Inter-Provincial Trophy

The Inter-Provincial Trophy is a Twenty20 cricket tournament between the four leading cricketing provinces of Ireland. The tournament was first held by three provinces in 2013, across venues in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A fourth province, Munster Reds was added in 2017.

Inter-Provincial Trophy

Countries	Ireland
Administrator	Cricket Ireland
Format	Twenty20
First edition	2013
Latest edition	2019
Tournament format	Double round-robin
Current champion	Northern Knights
2020 Inter-Provincial Trophy

History

Background

The Ireland cricket team have had huge success recently on the international level which has boosted the popularity of the game in the country. They had earned the reputation of a giant killer after upsetting teams like Pakistan and Bangladesh (2007 Cricket World Cup), and England (2011 Cricket World Cup). Their good performances in major international tournaments meant that Cricket Ireland openly started bidding for Test match status to the International Cricket Council.[1] Nevertheless, one of the main stumbling road blocks for Ireland from getting to play the pinnacle of the game was a lack of a first-class cricket infrastructure at home, among other things. As early as August 2011, Cricket Ireland announced plans of a domestic first-class tournament.[2] In January 2012, Cricket Ireland announced the ambitious 'Vision 2020' plan which announced the establishment of a first-class structure by 2015 and achievement of Test status by 2020. It also began work on a cricket academy to find talented players across the country and improving grass-roots cricket in the country. For the first time professional contacts, with central, A, B, and C were established. Plans for Test status were established partly to stem the flow of their star cricketers moving away to England in hope of playing Test cricket such as Ed Joyce, Eoin Morgan and Boyd Rankin.[3][4][5][6][7][8] According to Richard Holdsworth in an interview with Setanta Sports, CI are pleased with the strategic progress that had been made as of November 2012.[9] In December 2012, Ireland got a $1.5m boost as increased funding from the ICC to establish elite domestic competitions in the country.[10]

Format

The tournament is held as a double round-robin format with each team playing each other twice, once at its home ground and the other leg away.

Teams

According to Richard Holsworth's interview to Setanta Sports, three teams would initially participate in the tournament, Leinster, Northern and North West, representing the three historically strongest provincial unions in Irish cricket, as Munster and Connacht Unions were considered still quite far away from fielding a competitive team for provincial tournaments.

They were also given a separate limited overs brands or names familiar to supporters of the systems in England and Australia, Leinster Lightning, Northern Knights and North West Warriors.[11][12] Munster were added for the 2017 season, choosing to play under the name Munster Reds.[13]

Team	First season	Titles
North West Warriors	2013	1
Leinster Lightning	2013	5
Northern Knights	2013	0
Munster Reds	2017	0

Competition placings

2013 to present

Season	Winner	Second	Third	Fourth
2013	Leinster Lightning	Northern Knights	North West Warriors
2014	North West Warriors	Leinster Lightning	Northern Knights
2015	Leinster Lightning	North West Warriors	Northern Knights
2016	Leinster Lightning	North West Warriors	Northern Knights
2017	Leinster Lightning	North West Warriors	Northern Knights	Munster Reds
2018	Leinster Lightning	Northern Knights	North West Warriors	Munster Reds
2019	Northern Knights	Leinster Lightning	North West Warriors	Munster Reds

All-time records

(Correct to 3 August 2014)

Highest innings totals

Score	Team	Opps	Venue	Date
192/5 (20)	Leinster Lightning	North West Warriors	Bready CC	21 July 2013
177/4 (20)	Leinster Lightning	Northern Knights	Pembroke CC	21 June 2013

Lowest completed innings totals

Score	Team	Opps	Venue	Date
78 ao	North West Warriors	Northern Knights	Pembroke CC	21 June 2013
86 ao	North West Warriors	Northern Knights	Bready CC	21 July 2013
92 ao	North West Warriors	Leinster Lightning	Bready CC	21 July 2013

Most career runs

Runs	Innings	Player	Team
194	6	Nigel Jones	Northern Knights
187	7	David Rankin	North West Warriors
171	6	Andrew Poynter	Leinster Lightning
154	7	James Shannon	Northern Knights

Highest individual scores

Score	Player	For	Opps	Venue	Date
77	Nigel Jones	Northern Knights	Leinster Lightning	Comber	16 July 2013
73	David Rankin	North West Warriors	Northern Knights	Bready CC	6 July 2014

Most runs scored in a season

Runs	Innings	Player	Team	Season
133	4	Nigel Jones	Northern Knights	2013
113	4	Pat Collins	Leinster Lightning	2013

Most career wickets

Wickets	Matches	Player	Team
11	6	Peter Eakin	Northern Knights
10	6	Eddie Richardson	Leinster Lightning
10	7	Andrew White	Northern Knights

Best bowling in an innings

Bowling	Player	Team	Opps	Venue	Date
4-0-22-4	Peter Eakin	Northern Knights	North West Warriors	Bready CC	6 July 2014

Most wickets in a season

Wickets	Average	Player	Team	Season
9	4	Eddie Richardson	Leinster Lightning	2013

Highest partnerships for each wicket

Wicket	P/Ship	Player 1	Player 2	Team	Opps	Venue	Date
1st	119	Stuart Thompson	David Rankin	North West Warriors	Leinster Lightning	Bready CC	6 July 2014
2nd	82	Jason Milligan	David Rankin	North West Warriors	Northern Knights	Bready CC	6 July 2014
3rd	70	Nigel Jones	Lee Nelson	Northern Knights	Leinster Lightning	Comber	16 July 2013
4th	58	James Shannon	Lee Nelson	Northern Knights	North West Warriors	Comber	16 July 2013
5th	70	Andrew McBrine	Jonathan Thompson	North West Warriors	Northern Knights	Comber	16 July 2013
6th	51*	Kevin O'Brien	John Mooney	Leinster Lightning	North West Warriors	Bready CC	21 July 2013
7th	32	Stuart Poynter	Stephen Moreton	Leinster Lightning	Northern Knights	Comber	16 July 2013
8th	21	Lee Nelson	Shane Getkate	Northern Knights	North West Warriors	Comber	13 July 2014
9th	14	Barry McCarthy	Fintan McAllister	Leinster Lightning	North West Warriors	Bready CC	6 July 2014
10th	18	Andrew McBrine	Gareth Burns	North West Warriors	Leinster Lightning	Pembroke CC	21 June 2013

Seasons

• 2013 Inter-Provincial Trophy
• 2014 Inter-Provincial Trophy

See also

• Cricket in Ireland
• History of cricket
• Inter-Provincial Championship
• Inter-Provincial Cup

References and notes

1. ICC to consider Ireland's bid for Test status ESPN.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2013
2. Ireland plan first-class structure ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
3. Ireland unveil Test cricket vision CricketEurope4.net. Retrieved 9 March 2013
4. CI reveals ambitious plans aimed at receiving Test status Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 March 2013
5. Ireland map out path to Tests ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
6. Ireland's Boyd Rankin retires to play Test cricket for England Cricket Country. Retrieved 9 March 2013
7. Ireland calls for Test status to 'halt exodus' ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
8. Rankin retires, Holdsworth calls for Test status Archived 12 April 2013 at Archive.today irelandcricketwebbly.com. Retrieved 9 March 2013
9. Cricket Ireland happy with progress of strategic plan Archived 9 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine Setanta Sports. Retrieved 9 March 2013
10. Ireland receive $1.5 m boost from ICC ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2013
11. North-West announce shortlist for name Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 9 March 2013
12. NCU confirm team name for 2013 Interpros Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 9 March 2013
13. "Munster boost for inter-pro series?". CricketEurope. Retrieved 7 January 2017.