Steve Waugh, the Australian Test all-rounder, will make his international debut for Ireland in the three-day match against Australia A which begins at Rathmines this Thursday. Waugh will thus follow in the footsteps of Hansie Cronje and Neil Johnson (remember him?).
No doubt Waugh will also play in the one-day match against the tourists tomorrow week. That game will be staged at Castle Avenue, where his twin brother, Mark, made something of an impact in 1986 as a young professional with the MCC, smiting an undefeated 239 in the first innings, followed by an unbeaten 101, in 90 minutes, in the second.
These statistics, it must be said, are not attributable to your correspondent's prodigious memory; au contraire, they come from the Irish Cricket Union's (ICU) handbook of 1987. Eleven years on, and with a frantic international schedule, the only written communications emanating from the ICU usually arrive on grotty pieces of paper or as faxes; why the handbook (along with souvenir programmes for major matches, like the recent ones against South Africa) no longer exists is beyond me.
Still, useful statistics on both the Ireland and Australia A squads are to hand, courtesy of an unknown source within the ICU, from which it is learnt that admission to Rathmines will set the punter back a fiver, with OAPs tottering in for £2. Spectators are advised to "please bring a folding chair if possible". From the Ireland statistics it is learnt that wicketkeeper Jonathan Bushe made his international debut in 1988, which is remarkable, given that the lad was nine years of age at the time.
Anyway. Of the current national squad, skipper Angus Dunlop has scored the most runs - 2,114 in 81 matches, highest 148, for an average of 27.45. Stephen Smyth comes next, with 1,596 in 51 matches, his highest score being 102 not out, for an average of 31.29.
Ryan Eagleson has taken the most wickets (42), followed by Derek Heasley (39), Dunlop (36) and Kyle McCallan (35).
The Test players in the Australia A squad are Matthew Hayden, Brendon Julian, Jason Gillespie, Damien Martyn, Adam Dale and Andrew Bichel. After the two Dublin matches, the tourists will play Ireland at Downpatrick, Waringstown and Beechgrove the following week.
Meanwhile, some potentially close encounters in the Whitney Moore & Keller League are on offer today and tomorrow. This afternoon, Leinster will be aiming to consolidate top spot in Section A at the expense of Pembroke at Sydney Parade, while Merrion, in second place but with two matches in hand, seem likely to collect another 20-pointer from Carlisle at Kimmage.
Clontarf, also with a match in hand, are in hot pursuit of Section B leaders Phoenix, and should add to their tally by seeing off Old Belvedere at Castle Avenue tomorrow.
Ballymena require 190 runs to lift Irish cricket's premier trophy when their rain-disrupted Royal Liver Senior Cup final against Strabane resumes at Beechgrove today.
Put in by Ballymena, after play had been delayed until four o'clock, Strabane made 189 for 4 from their 50 overs. They were sitting pretty on 92 for no wicket after 25 overs when a devastating spell from David Kennedy saw him take three wickets for two runs in three overs.
