• Two wickets each for Murtagh, Rankin, Thompson
Soon after 10am, the Irish players gathered together on the outfield while the chair of selectors, Andrew White, set down a scruffy cardboard box full of handsome new caps. He handed them out one by one, the first to captain William Porterfield, then the rest in alphabetical order, Andy Balbirnie, Ed Joyce, Tyrone Kane, Tim Murtagh, Kevin and Niall O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson and Gary Wilson. The first Irish Test XI. At least a couple of them started to cry from pride. Then, their coach, Graham Ford, cut them short. “Let’s get moving.”
Related: Ireland lose €75,000 after historic first day of Test cricket is washed out
Written by Andy Bull at Malahide
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/may/12/ireland-pakistan-test-cricket-day-two-match-report under the title “Ireland make flying start in historic first Test before Pakistan fight back”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
