Ireland, 78, while Emma Byrne (134) tops the list in football.

The demise of YMCA has led to many players seeking pastures new, but the signing of Graham Ford as Head Coach by Malahide where he will hook up with his son Matt is perhaps the most significant.

Leinster will be led on the field by captain Bilal Azhar and he will be aiming for some more silverware in 2024 after their Irish Cup success last season.

Eoghan Delany is at the helm for the upcoming campaign and his side has been active over the close season.

Aaron Heywood is in charge once again at Ballymagorry, and he will be hoping that the incoming campaign is more reminiscent of the highs of the 2022 and their cup win, rather than the relegation blow of last year.

There’s a new captain at Bready with Davy Scanlon have stepped down from the role after 12 years at the helm. Ian Young has taken over the reins from ‘Sca’ and he will be assisted by Ryan Clarke and Gavin Roulston as vice-captains.

Alan Johnson has taken over the captaincy mantle once again and as usual there is plenty of activity going on, both on and off the field.

It may only be a seven team Premiership, but it will certainly be ultra-competitive, and Phoenix aim to be right in the mix. Adam Chester is in the driving seat as they hope to mount a title challenge.

Ireland Academy lost the opening match of their three-game series against Guernsey by 63 runs at KGV on Friday.

Cricket Ireland are expected to confirm next week that this summer’s Test match against Zimbabwe will go ahead, after scrapping plans to cut the Belfast showpiece to balance the books.

There was good news for fans of red-ball cricket as the Cricket Ireland Board gave the go-ahead for the first Test to be staged in Northern Ireland in July.

The women's T20I quad series in Abu Dhabi has been completely washed out.

Olly Riley will captain the Ireland Academy squad in three matches against the Guernsey senior side on Friday and Saturday.

Dave Richardson will join the Board of Cricket Ireland with his appointment to be confirmed at next week's AGM.

Jay Shelat spent five weeks with the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) as their main analyst in what he describes as a “development opportunity which exceeded all expectations”.

Each of the 10 teams have star performers who their teams will be relying on to deliver the goods in the two-week long event.

Sri Lanka will start the tournament as firm favourites. Buoyed by their recent T20I series win in South Africa, the Chamari Athapaththu-led side will be aiming to top Group A on their way to a place in the final.

Ireland and the Netherlands will begin their Group B fixtures as the favourites to progress from the five-team group.

Nearly two months after the 2023 deals expired, Cricket Ireland has yet to agree to terms with its players for the upcoming summer

Laura Delany celebrated her 200th cap for Ireland by hitting the winning runs in an eight-wicket win over Thailand in Dubai on Thursday night.

Nepal, Hong Kong, Oman and UAE remain in contention for Asia Cup qualification.

It looks as if Simi Singh's representative career with Leinster Lightning and Ireland is at an end.

Guernsey have named a strong side for their three games against the Ireland Academy this weekend.

Flooding in the area means that another day is lost from the women's quad series in Abu Dhabi.

The hard work started last season for a North County side that is determined to mount a serious challenge for the Championship title.

It's a huge season for Rush, who go into the new season without the services of Neil Rock, having lost Stephen Doheny the previous season.

Terenure have been something of a cup team over the last few years, but captain Dónal Lynch is looking to add some consistency to mount a promotion challenge.

Ireland Women's T20I clash with Thailand has been abandoned without a ball bowled, but they did manage to beat the UAE in a capped game on Sunday evening.

Ireland veterans have lined up a mouthwatering itinerary for the season ahead that includes clashes with both England and Australia in Dublin.

The fixtures and squads for the Interpros have been released with no red-ball cricket on the horizon ahead of the Test.

Cricket Ireland has named its four-member International Umpires Panel for 2024 – featuring two new appointees, Aidan Seaver and Johnny Kennedy.

CJ van der Walt will once again be in the hot seat as he leads Carrickfergus in the top flight of the NCU.

It's the turn of 2022 NCU Premiership champions Lisburn, who have a new captain in Neil Whitworth who has taken over the reins from Callum Atkinson. There are three new faces at Wallace Park including international Mark Adair.

There has been plenty of activity at The Green over the winter, with club captain Peter Davison happy at the squad that North Down have for the year ahead.

A look at the averages for what has been a successful tour for the Ireland Wolves, who won five and lost three games of their eight-matches.

Stephen Doheny signed off with a century in Kathmandu yesterday as the Ireland Wolves beat Nepal A by 69 runs to complete a 3-0 whitewash in their 50-overs series and end a successful two-week tour on a high.

Harry Warke has taken the captain's armband and is looking forward to the new season at Ballygomartin road.

