The west awakes to the charms of interpro cricket
By Ger Siggins (Irish Daily Mail)

WHILE the county is probably consumed with a bigger ball this week, there is still room for Galway to celebrate a notable landmark in Connacht sport on Wednesday.

At the Lydican ground just east of the city, a team representing Connacht will take the field against Munster in their first cricket interprovincial fixture for over 130 years.

Connacht’s head coach is Kevin O’Brien, Ireland’s hero of Bangalore and currently coaching Italy.

‘It’s a starting point,’ says O’Brien, ‘the Connacht Cricket Union has been recognised by Cricket Ireland and this is the first time we’ve put a team in the field.’

After being persuaded to get involved by chairman Jeff Smith, the coach was pleasantly surprised by the standard he saw.

‘There’s five clubs in the league, with four more playing friendlies, and Co Galway – who had a spell in Leinster competition – now play in the Munster Premier League.

‘The Connacht XI would probably be strong enough to compete in the championship (second tier) in Leinster.’

Cricket has a strong heritage in the west, with one of the first clubs being founded in Ballinasloe in 1825. The province was part of an early bid to set up an Irish cricket union in the 1890s, and took part in the interpros in Belfast in 1891, drawing a two-day game with Ulster and losing heavily to Leinster. The latter result was repeated the following year but Connacht, with five current or future internationals, shocked Ulster by 63 runs at Rathmines.

Sadly, that was the last time the Western province played together, and the sport went into decline and had essentially died out when Co Galway was re-established in 1970. The Connacht Union was founded in 2010 and has grown steadily. A five-year strategic plan was recently issued and the ambitious plans include developing grounds and instituting youth competitions.

Tomorrow’s game will pit Connacht against their southern neighbours, who will field an all-Munster based side, unlike in senior interpros. O’Brien is confident his charges will come good, and has been impressed by Iliff Sumit, a left-arm swing bowler, and Shariq Nasim, who has scored several centuries in Munster competitions.

Cricket Ireland president Stella Downes will attend the 50-over game, which starts at 11am, and among the guests will be Kevin O’Brien’s father, Brendan, himself a Galway native and cricket international.

By one of those strange coincidences, the game takes place on the 100th anniversary of the arrival in Galway of the new owner of Ballynahinch Castle, Indian-born cricketer Kumar Sri Ranjitsinjhi, Jam Sahib of Nawangar.

‘Ranji’ was one of the greatest batsmen of his time, playing 15 tests for England, before retiring to Connemara where he spent several summers.

Historian Anne Chambers will give a short talk on ‘Ranji’ during tea, and the great man’s spirit will surely smile benevolently on the continuing revival of Connacht cricket.