New Zealand hold the upper hand after day one of the one-off Test at Stormont. No surprise in that but with three Test debutants in the Ireland bowling attack, to keep such a powerful batting line-up to less than four runs an over on a good pitch was a very satisfactory effort.

Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie is expecting New Zealand to provide the stiffest examination yet of his side’s credentials when their one-off Test match gets underway today in Belfast.

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

The draw has also been made for the last eight of the Irish National Cup.

The draw has been made for the quarter-finals of the Irish Senior Cup.

Alice Tector has been called into the Ireland squad for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in England starting next month after Laura Delany was forced to withdraw due to injury.

THE New Zealanders are in Belfast this week to play their first Test match against Ireland. It should be a memorable occasion, but not nearly as memorable as their very first visit here back in 1937.

Matthew Humphreys is counting on home comforts as Ireland prepare to face New Zealand in Belfast in a one-off Test.

Ireland face New Zealand in a rare home Test match this week. Since the inaugural five dayer in June 2018 there has only been one other, in Stormont two years ago, so fans of the longest format will be flocking back to the Belfast venue from Wednesday.

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.

Dragons retained the Super Series T20 trophy in sunny Oak Hill with an eight runs victory over the Typhoons in the winner-take-all deciding game of the series.

There will be a new name on the National Cup after holders County Galway were knocked out by the University of Galway. Also through are Ballyspallen, Ardmore, Glendermott, Sandyford, The Hills, County Kerry and Lurgan.

NCU Premier League champions Instonians crashed to their third defeat in four days, in three different competitions, as Pembroke showed their strength in depth in the Irish Cup. Wins too for Leinster, Rush, CSNI, Malahide, Lisburn, Railway and Woodvale.

A four wicket win over rivals Guernsey secures Jersey's place in next year's regional final.

Glendermott may top the Championship table, but Bonds Glen are the team to beat at the moment. There were victories too for Ballyspallen and Ardmore.

There were NW Premiership wins for Strabane, Coleraine and Newbuildings.

There were victories in NCU Section One for Bangor, Saintfield, Armagh, Lurgan and

Difficult conditions meant sides batting second were at an advantage.

There were Premiership wins on Saturday for Leinster, Merrion, Pembroke, Railway Union, Balbriggan and Malahide.

It’s not often the player of the match is on the losing side but even Woodvale could not dispute that  Instonians professional Shane Dadswell deserved any individual award that was coming. Fact: There wasn’t one.

Teenager Reuben Wilson has been named in a 14-strong Ireland squad to take on New Zealand in Belfast next week and will become the youngest Irishman to win a Test match cap if he makes the XI.

Ben Mills, Sam Haslett and James Smallwoods have all signed recent deals in an effort to not only improve their cricket, but also broaden their life horizons.

The North West Warriors and Connacht were left frustrated by the weather as their Wild Atlantic Way Series clash at The Bleachgreen in Derry ended in a no result after rain halted play during the Connacht reply with the contest evenly balanced.

Cliftonville Academy pulled off the shock of the night as they beat holders Instonians by 14 runs in the Lagan Valley Steels T20 Cup.

Vadivel Murthy was the surprise package for Strabane as they beat Donemana by 34 runs in the Park on Sunday to gain their second win of the season to sit proudly at the summit of the Premiership.

Teenager Luke Marillier has hit the ground running since his arrival at Donemana with the Zimbabwean all-rounder claiming a five-wicket haul at Strabane, albeit in a losing cause

There was a remarkable feat in Killyclooney’s Championship win over Letterkenny on Saturday. Seamer Jason Wallace finished the Donegal side’s innings by taking four wickets in four balls – a double hat-trick!

In the end it was a straightforward chase for the Strikers with Andy McBrine – of course – there at the finish as the northern side claimed a six wickets victory in the Emerald Challenge at Malahide.

Jane Maguire was the notable absence from Ireland’s 15-strong squad announced yesterday for next month’s T20 World Cup in England.

South Leinster edged a breathtaking U23 Siggins Cup match by the narrowest of margins, holding off North Leinster in a dramatic last-over finish to seal a one-run victory after a high-scoring contest packed with momentum swings.

When the Southern Raiders slumped to 29 for five, needing 92 to avoid the innings defeat, it looked for all in the world that day 4 would not be required in this year’s Emerald Challenge.

It'll be a Channel Islands showdown for a place in next year's European final.

The first interprovincial match of the season takes place on Thursday at Ardmore with the North West taking on Connacht in the newly formed Atlantic Challenge with Munster the other side in the three-team event.

Gaby Lewis has been declared fit to lead Ireland at  the T20 World Cup but to ensure her full recovery the Ireland captain will miss the Tri-series in Clontarf, which starts next week, against Pakistan and West Indies.

He first appeared for the Stormont club in 2011, but it wasn’t a straightforward route to Belfast for the passionate music and sports fan.

Egan finished the second day 114 not out, having faced 200 balls and with the help of Morgan Topping, in a second wicket stand of 174 so far, the Northern Strikers were 200 for one at the close, just 92 behind the Southern Raiders first innings total.

PNG win nine team tournament in Japan, but nobody knows what comes next.

Channel Islands sides still unbeaten, whilst Connor Carroll has a day to remember in Cyprus.

Rob O'Brien was the star of the show as The High School beat Wesley College to claim the Leinster Schools' Cup with a 76-run win.

Busy summer in store for the Leprechauns including Antipodean tour parties from New Zealand and Australia.

