The European Cricket League (ECL) is proud to announce that Cricket Ireland has agreed a landmark partnership ensuring that Ireland’s champion club will now be invited to the ECL - the Champions League of European cricket.
The European Cricket League (ECL) is proud to announce that Cricket Ireland has agreed a landmark partnership ensuring that Ireland’s champion club will now be invited to the ECL - the Champions League of European cricket.
“Irish cricket is steeped in tradition, history and love for the game. Becoming a Test playing nation in recent years is a credit to their cricketing culture and administration,” said Daniel Weston, Founder of the European Cricket League.
“While myself and the Cricket Ireland team, in particular Elaine Nolan, worked together on the partnership for the federation to join the ECL, it was very evident that everyone at Cricket Ireland is driven and working especially hard to grow the game at all levels and in all formats."
Elaine Nolan, Participation Director at Cricket Ireland, said: “The new partnership will be a boost for Irish grassroots cricket, will help raise the profile of our club game and provide a unique opportunity for some of Ireland’s best club cricketers to experience international competition. The ECL has an ambitious plan and has delivered a quality product in Year One, and we look forward to seeing an Irish club side competing for higher honours and showcasing their talent more widely.
“In consultation with the Board of Cricket Ireland and the Provincial Unions, we have finalised the qualification pathway for Irish participation in the ECL – given the ECL is a T10 tournament, it was considered most appropriate that the annual winners of the Sunday Independent All-Ireland T20 Cup will become the club to represent Ireland at the following year’s ECL.”
The addition of Cricket Ireland to the burgeoning ECL family follows closely on the back of rivals England and Celtic neighbours Scotland, while Sweden, Norway, Belgium and Finland have also joined in recent weeks, following the founding eight federations namely: The Netherlands, France, Germany, Russia, Romania, Denmark, Italy and Spain.
The second-staging of the tournament - ECL20 - promises to be even bigger and better. Due to huge interest and demand for the competition, ECL20 will double its number of champion teams to 16 - spread over eight days of exciting fast-paced T10 action between May 31 and June 7, 2020 at La Manga Club in Spain.
