EVERY May a Dublin cricket club holds an annual pre-season kit swap. Players can offload their old clothing, and youngsters can pick it up for a small contribution to club funds. All very sensible, ecologically and economically sound.

This year’s kit swap day went ahead as normal, except for the large sign that hung on the wall – ‘NO WHITES’.

This was not some reverse apartheid, but an illustration of the fact that all Leinster cricket is now played in coloured clothing.

Red ball cricket is dying fast in most parts of the world, and Ireland is no different.

Today, Ireland’s men play New Zealand in a one-off Test for the first time. The home side are undercooked, having just one four-day red ball warm-up last week between sides selected on North v South lines.

It’s akin to asking Andy Farrell’s Irish team to play Sevens all year round before throwing them into a one-off 15-a-side game against the All Blacks.

When Ireland became a Test nation in 2017 an interpro red-ball championship was staged, giving experience of the format to dozens of players. Covid put an end to it after three seasons, and the increasingly cash-strapped Cricket Ireland was reluctant to revive it. It’s been seven years since the domestic red-ball tournament was shelved and every time CI talks of restarting it the projected date is always two years in the future.

Even though Ireland play far fewer Tests than anyone else — there were four years between their third and fourth outing — they are still obliged to play them, leading to the bizarre situation where three Irish players have made their first-class debuts in Test matches.

While no-one has made his Test debut without playing at least one game for Ireland in another format, Jake Egan and Reuben Wilson could set a new landmark today by making their Irish debut in a Test.

The vast majority of players prefer tests. Last week, Matthew Humphreys told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘There’s so many different phases in the game that you don’t really get in white ball. T20 cricket is just the same thing over and over again. People say red ball cricket is boring, but to me T20 is boring.’

Even Josh Little, who has made a fortune in T20, declared himself available for Tests despite not having bowled a red ball in anger since 2019.

Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie cares deeply about the format, and resisted coach Heinrich Malan’s attempt to rest him in Sri Lanka two years ago. Balbirnie’s only Ireland appearances in the past year have been two Tests in Bangladesh before Christmas, in which they shipped heavy defeats.

In yesterday’s press conference, Balbirnie revealed that he would be opening the batting with Stephen Doheny, his fourth partner at the top of the order. Only two of Ireland’s 24 opening stands have even reached 50, so Balbirnie will be hoping the new pairing can click.

They will certainly be tested, with the Kiwis packing their side with high quality fast bowlers. Will O’Rourke teams up again with the returning Matt Henry after the pair’s stirring performances against England 18 months ago.

Kyle Jamieson is another interesting selection, coming from John Mooney’s Indian Premier League side the Delhi Capitals. Jamieson is an enormous 6’9” and spears the ball in from almost 10 feet.

New Zealand have not brought a frontline spinner, relying on part-timers Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips.

After giving up a large payday at the IPL to be here, Ravindra isn’t underestimating Balbirnie’s men: ‘Ireland are obviously a Test-playing nation,’ he said. ‘They have quality cricketers and I’m not too sure what the pitch conditions will be like, but obviously it’s a great lead-in to the England Test series, but you can’t necessarily take any team lightly as you’ve seen in world events of late.’

The make-up of Ireland’s attack will intrigue spectators up to the toss at 10.30 this morning. It’s hard to imagine dropping Humphreys, who has twice been a match-winning bowler, especially with the Stormont pitch reportedly looking like it usually does in late August, but Ireland may opt to rely on Andy McBrine and match the visitors with a four-seamer attack.

With temperatures expected in the high 20s, good luck to them.

Ireland have already lost Barry McCarthy, Jordan Neill and Little, while Curtis Campher is unable to bowl. Which leaves one certain starter in Mark Adair, and perm three from Craig Young, Liam McCarthy, Tom Mayes and Wilson.

It would not be a surprise to see the latter three make their Test debuts against a batting line-up that includes world no.3 Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Dean Conway, Henry Nicholls and Ravindra. All five have made double centuries in Tests and may not get a better chance to score another.

Wilson will become the first teenager to play a Test for Ireland if selected, and can look forward to a long career in the format if ICC decides to invite Ireland to join the World Test Championship.

He may face some resistance closer to home however, with a faction within Cricket Ireland opposed to playing more Tests without ICC subvention.

A diet of white ball cricket may be all that Irish supporters can look forward to in future, but they can enjoy their rare chance to watch a home Test at Stormont this week.