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Inter-Provincial Trophy

Administrator	Cricket Ireland
Format	Twenty20
First edition	2013
Latest edition	2024
Next edition	2025
Tournament format	Triple round-robin
Number of teams	3 (2013–16) 4 (2017-present)
Host	Ireland
Current champion	Leinster Lightning
Most successful	Leinster Lightning (8)

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.

Northern Knights are the current reigning champions, while Leinster Lightning are the most successful team in the competition's history, winning seven titles.

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. 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.

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.

According to Richard Holdsworth in an interview with Setanta Sports, CI were pleased with the strategic progress that had been made as of November 2012. In December 2012, Ireland got a $1.5m boost as increased funding from the ICC to establish elite domestic competitions in the country.

Initially the tournament did not hold List-A T20 status, however this was granted by the ICC starting for the 2017 season.

A fourth province, Munster Reds was added in 2017.

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. Munster were added for the 2017 season, choosing to play under the name Munster Reds.

Competition placings

2013 to present

Results of each season are here:

All-time records

(Correct to 6 March 2024)

Team records

Highest innings totals

Lowest completed innings totals

Individual records – batting

Most career runs

Highest individual scores

Individual records – bowling

Most career wickets

Best bowling in an innings

Partnership records

Highest partnerships

Highest partnerships for each wicket

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 7 February 2023.
3. Ireland unveil Test cricket vision Archived 17 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine 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 7 February 2023.
6. Ireland's Boyd Rankin retires to play Test cricket for England Archived 10 April 2013 at archive.today Cricket Country. Retrieved 9 March 2013
7. "Ireland calls for Test status to 'halt exodus'". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
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 set for $1.5m boost". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
11. "First-class boost for Irish cricket". irishcricketarchives.org. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
12. North-West announce shortlist for name Archived 8 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 9 March 2013
13. NCU confirm team name for 2013 Interpros Archived 8 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 9 March 2013
14. "Munster boost for inter-pro series?". CricketEurope. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
15. "Cricket Ireland Inter-Provincial Trophy Winners List 2013-2022". Criccoal.com. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

v t e Cricket in Ireland
Cricket Ireland
National teams	Men Women Ireland Wolves M U-19 W U-19
Provincial bodies	Leinster Cricket Union Munster Cricket Union Northern Cricket Union North West Cricket Union Connacht Cricket Union
Interprovincial teams	Leinster Lightning North West Warriors Northern Knights Munster Reds
Interprovincials	Inter-Provincial Championship Interprovincial One-Day Trophy Interprovincial Twenty20 Cup
Leagues	Leinster Senior League Munster League NCU Senior League North West Senior League Euro T20 Slam Women's Super Series
Cups	Irish Senior Cup National Cup Ulster Cup Ulster Shield Leinster Senior League Cup Munster Senior Cup NCU Challenge Cup North West Senior Cup NCU Junior Cup Connacht Senior Cup
Grounds	Clontarf Stormont The Village Bready Others
Lists	Test cricket records Test cricketers Captains ODI cricketers T20I cricketers Women Test Women ODI Women T20I Irish first-class cricketers
Other	Ireland at the Cricket World Cup Cricket Ireland Academy

• Irish domestic cricket competitions
• Twenty20 cricket competitions
• Inter-Provincial Trophy