CRICKET IRELAND BOARD MEETING SEPTEMBER 13TH 2016

The Cricket Ireland Board met earlier this week in Dublin, where a wide range of issues were discussed with the following outcomes.

1. Progress towards first-class status for Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Championship

Geoff Allardice, the General Manager (Cricket) of the International Cricket Council (ICC) carried out an inspection visit during the Leinster Lightning v NW Warriors Championship match at Malahide in August.

He spent two days with Cricket Ireland management, where a number of issues were addressed.

He will be discussing his findings internally with a view to making a recommendation to the ICC Chief Executive's Committee in October.

2. ICC September meeting in Dubai

Warren Deutrom updated the Board on the recently-completed workshop in Dubai, explaining the purpose of the workshop, its outcomes and the next stages in the process.

“The Board was encouraged by the outcome of discussions from last week’s workshop," said Deutrom.

"In particular, the focus on more nations having access to more formats of the game on a structured basis between major events, with merit-based pathways to access these was a source of genuine optimism.

"Cricket Ireland, and indeed all nations sitting outside of the ten full members with the ambition to progress through on- and off-field performance, look forward to positive discussions becoming firm commitments in the coming months in the best interest of the sport as a whole.”

3. Support for Bready C.C

The Board approved a request by the North West Cricket Union for additional support to Bready CC.

This support takes the form of an additional financial contribution to Bready to facilitate the recruitment of a professional groundsman, and empowering the NWCU to oversee the distribution of funding to the venue.

“Bready CC achieved ICC accreditation only last year and the Board felt it was important to assist the venue to maintain its standards in order to be competitive with other Irish venues," said Deutrom.

"The recent poor weather meant we had to move international matches from there but clearly that’s an unsatisfactory situation so we want to take positive action to help Bready and the North-West Cricket Union ensure the region’s passionate cricket fans can play a part in hosting our growing international programme in the future.”


4. Cricket Ireland Cricket Committee T20 review

The Board received an update about actions arising from the recent World T20 review.

The Chair of the Cricket Committee has appointed a working party from clubs and the provincial unions to review T20 club cricket with a view to reporting back to the Cricket Committee itself at the end of September and the next Board at the end of October.

Cricket Ireland Performance Director Richard Holdsworth said: “The T20 format continues to be an integral part of world cricket and one that we can’t afford to leave behind as it grows in popularity and importance globally.

"Our recent performances in T20 have seen us slip down the rankings and that's something we are keen to address.

"One area identified in our recent review of T20 cricket was the domestic game , and the need to give club and interprovincial players the best opportunities to develop their skills in the format that they can then bring into the international arena.

"It's clearly vitally important that we maintain close consultation with all the provincial unions to ensure a collaborative approach. This working party is an important element of that process."