Cricket Primed In Ireland Is Nicely To Take Big Stage

Richard Edwards catches up with Ireland pace bowler Boyd Rankin, who believes next week’s clash with England is the platform for a bright new future

- Richard Edwards

The desire to establish a strong domestic competition was one of the key elements of Ireland’s attempts to secure Full Member status.

Now, on the eve of the country’s first ever Test against England, Boyd Rankin tells The Cricket Paper that those attempts are making a significant difference to cricket in the country – even if the weather hasn’t played ball so far this season.

It’s Wednesday afternoon and Rankin is travelling back from Belfast following the abandonment of Ireland’s first T20 international against Zimbabwe at Stormont. The rain is lashing down, which has been par for the course in the north of Ireland so far this summer.

“The rain has had a pretty big impact, if I’m honest, it hasn’t really let us build up any kind of momentum in the domestic competition,” says Rankin.

The fact that the former England Test bowler is now playing his first class cricket across the Irish Sea, rather than for Warwickshire, is an indication, though, of Ireland’s serious intent to establish a competition of note.

Rankin admits, however, that it will take time to get everything in place.