Inter-Provincial Championship

Inter-Provincial Championship

Countries	Ireland
Administrator	Cricket Ireland
Format	First-class cricket (does not have first-class status)
First tournament	2013
Tournament format	Double round-robin
Number of teams	3
Current champion	Leinster Lightning
Most successful	Leinster Lightning (2 titles)
Most runs	John Anderson (472)
Most wickets	Max Sorensen (32)
Website	http://cricketireland.ie
2015 Inter-Provincial Championship

The Inter-Provincial Championship is a three-day cricket tournament in Ireland, played between regional teams drawn from three of Ireland's five provincial unions. It parallels first-class cricket tournaments in other countries such as the County Championship of England and the Sheffield Shield of Australia. The tournament was held for the first time in 2013 across venues in Ireland. Currently, these matches do not carry First-Class status, but may be elevated to that status in the future.

History

Background

The Ireland cricket team have had huge success recently on the international level which has boosted the popularity of the game in the country. They had earned the reputation of a giant killer after upsetting teams like Pakistan and Bangladesh (2007 Cricket World Cup), and England (2011 Cricket World Cup). Their good performances in major international tournaments meant that Cricket Ireland openly started bidding for Test match status to the International Cricket Council.^[1] Nevertheless, one of the main stumbling road blocks for Ireland from getting to play the pinnacle of the game was a lack of a first-class cricket infrastructure at home, among other things. As early as August 2011, Cricket Ireland announced plans of a domestic first-class tournament.^[2] In January 2012, Cricket Ireland announced the ambitious 'Vision 2020' plan which announced the establishment of a first-class structure by 2015 and achievement of Test status by 2020. It also began work on a cricket academy to find talented players across the country and improving grass-roots cricket in the country. For the first time professional contacts, with central, A, B, and C were established. Plans for Test status were established partly to stem the flow of their star cricketers moving away to England in hope of playing Test cricket such as Ed Joyce, Eoin Morgan and Boyd Rankin.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]} According to Richard Holdsworth in an interview with Setanta Sports, CI are pleased with the strategic progress that had been made as of November 2012.^[9] In December 2012, Ireland got a $1.5m boost as increased funding from the ICC to establish elite domestic competitions in the country.^[10]

Format

The tournament is played in a double round-robin format, with each team playing each other twice, once at home and once away.

Points Summary

Points are scored as follows:

• Win - 16 points
• Draw - 3 points
• Tie - 8 points
• Batting bonus points - 1 point for scoring 150, 200, 250 and 300 runs
• Bowling bonus points - 1 points for taking 3, 5, 7 and 9 wickets
• Bonus points only apply for the first 100 overs of each team's first innings
• Over rate penalties also apply on a match by match basis for teams who fail to bowl their overs at the required rate

Teams

Competition placings

2013 to Present

All-Time Records

(All records correct to end of 2014 season)

Highest Innings Totals

Lowest Completed Innings Totals

Highest Scores in the Fourth Innings of the Match

Most Career Runs

Highest Individual Scores

Most Runs Scored in a Season

Most Career Wickets

Best Bowling in an Innings

Most Wickets in a Season

Highest Partnerships for each wicket

Seasons

• 2013 Inter-Provincial Championship
• 2014 Inter-Provincial Championship
• 2015 Inter-Provincial Championship

See also

• Cricket in Ireland
• History of cricket
• Inter-Provincial Cup
• Inter-Provincial Trophy

References and notes

1. ↑ ICC to consider Ireland's bid for Test status ESPN.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2013
2. ↑ Ireland plan first-class structure ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
3. ↑ Ireland unveil Test cricket vision CricketEurope4.net. Retrieved 9 March 2013
4. ↑ CI reveals ambitious plans aimed at receiving Test status Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 March 2013
5. ↑ Ireland map out path to Tests ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
6. ↑ Ireland's Boyd Rankin retires to play Test cricket for England Cricket Country. Retrieved 9 March 2013
7. ↑ Ireland calls for Test status to 'halt exodus' ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
8. ↑ Rankin retires, Holdsworth calls for Test status irelandcricketwebbly.com. Retrieved 9 March 2013
9. ↑ Cricket Ireland happy with progress of strategic plan Setanta Sports. Retrieved 9 March 2013
10. ↑ Ireland receive $1.5 m boost from ICC ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013

External links

• -official website

Template:National sports leagues of Ireland

Cricket in Ireland Governing body Cricket Ireland National teams Ireland U-19 Women’s team Provincial bodies Leinster Cricket Union Munster Cricket Union Northern Cricket Union North West Cricket Union Connacht Cricket Union Interprovincials Interprovincial Championship Interprovincial One-Day Trophy Interprovincial Twenty20 Cup Leagues Leinster Senior League Munster League NCU Senior League North West Senior League Cups Irish Senior Cup National Cup Ulster Cup Ulster Shield Leinster Senior Cup Munster Senior Cup NCU Challenge Cup North West Senior Cup NCU Junior Cup Connacht Senior Cup Grounds Dublin Belfast Malahide Bready Others Player lists ODI cricketers Twenty20 Players Captains