25 Under 25: The next generation

Odhran Flynn (CricketEurope)



25 UNDER 25THE NEXT GENERATION OF IRELAND CRICKETERSThe era of the Golden Generation effectively ended after the 2015 World Cup. While there have been several good results since, that remarkable period of consistently good performances and results has eluded the Ireland cricket team across all formats.Since 2015 there has been an excruciatingly slow transition period as there was a failure to recognise the reality that too many players were surviving on reputation rather than form. Indeed, it was only in the year just ended, that when seven players made their debut, their performances highlighted the folly of the previous policy.I have compiled a list of the twenty-five players aged under twenty-five who I believe will be the mainstay of Irelands hopes during this new decade. I studied the performances over the past two years of some 40 players in this age range and whittled the list down to the 25 named below.I have seen the vast majority of the players chosen in live play and I have analysed the performances at club, provincial and international level of all of the original 40 and taken into account those deemed good enough to warrant a place in the Shapoorji Pallonji Academy.As in any selection many things can change over time. Players can lose form, sustain injuries or given the age group several may lose interest as life in the real-world provides distractions. Players not currently on the list may burst onto the scene and push others further down the pecking order.Of the ODI and T20I squads recently in the Caribbean there are five who are the wrong side of thirty. By the time the next 50 over World Cup is held in India in 2023, Kevin OBrien will be 39, William Porterfield and Boyd Rankin will be 38, Gary Wilson will be 37 and Simi Singh 36.If any of them are still performing at a level that keeps them in a 15-man squad on merit, then they will deserve their place, but the reality is that maintaining form and fitness levels at that age is a daunting task.I had originally compiled this list last December but due to the General Election in the Republic I have been otherwise engaged since. Therefore I can now also take into account the performances of the Wolves players against Namibia who, as I write, have just won the 4th and 5th T20s to win the series 4 matches to 1.No doubt there will be many who will believe that certain players should be on this list while others should not. Such is the nature of sport and particularly selection and only time will tell how accurate the choices below will turn out.So here goes with those I hope will be the names on Ireland cricket supporters lips over the next few years.1. Mark Adair. Age 23. RHB, RFM. Club CIYMSMark burst into the Ireland Squad in 2019 and has already made a big impression particularly with the ball. No one bettered his 48 wickets across all formats in 2019 with his T20I performances especially outstanding. He led the four main categories with 27 wickets, E/R 6.57, S/R 13.96 and average of 15.3. While he occasionally was expensive, he has that special ability to pick up wickets.He is an aggressive striker of the ball and when he learns to build an innings, he will be a formidable all-rounder and at last Ireland may have found a worthy successor to Trent Johnston and John Mooney.2. Gareth Delany. Age 22. RHB, LBG. Club LEINSTERGareth also made his debut last year with his first 17 caps coming in the T20I format. However, his ODI debut came in the first of the recent 3 match series in the West Indies and while it was something of a surprise that he opened he batted well until being caught of an inside edge. He is also an aggressive ball striker as his 383 T20I runs at a strike rate of 156.3 demonstrates and that S/R is the highest of any Ireland batsman in T20Is.His form has continued against Namibia and he is now an automatic selection for Ireland in this format.Crucially he is also a leg spinner who takes wickets. Already he has 16 wickets at an E/R of 7.37 which is exceptional in this format. There is no reason to doubt his potential to bring his T20I form into the longer forms of the game.3. Harry Tector. Age 20. RHB, OB. Club YMCA.Harry is another player who made his debut in 2019 and to date he has only played in T20Is. However, most observers would feel that his forte is in the longer forms of the game. That is not to suggest that he doesnt score at a decent rate as 267 T20I runs at a S/R of 131.5 proves. He already has a century at both first-class and List A levels and having been appointed captain of the Wolves side, while still a teenager, is clearly highly regarded by the powers that be.Surprisingly he has not yet had an opportunity to bowl in T20Is as he has taken wickets at a respectable E/R across all three formats. Perhaps