Sport

Place in cricket history is assured for gifted Shearer

When the match between the Leprechauns and the Mid-Ulster Cricket Group (MUCG) is played at Malahide tomorrow week, no doubt …

By KARL JOHNSTON
Tue Aug 03 1999 - 01:00

When the match between the Leprechauns and the Mid-Ulster Cricket Group (MUCG) is played at Malahide tomorrow week, no doubt many reminiscences will be exchanged about the late EDR (Donald) Shearer, who died some weeks ago, shortly after his 90th birthday. Shearer was prominent in the affairs of the MUCG since it was founded back in 1963 and also founded the Leprechauns in Northern Ireland in 1948, and he also enjoyed the distinction of being the Leprechauns' sole Honorary Life Member.

Shearer was an associate of the MUCG since its inception and was one of the Group's Honorary Life Members. "He was a great admirer of the MUCG's Youth Policy and he encouraged the Group in pioneering schools cricket at all levels," says Wesley Ferris, the MUCG secretary/treasurer.

He was capped for Ireland 32 times, between 1932 and 1952, an international span unthinkable in the modern game, and captained Ireland in 1946/47. In his international career, Shearer scored 1,300 runs, highest 132, for an average of 23.21.

Writing on the history of Irish cricket, in the early 1980s, Derek Scott and the late Stanley Bergin recalled Ireland's match against the Australians in Dublin in 1938. "Although the public were disappointed (they wrote) at the absence of Bradman, they caught more than a glimpse of the batting powers of McCabe, Fingleton, Badcock and Barnes, but Ingram had one magnificent bowling spell in which he took 5 wickets in 7 overs for 29 runs.

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"Another lasting memory of that game was the batting of EDR Shearer. Gifted with a keen eye and nimble feet, Shearer's batting technique was probably never seen to better purpose than that afternoon when he defied the wiles of no less a bowler than O'Reilly," wrote Scott and Bergin. Shearer scored 56 runs that day, a fine achievement against an Australian attack spearheaded by the legendary "Tiger" O'Reilly.

Shearer was also a footballer of considerable talent, and won an FA Amateur Cup medal with Corinthians in 1934. He was capped seven times by England as an amateur, and was a member of the British team which competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin; "we did not give the Nazi salute but turned eyes right", he once told Malcolm Bridie, the former sports editor of the Belfast Telegraph.

Donald Shearer's place in the pantheon of Irish cricketers is assured.

Meanwhile, the national team leaves Dublin tomorrow en route for its penultimate match of the season, as skipper Angus Dunlop and his men take on MCC at Lord's this Thursday and Friday. The final match of the season will be the annual three day game against Scotland, at Ormeau in Belfast on August 21st to 23rd.

Next week, Kyle McCallan leads the Ireland Development side on a four-match tour to England. Their opponents will be Worcestershire on Monday, Derbyshire on Tuesday and Wednesday, Warwickshire on Thursday and Staffordshire on Friday.

At club level, Merrion face what is arguably their most important match of the summer when they take on Brigade at Beechgrove in next Saturday's semi-final of the Irish Senior Cup, the competition sponsored by Royal Liver. Should they get through, Merrion would enjoy virtual home advantage in the final, to be played at Castle Avenue (if a southern club is involved) on Friday, September 3rd.

In Saturday's other semi-final, Limavady will be at home to Fox Lodge.

Pakistan's new cricket chief Mujeeber Rehman has asked former South Africa coach Bob Woolmer to take charge of the national team for the coming season. "I am convinced that he is the person who can extract the best out of the Pakistan players,".

Ireland (v MCC, Lord's, Thursday and Friday): A Dunlop (YMCA) capt., B Archer (The Hills), J Bushe (Waringstown), G Cooke (Brigade), J Davy (Pembroke), P Davy (Pembroke), K McCallan (Cliftonville), R McDaid (Limavady), G Molins (Railway Union), J Molins (Railway Union), E Joyce (Merrion). 12th Man: P Shields (North Down).

Ireland Development Squad: K McCallan (Clidftonville) capt., P Mooney (The Hills), B Archer (The Hills), A Patterson (Cliftonville), J Bushe (Waringstown), D McGerrigle (Donemana), K Spelman (Clontarf), Dominic Joyce (Merrion), A McCoubrey (Ballymena), K Hogg (Cliftonville), R Haire (North Down), A White (North Down), P Shield (North Down), C Armstrong (North County), R McDaid (Limavady).