New Zealand Test is stark reminder of Ireland’s troubled red-ball status

Cricket traditionalists should look towards Belfast this week. From Wednesday — and potentially all the way to Saturday — it will be possible to see players wearing whites, using a red ball. There will be slip fielders, maiden overs, polite applause from a crowd that will just about spill into four figures, maybe even a picnic basket or two. It’s called Test cricket.

With a population size similar to Ireland’s, the visiting New Zealanders are used to playing in front of modest crowds in quaint settings. This won’t diminish the intensity of their efforts, though. Fifth in the world Test rankings, the Black Caps are here to prepare for a three-Test series against England (ranked fourth), beginning at Lord’s on June 4.

That’s why the likes of Kane Williamson, Tom Latham and Matt Henry will be hoping Ireland present a decent challenge in Stormont. It’s not much benefit for the tourists to have things wrapped up inside two days, even if it means some of them get to have a quick scoot around Royal County Down.

The Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie did his best to manage the Kiwis’ expectations on Friday. “We’re not gonna put any sort of pressure on our guys,” he said. “We just want them to go out and enjoy the occasion and express themselves and adapt as quickly as they can to the situation because they will be under pressure throughout the game. I’m just hoping the guys come out with a positive attitude towards that pressure. It’s not every day you get to play against these guys in this format.”

That last line was quite the understatement. It has often been said that New Zealand cricket can set an example for Ireland, given their small playing population in comparison to the big cricketing nations India, Australia and England. But there is no comparison between the opportunities or facilities available to the respective international squads.

In red-ball cricket alone, Belfast will be the first of 14 Tests that the Kiwis will play over the next 12 months. That’s more than Ireland have played in the eight years since their debut Test against Pakistan — supposedly the “breakthrough moment”, even though it soon became painfully obvious Cricket Ireland was financially and infrastructurally ill equipped for its new Test status.

Lack of resources partly explains why Ireland don’t have a Test ranking at present. To gain a ranking you need to have played at least eight Tests in the past three years (Wednesday will be only the third Test match on Irish soil). You also need interprovincial teams playing regular first-class (multi-day) cricket — but that competition has been shelved due to “financial constraints”.

The Irish players’ preparations for this Test was a four-day inter-squad fixture in Malahide last week. If they are competitive in Stormont, it will be a tribute to their ability and adaptability as cricketers, rather than to the quality of their prep.

Given their shortage of decent cricket, it seems ironic that so many players are injured, with Paul Stirling, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little, Jordan Neill and Gavin Hoey unavailable. The pace-bowling stocks are particularly depleted, which may open the door for Clontarf’s Reuben Wilson, who only made his first-class debut in Malahide.

It may seem risky to throw a 19-year-old in against top-quality opposition, but Wilson has good control and skill. While his pace is no more than a nippy medium, he should naturally add a yard or two as he develops physically.

Selecting him would also give Cricket Ireland a positive news story at a time when it needs one: the promotion of a young player who has come through its “pathway” at a time when the number of South African accents in the squad is increasing.

For Balbirnie, the one Irish player to have played in all 12 Tests, remaining positive is the name of the game. “It’s always been the same for us,” he said. “We put in good performances, that gets noticed. People look at that and go, ‘Wow, they’re making strides. Why wouldn’t we give them more opportunity?’ So it’s on us as players to make sure that we are the best kind of advertising for the sport we can be.”

Ireland v New Zealand

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