LORD’S IS A ground steeped in history, the iconic pavilion slowly presenting itself beyond the trees and redbrick walls as you make your way through St John’s Wood.
Lord’s is a ground steeped in tradition, from the Long Room, to the honours board, to the slope, to the MCC members. It is a ground players dream of playing at, the honour of doing so never lost on those fortunate enough to do so. It is the Home of Cricket.
Shortly before 11am on Wednesday morning, William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, will make the walk down from the away dressing room, through the Long Room and the members, for one of the most historic moments in time for Irish cricket.
There have been momentous World Cup victories, all of which have been significant junctures along this journey, there have been many memorable days, all of which have shown what is possible, but a first Test match at Lord’s against England is the pinnacle.
A little over two years since Cricket Ireland was granted full membership status of the International Cricket Council, the decade-long quest for acceptance and recognition eventually yielding the desired return, Porterfield will lead his side out to face the newly-crowned world champions.
It will be Ireland’s third Test match, following defeats to Pakistan and Afghanistan in the last 12 months, and certainly they arrive in London as massive underdogs, but the significance of this four-day match considerably outweighs the result.
For so many in the away dressing room, stepping out to play a Test match at Lord’s is the absolute pinnacle and a fitting reward for the likes of Porterfield, Kevin O’Brien and Boyd Rankin for years of service, of fighting both on and off the field, in the green of Ireland.
“This is an opportunity for us to go out and show what we can do,” Porterfield said on the eve of the game.
“It’s right up there, if not the pinnacle, of everything that’s been achieved with Irish cricket.
“Obviously we’ve got a few World Cups under our belts, little things like that, but getting to Test cricket and getting the opportunity to play here at the Home of Cricket is a pretty special thing.”
Many of the Ireland players have experience of this ground in County Cricket, no more so than Paul Stirling and Tim Murtagh of Middlesex, while Porterfield, O’Brien, Andrew Balbirnie and Gary Wilson all spent time in NW8 with the MCC Young Cricketers at the start of their respective careers.
They also played a One-Day International against England at Lord’s two summers ago, in what was another landmark occasion for Ireland as they were finally given permission to join the top echelons of the sport having relentlessly knocked on the door for so long.
But a Test match is different, particularly when it is England’s first of a glorious summer which saw them lift the World Cup for the first time on home soil, with the prospect of a fascinating Ashes duel against Australia still to come.
For England, this week may have the feel of a curtain-raiser for the serious business to come as they quickly make the switch between white-ball and red-ball cricket, with the hosts including two uncapped players — Jason Roy and Olly Stone — in their side.
Ireland, meanwhile, could have debutants in their team too but all of this is new territory for even the most experienced players in the dressing room. Having earned the chance to play on this exalted stage, the challenge now is to perform and not be overawed by the surroundings and occasion.
“It’s 11 guys against 11 guys,” Porterfield stresses. “It’s bat against ball. You take the names out of it and take each delivery as it comes. It’s easy saying that and we know we’re playing against some very good players, but it’s a simple process as much as anything.
“It’s a mental test as much as anything, there is a lot of county cricket and four-day first-class experience within the side so we have all that to draw on.”
Ireland’s preparations have been far from ideal. They played a rain-disrupted two-day game against a Middlesex 2nd XI last weekend and have had a couple of days to train on the Nursery Ground at Lord’s, but the next four days will provide a stern appraisal of their credentials in the longest format.
In Middlesex seamer Murtagh, they have a bowler who knows Lord’s better than most and the 37-year-old has taken bucket-loads of first-class wickets from the Nursery End, while Rankin — who played a solitary Test for England back in 2014 — has the height and bounce to cause batsmen problems.
Stirling is in the form of his life and will be keen to cash-in on his home ground, Balbirnie was a Middlesex player not so long ago too and the side has a sprinkling of youth in the form of all-rounder Mark Adair, who has impressed in one-day cricket this summer.
Many of the protagonists from Ireland’s seismic win over England at the 2011 World Cup have since moved on, the team currently in the midst of a difficult transition under Graham Ford, yet there is always hope that there is one final swansong left for this golden generation.
Porterfield has been captain for 11 years now and O’Brien, Murtagh and Rankin are all in their mid or late 30s, so above all else, the opportunity to embellish their international careers with this opportunity is a just reward for their part in Ireland’s journey from Associate obscurity to Full Member acceptance.
“In my generation, I don’t think any of us expected to be playing a Test match at Lord’s, so to have the opportunity is great,” wicket-keeper Wilson said.
But we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that we have to come here and perform as well. That’s what it is about: it’s not just turning up and having all the fanfare around Lord’s, we have to try and put in a good performance against a very good England side. But we’ve got some good players as well, and we’re confident we can do that.
To mark the occasion, thousands of Irish supporters are set to descend on Lord’s to witness Ireland step out onto the hallowed turf to play a Test match, the idea of which was nothing more than a pipedream for so long.
Ed Joyce, once of Middlesex, briefly England but mainly Ireland, has been bestowed the honour of ringing the five-minute bell — another Lord’s tradition — on day one.
With the Cricket Ireland flag billowing over the away dressing room, and the Home of Cricket awash with green, now is the time for the old and the new to come together for Ireland’s arrival on the greatest stage of all.
England XI: Jason Roy, Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Joe Root (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, Olly Stone, Jack Leach.
Ireland (from): William Porterfield (captain), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Andrew McBrine, James McCollum, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Lorcan Tucker, Gary Wilson, Craig Young.
Live on Sky Sports Main Event/Cricket from 10am, Wednesday-Saturday.
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