Rotterdam Dockers won the Dutch derby in Voorburg, beating Amsterdam Flames by five wickets with 11 balls to spare as the European T20 PremIer League finally got under way. 

It felt a bit like you were in the middle of an experiment. It started before the start. What ball were we going to use. White, pink, red? Eventually we plumped for red in spite of the dismay expressed by most of our side who had never before played with such a projectile.

The long-awaited — if not much-anticipated — European T20 Premier League (ETPL) will debut in Voorburg near The Hague this afternoon when Amsterdam Flames take on the Rotterdam Dockers.

Bat dominated ball in the NCU in the Premier League in 2026 and with three batters in the top six run scorers and five in the top 20, Waringstown romped to their 33rd League title.

In the final instalment of his ETPL team previews, Bertus de Jong looks at the two Irish sides - the Belfast Wolves and the Dublin Guardians.

The NCU Under-13s held their nerve to complete a thrilling two-wicket victory over Cleveland Schools, reaching a target of 214 with two overs to spare at the Barnard Castle Festival. 

Ireland Emerging Women suffered a frustrating 27-run defeat against ECB Team 2 after an excellent bowling performance was undone by a batting collapse in their latest 50-over contest. 

Dublin Guardians fielding coach John Mooney hopes the inaugural European T20 Premier League can become far more than a four-week tournament, believing it has the potential to leave a lasting legacy for cricket in Dublin, Ireland and across Europe.

Dublin Guardians assistant coach Ed Joyce believes the ingredients are in place for the capital franchise to make a strong impression when the inaugural European T20 Premier League gets under way in the Netherlands this week.

Mark Adair believes representing Belfast Wolves in the inaugural European T20 Premier League carries an extra significance for him as one of the franchise’s home-grown marquee players.

Holywood clinched the NCU Women’s Premiership title in emphatic fashion as their tenth successive league victory came with a crushing 102-run win over CSNI.

Donemana kept the North West Premiership title race alive for at least another week with a six-wicket victory over leaders Newbuildings at The Holm. 

Ireland Emerging Women suffered a 110-run defeat against ECB Team 3 in their opening 50-over outing at the ECB Super 4s, despite four wickets from Penny Speer and a determined half-century from Lara Maritz. 

Bready eased their relegation play-off fears with a crushing ten-wicket victory over Fox Lodge at Ballymagorry, a result which effectively ended the hosts’ lingering hopes of forcing their way into the Premiership title race. 

Muckamore produced a commanding batting display to defeat Fox Lodge by 150 runs and lift the Ulster Plate at Woodvale.

Although their clinical nine wickets victory over Muckamore meant a three-hour wait for the trophy presentation, it proved to be perfect timing ahead of their 175th Anniversary Dinner.

A superb 19th over by Byron McDonough ensured favourites Pembroke won the All-Ireland T20 Cup, beating Lisburn by 14 runs in the final at The Lawn.

Merrion defeat Holywood easily to become women's T20 champions at Waringstown.

Bonds Glen moved into second place with a devastating 369-run demolition of Letterkenny, a result that also confirmed the Donegal side’s relegation.

Ballyspallen stayed firmly in the title race after producing a remarkable recovery to beat Burndennett, inspired by unbeaten centuries from Graham Kennedy and Raveen Yasas.

Glendermott stayed top of the table and moved another step closer to the title and promotion with a hard-earned 24-run victory over Ardmore in difficult conditions.

Newbuildings moved another significant step towards the title with a maximum-points victory over Coleraine, winning by 157 runs after an authoritative all-round display.

Waringstown faced a long wait to receive the Premier League trophy after their final match against Waringstown ended at 3.30pm, a convincing nine wickets victory over Muckamore. 

Instonians finished third as they secured an exciting two wickets win over Lisburn at Wallace Park. 

Merrion Girls powered into the All-Ireland Under-17 final with an emphatic 81-run victory over Bready and will now face hosts Holywood at Seapark later this afternoon.

Merrion Women moved another significant step closer to the title with a crushing 137-run victory over Balbriggan, inspired by a spectacular century from Rebecca Stokell.

Pembroke Women maintained second place with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Leinster, chasing down 116 in just 11.3 overs.

Clontarf never recovered from a disastrous start after being reduced to nine for four inside four overs, with Arlene Kelly and Freya Sargent doing the early damage.

Donemana Under-15s were crowned All-Ireland champions after completing a memorable day with a convincing 30-run victory over Instonians in the final at Phoenix Park.

Gaby Lewis will captain Ireland Women for next month’s three-match ODI series against England, while Alice Tector will lead an Emerging Ireland squad at the ECB Super 4s competition in Loughborough beforehand.

