There is set to be a bumper cricket schedule on Irish shores this summer as both international and domestic action ramp up across the warmer months.
Cricket Ireland confirmed a large slew of events sure to grab the attention of fans of the sport, with a whole range of competitive action slated in the coming months.
The Ireland men’s cricket team will welcome Zimbabwe to Stormont for a five-day encounter in July – the first meeting of the two sides at Test level.
That is sandwiched in between a spate of other dates for the men’s side; furthermore they will face Pakistan, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and participate in T20 World Cup qualifying between May and October.
The Ireland women’s team is currently participating in the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE as they bid to qualify for October’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
They will take on Sri Lanka and England between August and September and should they make the T20, further preparatory fixtures will be announced.
Away from international action, the West Indies Academy will complete a multi-format tour of Ireland – including two four-day matches. This brings the action full circle after the Emerging Ireland tour of the Caribbean in 2023.
Underage international squads will be busy with their respective home and away fixtures, while there will be Irish stars to watch out for at September’s European Cricket Championships.
Domestically speaking, the recently-announced men’s Inter-Provincial Series will see 30 games played between May and September. The action commences with a T20 festival in Dublin On May 1.
The EVOKE Super Series will see 18 women’s matches played between May and August, while the three All-Ireland club cup competitions will once again see over 50 clubs battle it out.
Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom said: ‘Irish cricket fans are in for a treat in 2024 with more than 40 days of senior international cricket to enjoy between April and October – potentially more if our Women can qualify for this year’s T20 World Cup.
‘It’s fantastic to see the demand for international cricket remains strong – the three men’s T20 Internationals against Pakistan sold out in a matter of days and we have had intense interest in further fixture announcements.
‘I’m sure many fans will undoubtedly be looking forward to the return of Test cricket to Ireland. We will be creating a little piece of history by staging the first-ever Test in Belfast, and making Stormont the 123rd cricket ground around the world to host men’s Test cricket.
‘We look forward to seeing fans coming along to support the men’s Test squad as they seek to follow up on the terrific inaugural Test win over Afghanistan in March.’