Northern Knights (cricket team)

Northern Knights
Personnel
CaptainMatthew Humphreys
CoachSimon Johnston
OwnerNorthern Cricket Union of Ireland
Team information
ColorsNavy and Red
Founded2013
Home groundStormont Cricket Ground, Belfast
Capacity7,000
History
Inter-Provincial Championship wins0
Interprovincial One-Day Trophy wins2
Interprovincial Twenty20 Cup wins1

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

  • ‡ denotes players with international caps.
  • * denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality.
Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Club Notes
Batters
Ross Adair ‡ Ireland21 April 1994Right-handedSlow left-arm orthodoxLisburnCaptain;
Ireland central contract
Cade Carmichael ‡ Ireland8 March 2002Right-handedRight-arm mediumInstoniansIreland central contract
Shane Dadswell South Africa18 November 1997Right-handedRight-arm medium-fastInstonians
James McCollum ‡ Ireland1 August 1995Right-handedRight-arm mediumWaringstown
Paul Stirling ‡ Ireland3 September 1990Right-handedRight-arm off break—Ireland central contract
Charles Swart * South Africa—Right-handed—C.I.Y.M.S.
Morgan Topping Ireland25 March 1999Right-handedRight-arm off breakWaringstown
All-rounders
Mark Adair ‡ Ireland27 March 1996Right-handedRight-arm fast-mediumLisburnIreland central contract
Adam Leckey Ireland25 September 2006Right-handedRight-arm mediumCSNI
Jordan Neill ‡ Ireland3 September 2005Right-handedRight-arm medium-fastCSNI
Wicket-keepers
Kian Hilton Ireland11 February 2005Right-handed—North Down
Sam Topping Ireland6 May 2005Left-handed—Waringstown
Bowlers
Harry Dyer Ireland15 March 2006Right-handedRight-arm off breakCSNI
Matthew Foster Ireland15 January 2000Left-handedRight-arm fast-mediumWaringstown
Matthew Humphreys ‡ Ireland28 September 2002Right-handedSlow left arm orthodoxInstoniansIreland central contract
Thomas Mayes ‡ Ireland4 January 2001Right-handedRight-arm medium-fastNorth DownIreland retainer contract
Carson McCullough Ireland28 February 2005Right-handedSlow left arm orthodoxC.I.Y.M.S.
Cian Robertson Ireland19 August 2002Right-handedSlow left-arm orthodoxInstonians
Reuben Wilson ‡ Ireland17 September 2006Right-handedRight-arm mediumClontarfIreland education contract

Grounds

References

  1. ↑ Ireland, Cricket. "Coaches announced for Inter-Provincial Series - Cricket Ireland". www.cricketireland.ie. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  2. ↑ Easdown, Craig (22 September 2013). "Warriors beat Lightning to give RSA Inter-Provincial Cup to Northern Knights". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Ireland domestic competition awarded first-class status". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  4. ↑ "Ireland's Inter-Provincial Championship awarded first-class status". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Ireland, Cricket. "Interview with New Northern Knights Coach Simon Johnston - Cricket Ireland". www.cricketireland.ie. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  6. ↑ Callender, Ian (18 August 2019). "Knights lift T20 crown". Irish Cricket Archives. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Tector honoured to secure Northern Knights captaincy". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 30 March 2021. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Mark Adair takes over captaincy of Northern Knights". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 31 January 2022. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  9. ↑ Morton, Johnny (8 September 2023). "Northern Knights complete historic Inter-Provincial Cup and Trophy double". News Letter. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
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