the new captain will be more inclined to see him as an additional bowling option.4. Stephen Doheny. Age 21. RHB. Club RUSH.Stephen is a highly regarded classy batsman. While his stats in Ireland do not yet reflect his true ability his performances in NSW with Randwick Petersham where he recently got back to back centuries in Grade 2 cricket- a standard equivalent to our Inter-pros- highlights his talent. He came directly from Sydney to Pretoria for the Namibia series and on his first day carried his bat for 63 not out in an innings that helped secure victory.He also batted at number 3 in the Wolves last game of the season in the exceptional win against largely a full-strength Zimbabwe side and made 32 off 50 balls. For Rush last summer he made 585 runs at an average of 45 with a highest score of 129 v Merrion.5. James McCollum. Age 24. RHB. Club Warringstown.Yet another 2019 debutant, James has already demonstrated the grittiness and concentration levels associated with former captain William Porterfield. He has not looked out of place in the Test arena and his two ODI fifties against Zimbabwe was evidence of his ability in white ball cricket. Indeed, in sharing opening stands of 60 and 111 with Paul Stirling, James had a better strike rate that his much more experienced partner.In 26 first class innings he already has two centuries and six fifties and all things being equal should be a major contributor to Ireland over the coming years.6. Lorcan Tucker. Age 23. RHB, WK. Club Pembroke.Lorcan made his T20I debut back in 2016 and while he is yet to demonstrate that it is a format that he can score heavily in, his exploits in ODI cricket have already shown enough promise to have him challenging for a regular place.While he is not yet the finished article as a wicketkeeper, he is improving all the time. In fact, he has now kept in Irelands last six ODIs and while his ODI average is just 20.3 he has shown that he has the talent and with more experience should be in line to be Irelands first choice wicketkeeper/batsman going forward. In 2019 he averaged 51 in List A games and 61.9 for his club.7. David Delany. Age 22. LHB, RF. Club CLONTARF.Every team long for a genuine fast bowler and in David, Ireland have certainly found one. He has on several occasions broken the 90 MPH barrier and was clocked at 92 MPH in the recent T20I World Cup Qualifier against Canada. Unfortunately, he injured his knee during the Tournament which subsequently required surgery. To date David has not been able to commit himself full time to playing for Ireland as he is intent on completing his University degree which happen this Spring.Provided that he regains fitness, he should be available for Irelands matches this Summer and crucially for the World T20 Cup in October. It would be a genuine shock if, having been awarded an Emerging player contract, that he is not upgraded to a centrally contracted player before the year is out.8. Josh Little. Age 20. RHB, LFM. Club PEMBROKE.Josh made his Ireland debut in a T20I match in 2016 as a 16-year-old. As with several others on this list his stats dont reflect his ability and potential. Clear evidence of that talent was provided on his ODI debut against England last May in Malahide when he shook up the visitors top order with a sharp spell of bowling. His return of 4-45 included the prize scalp of England skipper Eoin Morgan who he bounced out for a third ball duck. He backed up the England performance with a return of 3-29 in last months T20 win against West Indies including bowling the crucial last over when his brave variations saw Ireland home.A pacy left arm bowler is always an asset to any side and much now depends on Joshs commitment to getting the most out of his talent. This year will tell that tale.9. Jack Tector. Age 23. RHB. Club YMCA.A year ago, if you had been told that a Tector was in the Ireland team it would have been a reasonable assumption that it would have been Jack rather than his brother Harry. Jack had been captain of the Wolves, but an unfortunate series of injuries curtailed his progress and 2019 was a very lean year with the bat.However, he still has that talent which brought him into the limelight and there is no doubt that he will fully commit himself to realising his ambition to play for Ireland. Provided he can stay injury free he has every chance of being in the mix soon.10. Nathan McGuire. Age 16. RHB, OB. Club Rush.It will probably be a surprise to many who have not seen him play that Nathan is in this list never mind being in the top ten. For those who are responsible for shaping his career he reminds them of another Rush alumni Eoin Morgan. However, a comparison such as that can be a double-edged sword for a lad who only turned 17 this week. He has a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead