Northern Knights (cricket team)

Northern Knights
Personnel
CaptainMark Adair
CoachSimon Johnston
OwnerNorthern Cricket Union of Ireland
Team information
ColorsNavy and Red
Founded2013
Home groundStormont Cricket Ground, Belfast
Capacity7,000
History
Inter-Provincial Championship wins0
Interprovincial One-Day Trophy wins2
Interprovincial Twenty20 Cup wins1

Northern Knights is a first-class inter-provincial cricket team in Ireland.

The team participates in the Inter-Provincial Championship, Interprovincial One-Day Trophy & Interprovincial Twenty20 Cup.

The team represents the Northern Cricket Union of Ireland, which in turn covers most of eastern and southern Ulster and parts of western Ulster.

History

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In 2013, Cricket Ireland formed a three-day Championship, 50 over Cup and 20 over Trophy featuring teams from Leinster, the North and the North West. The NCU team would be known as the Northern Knights. On 8 April, they announced Eugene Moleon as their coach and Gavin Rogers as his assistant coach.[1]

The Knights lifted their first trophy, the Inter-Provincial Cup, in that debut season. A surprise final day victory by the North West Warriors over Leinster Lightning ensured the Knights won the title by a single point.[2]

Up to and including the 2016 Inter-Provincial Championship, the matches were not given first-class status. However, at an International Cricket Council meeting in October 2016, first-class status was awarded to all future matches.[3][4]

In January 2016 Simon Johnston, then head of Waringstown Cricket Club, was appointed head coach of the team, replacing Eugene Moleon.[5]

In would be 2019 before the Knights silverware drought came to an end. The team won 3 of their 6 Inter-Provincial Trophy games in a rain-affected season which was enough for captain Gary Wilson to lift the trophy.[6]

Following Wilson's retirement, Harry Tector took over captaincy duties for the 2021 season.[7] He was succeeded by Mark Adair in 2022.[8]

2023 was the most successful year in the team's history as they completed a List A and T20 double.[9]

Honours

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Inter-Provincial Cup - (List A) - 2 titles
Winners: 2013, 2023
Inter-Provincial Trophy - (T20) - 1 title
Winners: 2023

Current squad

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  • Players with international caps are listed in bold.
  • *denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality.
Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Club Notes
Batsmen
Paul Stirling  Ireland (1990-09-03) 3 September 1990 (age 34) Right-handed Right arm off-break North Down
James McCollum  Ireland (1995-08-01) 1 August 1995 (age 29) Right-handed Right arm medium Waringstown Vice-captain
Ross Adair  Ireland (1994-04-21) 21 April 1994 (age 30) Right-handed Slow left arm orthodox CIYMS
Morgan Topping  Ireland (1999-03-25) 25 March 1999 (age 25) Right-handed Right arm off-break Waringstown
James Hunter  Ireland (2002-11-01) 1 November 2002 (age 21) Right-handed Left arm medium CIYMS
Cade Carmichael  South Africa* (2002-08-03) 3 August 2002 (age 22) Right-handed Right arm medium Instonians
Jason van der Merwe  Ireland (1991-12-28) 28 December 1991 (age 32) Right-handed Right arm off-break CIYMS
Jake Egan  Australia* (2003-06-20) 20 June 2003 (age 21) Right-handed Right arm off-break Carrickfergus
All-rounders
Mark Adair  Ireland (1996-03-27) 27 March 1996 (age 28) Right-handed Right arm fast-medium CIYMS Captain
Tyron Koen  South Africa (1997-10-25) 25 October 1997 (age 26) Left-handed Right arm medium-fast CIYMS
Jordan Neill  Ireland (2006-03-03) 3 March 2006 (age 18) Right-handed Right arm medium-fast CSNI
Ruhan Pretorious  South Africa* (1991-03-02) 2 March 1991 (age 33) Right-handed Right arm medium-fast Woodvale
Adam Leckey  Ireland (2006-09-25) 25 September 2006 (age 18) Right-handed Right arm medium CSNI
Wicket-keepers
Neil Rock  Ireland (2000-09-24) 24 September 2000 (age 24) Left-handed - Rush
Sam Topping  Ireland (2005-05-06) 6 May 2005 (age 19) Left-handed - Sussex
Benjamin Calitz  Canada (2002-07-06) 6 July 2002 (age 22) Left-handed - CIYMS
Matthew Halliday  Ireland (2004-11-30) 30 November 2004 (age 19) Right-handed - Waringstown
Bowlers
Tom Mayes  South Africa* (2001-01-04) 4 January 2001 (age 23) Right-handed Right arm medium-fast North Down
Matthew Foster  Ireland (2000-01-15) 15 January 2000 (age 24) Right-handed Right arm fast-medium CSNI
Matthew Humphreys  Ireland (2002-09-28) 28 September 2002 (age 22) Right-handed Slow left arm orthodox Lisburn
Adam Kennedy  Ireland (2003-10-22) 22 October 2003 (age 20) Right-handed Right arm fast-medium CIYMS
Aditya Adey  Ireland (1997-12-21) 21 December 1997 (age 26) Right-handed Right armmedium CIYMS
Cian Robertson  Ireland (2002-09-19) 19 September 2002 (age 22) Right-handed Slow left arm orthodox Instonians
Source:[10]

Grounds

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References

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  1. ^ Ireland, Cricket. "Coaches announced for Inter-Provincial Series - Cricket Ireland". www.cricketireland.ie. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  2. ^ Easdown, Craig (22 September 2013). "Warriors beat Lightning to give RSA Inter-Provincial Cup to Northern Knights". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Ireland domestic competition awarded first-class status". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Ireland's Inter-Provincial Championship awarded first-class status". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  5. ^ Ireland, Cricket. "Interview with New Northern Knights Coach Simon Johnston - Cricket Ireland". www.cricketireland.ie. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  6. ^ Callender, Ian (18 August 2019). "Knights lift T20 crown". Irish Cricket Archives. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Tector honoured to secure Northern Knights captaincy". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 30 March 2021. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Mark Adair takes over captaincy of Northern Knights". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 31 January 2022. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  9. ^ Morton, Johnny (8 September 2023). "Northern Knights complete historic Inter-Provincial Cup and Trophy double". News Letter. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  10. ^ "2023 FC+LA+T20 match individual most matches for Northern Knights". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
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