Matty McCord is the new captain at Cliftonville Academy and they have signed two wicket-keeper batsmen in Kian Hilton and Tommy Orr.

We begin our look at the NCU Premiership clubs with CSNI who have former Irish international Stuart Thompson donning the skipper's armband.

Mark Adair has his maiden nomination for the ICC Player of the Month award after spearheading Ireland’s Test win over Afghanistan as well as contributing in the shorter formats.

North Down have confirmed the signing of towering pace bowler Kerwin Mungroo for the upcoming campaign.

Hands up, who thought it was an April Fool when word broke of the news that the supposedly cash strapped Cricket Ireland organization had gone and purchased two brand new Teslas in the region of 100k euros? Madness - both the decision and the band behind the song lyrics. Talk about not reading the room.

Cricket Ireland released an extraordinary statement last night in response to online criticism of the organisation’s purchase of two Tesla Y cars for senior management.

The death has occurred of former Irish international Rodney Bernstein, who won eight caps between 1960 and 1962, taking 21 wickets, including legendary Aussies Neil Harvey and Wally Grout.

When the end came, it came quickly. Not planned, not even considered in advance.

EIMEAR RICHARDSON returns to a 15-strong Ireland squad for next month’s T20 World Cup qualifiers in Dubai where the Girls in Green will look to book their passage to the finals in Bangladesh in the autumn.

It was a chastening day for CIYMS in the latest round of matches in the European Championship with a ten-wicket loss against Hornchurch and a last-ball loss against Pak-I-Care.

Eimear Richardson has been named in Ireland's squad for the T20 World Cup Qualifiers next month which is being held in the UAE.

The CIYMS attack was on the receiving end of two more pastings as they were beaten by defending champions Dreux of France and Jersey kingpins Old Victorians.

Carson McCullough scored a half century and took two wickets as CIYMS started Championship week with a convincing win against Forfarshire.

A look back to 1999 and 2000 when the World Cup came to Ireland, and Clontarf did the double.

Holders Derriaghy have been given a bye into the second round of the National Cup.

The draw has been made for the opening round of the 2024 Irish Senior Cup with 29 teams battling it out to lift the Bob Kerr Trophy.

Deryck Vincent on the tremendous work carried out by Pat Bracken.

A look back to 1998 has the author in a Detention Centre, scoring a record century and experiencing mixed fortunes in the Irish Senior Cup.

Amy Hunter has been named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for January, coming top of a worldwide poll ahead of Australian greats Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney.

Can it really be 30 years since Ireland took those first unsure steps on to the world stage, at the ICC Trophy in Nairobi?

A Bridge Too Far, Girl Power, Dead Certa, and Grounds for Optimism.

There was much to celebrate in Ireland's eighth place finish at the Under 19 World Cup, with impressive performances against their peers, culminating in a win over New Zealand.

The win was the first by any Ireland cricket team against the Black Caps in 50 attempts, and it also delivered the highest finish by an U19 side at the biennial tournament in 11 campaigns, dating back to 1998.

Ireland Under 19's finished their World Cup campaign on a high with a 41-run DLS win against New Zealand that ensured an eighth place finish.

Harry Dyer claimed 4-35 to give Pakistan a major scare at the U19 World Cup before Ireland succumbed to a three-wicket defeat in the Super Sixes at Potchefstroom.

Ireland suffered a 201-run hammering by favourites India in their final Group A match at the U19 World Cup but are still well placed to reach the Super Sixes second stage of the tournament.

Mark Adair has been named in the ICC T0 International Team of the Year.

KIAN HILTON top scored with a classy 90 as Ireland again impressed at the U19 World Cup in Bloemfontein before losing to Bangladesh by six wickets in a pivotal Group A match. 

Reuben Wilson led a dominant all-round bowling display in Bloemfontein that enabled Ireland to ease to a seven-wicket victory over the USA in their opening match of the U19 World Cup.

Nathan Johns talks with Ireland U19 opening bowler Reuben Wilson ahead of the World Cup opening match against the USA on Friday.

Sometimes we take ourselves and our sport too seriously. I am not advocating a frivolous attitude to our games, far from it, but sometimes there are more important things than a stick and ball game. 

Ireland lost the first of their two official warm-up matches on Sunday as they were beaten by 27 runs against Zimbabwe in a game curtailed by rain.

Morecambe and Wise, Yes Minister, What's in a name and a record year for Arlene Kelly and Mark Adair.

Zimbabwe gained revenge for Sunday's loss as they earned a 38-run win over Ireland in the second game of their Under 19 World Cup warm-ups.

It's back to 1996 and a double for The Hills, while Brigade win the Irish Cup and Clontarf retain the league.