Northern Knights (cricket team)

For the New Zealand team formerly called Northern Knights, see Northern Districts men's 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

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

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

Current squad

  • 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

For a complete list of grounds used by Northern Knights, see List of Northern Knights grounds.

References

  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.