The Malahide weather obviously doesn’t agree with four-day Emerald Challenge games. Two years ago, the middle two days were completely washed out by the weather. This  year, day one was cold and blustery.

Typhoons go into the last double header of the SS20 next weekend with a 2-1 lead after beating Dragons by five runs in an exciting finish at Pembroke. 

A repeat of day one at European sub-regional qualifying as Austria, France, Guernsey and Jersey all win again.

Laurelvale knew it was going to be a difficult season on their return to the top flight of NCU cricket and in their first away Premier League game they were no match even for a vastly under-strength Lisburn side.

North County snatched the most dramatic victory of the opening round, tying with Rush before progressing on fewer wickets lost in a breathtaking finish at Kenure. 

Wins for Guernsey, France, Jersey and Austria on opening day.

The Veterans Cricket Association of Ireland has unveiled exciting new plans as it steps into a new era for the sport in Ireland.

Pembroke’s strength in depth will be under scrutiny when they begin their defence of the Leinster Senior Cup on Saturday in Phoenix Park.

The seven NCU clubs left in the Irish Cup were the big winners in the second round draw with five drawn at home and the other two facing provincial rivals.

A year passes quickly. Too quickly. Peter Prendergast's death took us by surprise, ill health or not. Too young, before his time, so sudden. Despite the reality, I sometimes have forgotten that he is simply not with us anymore. 

The line-ups are complete for the long-awaited inaugural European T20 franchise competition (ETPL) which remains on course to start as scheduled on Wednesday August 26.

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

The Dragons and Typhoons won one match apiece in their back-to-back T20 Super Series matches at Stormont.

With the 2026 Evoke Super Series season almost upon us here are five players to look out for across the Super 20 Trophy and Super 50 Cup, plus a few extra narratives.

DAVID ANTHONY is aware of the weight of history on his shoulders as he leads St Johnston into their Irish Senior Cup clash with Dublin kingpins Merrion.

The 2026 season sees changes to the Inter-Provincial and Super Series competitions among others, but how do all these amendments look when viewed together and are there reasons to be hopeful despite reduced games.

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

The women’s Super Series kicks off on 10 May with a double-header in the Super T20 Trophy – the Dragons and Typhoons will travel to Stormont with play starting in the early match at 10.45am.

Munster-born Bryan O’Donnell has been formally appointed as the President of Cricket Ireland for the 2026-27 term – a role which his father held 63 years ago.

Cricket Ireland chief executive Sarah Keane has revealed “terrible” ticket sales for this summer’s Women’s internationals and also that there are “big problems” with the company’s infrastructure, “which we will go to the government about”..

Wins for Cork County and Limerick in the Munster Premier Division.

Cricket Ireland reported a total income of €17.45m for the year ending December 31, 2025, an increase of just over 1m on 2024.

There will be a further announcement about the tournament early next month with the Players’ Draft taking place at the end of the month. He also said the two Irish franchises (Belfast and Dublin) will make contributions to grassroots level.

Former Warwickshire Women & Birmingham Bears Women’s 1st XI Head Coach, Dominic Ostler, has joined the Ireland Women’s coaching staff as a batting consultant for a busy summer of cricket ahead for the team.

Gaby Lewis continued where she left off last season for Lancashire by making it back-to-back centuries for the Ireland captain in a whopping 149-run win over Durham.

Dave Sihra on the importance of World Cup qualification for media interest and coverage.

The Women's Super Series will this year feature only two teams – the Dragons and the Typhoons, with the Scorchers deemed surplus to requirements.

Ireland Women have a busy summer in store with a guaranteed 15 fixtures including at least five in their World Cup group.

Afghanistan are due to play five matches in Ireland this summer - but should we be hosting representatives of a regime that has just legalised wife-beating? The idea that Sarah Keane will have to welcome officials from that regime and watch a side representing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan standing beneath their flag on Irish soil is repugnant.

Gaby Lewis will renew her rivalry with opposite number Kathryn Bryce at Old Trafford on the second day of the T20 World Cup this summer when Ireland take on Scotland in their opening Group 2 match.

So, with a heavily stacked in–tray, the Irish Mail on Sunday identifies seven areas the chief executive must address to get Irish cricket back on track.

The 2026 Under 19 World Cup drew to a close on Friday with India beating England in a high scoring game, dominated by Vaibhav Suryavanshi making 175. How did Ireland's cricketers perform? We look at the stats.

Ireland U19s ended their World Cup on Friday with a crushing 191-run defeat by Afghanistan at the Harare Sports Club.

Reuben Wilson took three wickets in Windhoek as Ireland gave the West Indies a scare before losing their first Super Sixes match at the U19 World Cup.

Adam Leckey took three wickets and followed up with a solid 44 to claim the Player of the Match award in Windhoek as Ireland squeezed past Japan by four wickets to secure a place in the Super Sixes of the U19 World Cup.

Dave Sihra talks with Kevin O'Brien about Italy's upcoming series against Ireland and the T20 World Cup.

Reuben Wilson and his skipper Olly Riley gave supporters a glimpse of the future in Windhoek but their efforts were in vain as Sri Lanka inflicted a second defeat on Ireland at the U19 World Cup, by 106 runs.

Rob O’Brien flew the flag for Dublin’s premier cricketing clan in Windhoek yesterday with a battling 79 as Ireland U19s opened their World Cup campaign against Australia with a eight-wicket defeat.