Adamstown produced a fine all-round display to defeat Coleraine by 51 runs and clinch the All-Ireland Under-13 title at Sandel Lodge.

Italian cricket is preparing to enter a new era with the launch of Italia T10 Cricket, the country’s first city-based franchise competition, which will take place in Rome later this year.

If new head coach Gary Wilson was under any illusion as to how tough it will be for Ireland to qualify for next year’s one-day international World Cup a 4-0 drubbing by Afghanistan over the past 10 days will have brought the size of the task into sharp focus.

The USA will make a third consecutive appearance at the ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup after winning the 2026 Americas Qualifier over the weekend in the Cayman Islands.

Scotland head coach Owen Dawkins believes his side can approach next year’s World Cup Qualifier with renewed confidence after finishing their three-year ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign in impressive fashion.

The widening gulf between traditional rivals Ireland and Afghanistan was laid bare at Stormont as the tourists completed a comprehensive series clean sweep with their 10th consecutive ODI victory over the Irish.

Adam Doyle produced a superb unbeaten 95 as Malahide secured a 42-run (DLS) victory over Balbriggan.

Merrion’s bowlers produced a disciplined display to secure a 45-run victory over Leinster after defending a modest total of 169.

Former Australia international Henriques out for one against Germany.

A man of the match performance by the former Australian international in his debut for the country of his birth.

SCOTLAND Women will host the Netherlands in a three-match One-Day International series later this month as the European rivals renew their rivalry.

Scotland levelled the Under-15 Celtic Cup series with a five-wicket victory over Ireland at Upritchard Park, Bangor, ensuring that the honours were shared after a week of fluctuating fortunes.

Captain Hassan Shahid produced a superb century as the Emerging North West defeated Munster Heat in the inaugural Wild Atlantic Way Trophy at the Bleachgreen, Ardmore. The new 40-over competition also featured Connacht. 

Macdara Cosgrave produced a magnificent unbeaten century as Leinster Lightning Bolts gained revenge for Tuesday’s defeat with a commanding 71-run victory over the Emerging Knights at Oak Hill.

Andy Balbirnie scored his 10th one-day international century for Ireland in Belfast but the gap between the two sides was again evident as Afghanistan completed a 42-run victory to take a winning 3-0 lead in the best-of-four series.

Munster Heat inflicted a crushing eight-wicket defeat on Emerging Warriors after a dismal batting display saw the hosts bundled out for just 76.

Half-centuries from CSNI pair Ryan Hunter and Jordan Neill helped Emerging Knights to a 31-run victory over champions Leinster Lightning Bolts at Oak Hill.

Ireland Under-15s made the perfect start to their Celtic Cup series against old rivals Scotland with a thumping 168-run victory at Upritchard Park in Bangor.

Gavin Hoey may have finished on the losing side, but the Pembroke leg-spinner emerged from Ireland’s second defeat to Afghanistan with his reputation considerably enhanced after an outstanding individual performance with both bat and ball.

Gavin Hoey top scored and took four wickets as Ireland battled hard in Belfast but it wasn’t quite enough to stop Afghanistan squeezing to a three-wicket victory to take 2-0 lead in the best-of-four one-day international series.

Typhoons won the SS50 trophy in convincing fashion with an 83 runs victory over Dragons in the title decider at Bready.

Ireland must find a way to neutralise the threat of leg-spinner Rashid Khan if they are to level their four-match one-day international series with Afghanistan in Belfast today — but as ever that is easier said than done.

Part Two of an interview with John Mooney on his time coaching with Afghanistan, the death of Shapoor Zadran, and coaching at the Indian Premier League with the Delhi Capitals.

The records tumbled at Oak Hill as Typhoons beat Dragons by 35 runs to set up a title decider for the SS50 Cup at Bready on Monday.

Leinster Lightning Bolts produced a devastating all-round performance as they crushed Munster Heat by 258 runs at the Mardyke.

Cricket clubs across Northern Ireland could knock their financial worries for six with a £1,000 cash prize this summer thanks to a campaign by KP Snacks (NI) to support its long-standing partnership with The Hundred.

Part One of an interview with the former Afghanistan fielding coach on his time with the side, his time playing against them for Ireland and his current path which has brought him to the IPL and beyond. 

Cara Murray was the stand-out performer with six wickets, although skipper Amy Hunter was the class act with 80 off 71 balls as Dragons chased down their victory target of  225 with nine overs to spare.

Ireland Under-19 Women held their nerve to defeat Scotland by six runs in a thrilling Celtic Cup decider, sealing the five-match series 3-2.