if he wants to emulate one of the ever players born in Ireland.He scored a century as an opener against France in the U 19 World Cup Qualifier last August and opened the bowling as well.He was considered good enough to open the batting for the Wolves in the stirring win over Zimbabwe in June. Provided that he maintains his progress, he should be a contender for Inter-pro honours this year.11. Ross Allen. Age 23. LHB, SLA. Club EGLINTON.Arguably the best spinner in the North-West, Ross has been steady rather than spectacular in his Inter-pro career to date. However, his performances in Grade cricket in Victoria this past few months suggest that he is poised to make a bid for higher honours. He already has 29 wickets for his club Centrals, more than double the next best bowler, at a sensational average of 4.79.It is probably a make or break year for Ross as he is at an age that his potential must start being realised. The confidence he has gained from his winter down under can only help that process.12. Mitchell Thompson. Age 18. RHB, LBG. Club YMCA.Another of the YMCA/Kamel Merchant production line. Mitchell came to the fore at the U19 World Cup Qualifier in Netherlands when as a then 17-year-old got the joint second most wickets in the Tournament with 13 at an average of 9.84 and an E/R of 3.69. Those figures marked him out as a bowler who could turn out to be a standout Academy graduate.He also got 14 games in senior cricket for YMCA last season where he took 15 wickets at an average of 27.4 and an E/R of 4.5.13. Jonathan Garth. Age 19. RHB, LBG. Club PEMBROKE.With a father and sister both capped multiple times for Ireland there was always a good chance that JJ, as he is known, would be in contention to make the grade. Like eight others on this list he was part of the Wolves tour of Sri Lanka this time last year. Playing both red ball and white ball cricket against vastly more experienced opposition Ireland Wolves did very well and the tour was a major factor in several players transitioning to the senior team in 2019.JJ was the second highest wicket taker on the tour with eight and he carried this form into the club season where in 10 senior matches he took 15 wickets at an average of 17.5 and an E/R of 4.6. He played two T20 matches for the Munster Reds last season and will be determined to have a greater involvement in 2020.14. Neil Rock. Age 19. LHB, WK. Club RUSH.Since he was about 15 Neil has been one of the standout prospects among the younger contingent in Ireland cricket. A hard-hitting batsman and sharp wicketkeeper who is always in the game. Captained Ireland U19 in the World Cup Qualifier in Netherlands but failed to make an impact with the bat. Has been a regular for Northern Knights for past two seasons and will likely reprise that role in 2020.In 11 senior matches for Rush in 2019 Neil accumulated 389 runs at an average of 35.4 including 150 against Balbriggan. He was also one of the key players for the Wolves and had the fourth highest aggregate of 229 runs in Sri Lanka this time last year.15. Jacob Mulder. Age 24. RHB, LBG. Club CIYMS.Originally from Perth in Australia Jacob made his mark in club cricket in the NCU and made his T20I debut for Ireland in 2016 and the following year broke into the ODI side. Unfortunately, he subsequently lost focus and decided to return to Australia having given up his Ireland contract.However, he returned to Ireland last season and recaptured the form that had brought him to the national selectors attention originally. He regained his place with the Northern Knights and was selected for the Ireland squad that competed in the T20I World Cup Qualifiers but was forced to withdraw because of injury.At his best he is a genuine threat with the ball especially in T20 cricket. His T20I record of 12 wickets at an average of 16 with an E/R of 6.6 bears that out. Against Namibia in the past week he bowled in three matches and his 12 overs yielded 5 wickets for 84 runs.16. Graham Kennedy. Age 20. LHB, LM. Club Ballyspallen.Graham has the potential to be a genuine contender for a place in the Ireland squad over the next couple of years. Originally viewed as primarily a bowler he has in the past year shown that he has also got genuine batting skills. He could turn out to be a left-handed version of Alex Cusack.He has already got runs across all three formats to supplement his bowling returns of 9 FC, 13 List A and 8 T20 wickets at respective E/Rs of 2.8, 4.7 and 5.9.17. Jamie Forbes. Age 16. LHB, SLA. Club YMCA.Another from the YMCA conveyor belt, Jamie made it to the U19 World Cup Qualifier in Netherlands last summer when just 15 and he bowled very well, the highlight being a 5-19 return against Jersey.He also made several appearances for his club in Senior cricket last summer and despite his tender years was not overawed