Northern Knights (cricket team) explained

Captain:Mark Adair
Coach:Simon Johnston
Founded:2013
Ground:Stormont Cricket Ground, Belfast
Capacity:7,000
Colors:Navy and Red
Owner:Northern Cricket Union of Ireland
Title1:Inter-Provincial Championship
Title1wins:0
Title2:Interprovincial One-Day Trophy
Title2wins:2
Title3:Interprovincial Twenty20 Cup
Title3wins:1

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

NameNationalityBirth dateBatting styleBowling styleClubNotes
Batsmen
Paul Stirling3 September 1990 Right-handed Right arm off-breakNorth Down
James McCollum1 August 1995 Right-handed Right arm mediumWaringstownVice-captain
Ross Adair21 April 1994Right-handedSlow left arm orthodoxCIYMS
25 March 1999 Right-handed
James Hunter1 November 2002Right-handedLeft arm medium
Cade Carmichael3 August 2002Right-handedRight arm mediumInstonians
Jason van der Merwe28 December 1991Right-handedRight arm off-breakCIYMS
Jake Egan20 June 2003Right-handedRight arm off-breakCarrickfergus
All-rounders
Mark Adair27 March 1996 Right-handed Right arm fast-mediumCIYMSCaptain
Tyron Koen25 October 1997Left-handed Right arm medium-fast
Jordan Neill3 March 2006Right-handedRight arm medium-fastCSNI
Ruhan Pretorious2 March 1991 Right-handed Right arm medium-fastWoodvale
Adam Leckey25 September 2006Right-handedRight arm mediumCSNI
Wicket-keepers
24 September 2000 Left-handed -
Sam Topping6 May 2005Left-handed-Sussex
Benjamin Calitz 6 July 2002 Left-handed -
Matthew Halliday30 November 2004Right-handed-Waringstown
Bowlers
Tom Mayes4 January 2001Right-handed North Down
15 January 2000 Right-handed
Matthew Humphreys28 September 2002Right-handedSlow left arm orthodoxLisburn
Adam Kennedy22 October 2003Right-handed Right arm fast-mediumCIYMS
Aditya Adey 21 December 1997Right-handed Right armmedium
Cian Robertson19 September 2002Right-handedSlow left arm orthodoxInstonians
Source:[10]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Coaches announced for Inter-Provincial Series - Cricket Ireland. Cricket. Ireland. www.cricketireland.ie. 27 May 2017. 20 September 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170402/https://www.cricketireland.ie/news/article/coaches-announced-for-inter-provincial-series. dead.
  2. Web site: Easdown . Craig . 2013-09-22 . Warriors beat Lightning to give RSA Inter-Provincial Cup to Northern Knights . 2024-01-08 . Cricket Ireland . en-US.
  3. Web site: Ireland domestic competition awarded first-class status . 14 October 2016 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  4. Web site: Ireland's Inter-Provincial Championship awarded first-class status . 14 October 2016 . BBC Sport.
  5. Web site: Interview with New Northern Knights Coach Simon Johnston - Cricket Ireland. Cricket. Ireland. www.cricketireland.ie. 27 May 2017. 22 September 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220922005650/https://www.cricketireland.ie/news/article/interview-with-new-northern-knights-coach-simon-johnston. dead.
  6. Web site: Callender . Ian . 18 August 2019 . Knights lift T20 crown . 8 Jan 2024 . Irish Cricket Archives.
  7. News: 2021-03-30 . Tector honoured to secure Northern Knights captaincy . 2024-01-08 . BelfastTelegraph.co.uk . en-GB . 0307-1235.
  8. News: 2022-01-31 . Mark Adair takes over captaincy of Northern Knights . 2024-01-08 . BelfastTelegraph.co.uk . en-GB . 0307-1235.
  9. Web site: Morton . Johnny . 8 Sep 2023 . Northern Knights complete historic Inter-Provincial Cup and Trophy double . 8 Jan 2024 . News Letter.
  10. Web site: 2023 FC+LA+T20 match individual most matches for Northern Knights . 9 Jan 2024 . ESPNCricinfo.