North West Warriors Women held their nerve to claim a dramatic one-wicket victory over the NCU in a low-scoring Future Series contest.

There was sad news earlier this week with the death of Godfrey Graham, who won his only cap as a teenager in 1954. By way of tribute we republish his biography compiled in 2010 by Edward Liddle.

Ireland made it two wins from two at the Castle Barnard Festival with a spectacular 289-run demolition of Cleveland Schools, powered by centuries from Alfie Moan and Vidath Geddam.

Ireland Under-19 Women made it two wins in as many days over Scotland after holding their nerve to complete a dramatic nine-run victory in another Celtic Cup thriller.

Scotland drew first blood in the Celtic Cup series with a convincing six-wicket victory over Ireland Under-17s in the opening game of the annual series.

Leinster Women secured the Future Series trophy with two matches still remaining after completing an emphatic seven-wicket victory over the North West Warriors.

Leinster Lightning confirmed their dominance in the inter-provincial Cup with another devastating batting performance and crushing victory over North West Warriors in the final at Sydney Parade.

Annabel Squires produced a record-breaking century before Aisling Lawlor claimed five wickets as Leinster Women defeated the NCU by 128 runs.

Ireland have named their Over-40s squad for next week’s Triple Crown tournament at Bishop’s Stortford in England.

The Clontarf and Pembroke game will remember and honour Peter this Saturday. He will be loving people having a laugh and adding their own stories and memories of a life in cricket, not just in Sydney Parade but wherever it is that a bat and ball are in contest.

Leinster Under-19 Women completed a seven-wicket victory over the North West after Aisling Lawlor produced a superb unbeaten 92 in a successful pursuit of 198.

The North West and Northern Cricket Union Under-14 sides shared the honours with one victory apiece in an entertaining interprovincial double-header at The Rectory.

Gaby Lewis saw her realistic hopes of a consolation win against the West Indies disappear in the space of four balls in Co Tyrone yesterday as Ireland ended the first of eight World Cup qualifying series with no points.

Ireland head to England at the end of August still without a win in the Women’s ODI Championship after West Indies completed a 3-0 clean sweep at Bready. 

The NCU completed an impressive Under-19 girls double with a crushing 167-run victory over Leinster.

NCU Women Under-19s completed a comprehensive 93-run victory over their North West counterparts after producing a strong all-round performance in Donegal at St Johnston.

Down Memory Lane. A look back by Deryck Vincent at an Ireland U-23 tour of Scotland in 1986 - a barely believable 40 years ago with an Irish side full of future internationals and many famous names.

If Ireland are to record a consolation win on Wednesday and get their first World Cup qualifying points on the board they will have find a way to stop nemesis Hayley Matthews — and on current form that may mean locking the West Indies captain in her Derry hotel room.

NCU Under-16 Girls completed a superb interprovincial campaign in emphatic fashion, sealing the title with a dominant 10-wicket victory over Cricket Leinster.

Cork County CC are running a raffle to fund much-needed roof repairs at The Mardyke.

Fintan McAllister's Leinster Under-19 side were crowned Interprovincial champions after a dramatic final day that saw them snatch the title from the NCU.

Somewhere back in the mid eighties, as skipper of a UCD XI that had been hastily convened for the annual intervarsities tournament, I found myself blessed with an all international opening attack in Peter O’Reilly and Stella Owens.

There at least eight instances of six sixes in an over in Irish cricket. A look at who is on the exclusive list after Ben Calitz joined their ranks at the weekend.

It was a madcap three days for Irish cricket but what actually happened off the Newtownards Road last Friday and Sunday.

Harlequins, Limerick, Galway and Kerry reach Munster Senior Cup last four.

Malan departure: blow for Irish cricket — or time to trust our own? But maybe, just maybe, this is not the setback some will paint it as. Maybe it is the moment Irish cricket finally stands on its own two feet and puts real faith in Irish coaches.

Bobby Rao admitted it was a moment he will cherish for the rest of his life after ringing the Roy Torrens bell on a famous day for Irish cricket as Ireland beat India by one run to seal a 2-0 T20I series victory.

Two wins in two days for MCC over hosts Munster Heat as they followed up Saturday’s success with a 38-run victory in Cork

MCC got their Southern Ireland week tour off to a perfect start with a commanding 136-run victory over Munster Heat at The Mardyke after a dominant all-round display.

The University of Galway second XI recorded a whopping 371-run win over Athlone at The Lydican on Sunday.

There was sad news over the weekend following the death of Noel Giltinan.