and showed that he has the potential to make a career in the game.18. Tim Tector. Age 16. RHB. Club YMCA.Not just another player from YMCA but yet another Tector on the list. Tim has demonstrated a fine technique and the ability to score runs in underage cricket and played 15 Senior club matches last summer.It was a steep learning curve for a 16-year old in a very young side and while his figures were not what he would have hoped for he will have benefitted immensely from his experiences. He will also have benefitted from a recent spell at the cricket academy in Durban where a period of full-time cricket will do wonders for his ability and confidence.19. Fionn Hand. Age 21. RHB, RMF. Club YMCA.Fionn is a talented all-rounder who has represented Leinster Lightning across all three formats as well as a couple of appearances for the Wolves. As yet his figures do not do justice to his ability but his move last season to YMCA under the tutelage of Kamel Merchant should pay dividends this year.However, the reality is that there is now genuine competition among the younger generation and Fionn needs to grasp every opportunity.20. Conor Olphert. Age 22. RHB, RFM. Club Bready.Conor has been recognised as someone who has the potential to be a genuine fast bowler and he has now been given a place in the Shapoorji Pallonji Senior Academy squad.Hopefully this will enable him to break into the North-West Warriors squad and test his skills against the top players on the island.21. Seamus Lynch. Age 17. RHB. Club Terenure.Seamus was in the Ireland U17 team last year and is a highly regarded hard hitting batsman who can also build an innings.His potential has seen him added to the Shapoorji Pallonji Emerging Academy squad.He played 17 senior games for Terenure last season and his top score was 92 against Balbriggan.22. Matthew Foster. Age 20. RHB, RFM. Club CSN.Matthews performances for CSN last summer when he took 16 wickets at 17.25 and a S/R of 22.4, including 4-17 against Instonians saw him selected for Northern Knights.He played in both the Championship team and the 50 Over side. He bowled with good pace and control.23. Will Smale. Age 19. RHB, W/K.Originally from Wales, Will has decided that he would like to pursue his career with Ireland. Last summer he was the leading run scorer for Ireland U19s in the World Cup Qualifier when he made 185 runs at an average of 27 and he passed 50 twice.He has spent the winter in Sydney developing his skills and has been added to the Shapoorji Pallonji Senior Academy squad. He also made his debut for North-West Warriors last season.24. Oliver Metcalfe. Age 18. RHB. Club Instonians.Oliver is a stylish stroke maker and has already made his mark in NCU Senior cricket with a return of 550 runs in 2019 including an unbeaten 123 off 103 balls in the Irish Senior Cup.He also played three matches in the U19 WCQ and got two Wolves caps against Scotland. His 2019 performances were rewarded with a place on the Shapoorji Pallonji Emerging Academy squad.25. James Hunter. Age 17. RHB, LM. Club Instonians.A talented all-rounder James had a major role in Irelands U19 WCQ last summer. He scored 85 runs at 28.3 and took 4 wickets at 21.3 including 3-14 against Netherlands. He also played 20 Senior games for his club in 2019 scoring 211 runs including 61 not out against Muckamore. He also chipped in with 7 wickets.Like his teammate Ollie Metcalfe he has also earned a place on the Shapoorji Pallonji Emerging Academy squad.That is the top twenty-five but since I compiled the original list two more players have entered the equation and both made the Wolves starting eleven in the past few days against Namibia. One is Curtis Campher and the other is Michael Frost.Both are Irish passport holders and therefor immediately available for selection. Campher is a seam bowling all-rounder who has represented South Africa at U19 level but as he did not play in the U19 WC he does not have to serve a qualification period. Frost is a left arm spinner who was the leading wicket taker at Hilton College in South Africa and has also played for KwaZuluNatal U19s. He turned down the opportunity to represent Zimbabwe U19s in order to pursue a career for Ireland.Campher has joined YMCA while Frost will play for Malahide in the coming season. Campher showed his potential against Namibia the last few days when he hammered 107 runs off just 64 deliveries for just once out and his runs included 7 fours and 7 sixes.As I wrote earlier in this piece, there is opportunity for others to break through. Some such as Aaron Gillespie, Rory Anders and Fiachra Tucker have been around for a while. Max Neville and Kyle Magee are another two who are capable of making the breakthrough. Good performances from any of the above in the early part of next season may well put them into contention.