Do They Play Cricket in Ireland? has a duality to it that if you were to liken it to a cricketer it would be in the mould of Mike Atherton; a great foundation in the history of the game combined with inflections of humour and personal anecdote. As a study of the last 25 years of Irish cricket, the book dovetails with the journey of the author itself, David Townsend. Written in a diary format, even to non-cricket enthusiasts, it is a wonderful travelogue of a sports journalist’s odyssey from the continents of Africa to Asia to taking in matches at Antigua and Australia. Aside from the sporting endeavours and history of the golden age of Irish cricket since the 19th century, Townsend gives us an insight into the minds and lives of the individuals who made it possible. This book is far from a drab re-hashing of old match reports and anecdotes like we’ve seen with a proliferation of sports books in recent years, this work is bursting with character. The progress of Irish cricket to attaining Test status charts the journey from a hardcore amateur enclave of the game in the northern hemisphere to a sleek and professional organisation, which tries to cultivate the best conditions possible for its athletes to compete against larger playing populations and teams with a far more illustrious history in cricket. Townsend’s recall of personalities such as the youthful Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan, who would both go on to represent England gives a viewpoint that has been somewhat lost in the latter’s narrative since his World Cup heroics a couple of years ago. Though Townsend is at pains to note the fascinating stories of characters such as Niall O’Brien and John Mooney which saw Irish teams beat sides such as Pakistan, England and the West Indies as the Blarney Army announced itself on the international stage. It was very much a story of the sum of its parts and Townsend throws light on each individual on the journey, both on and off the field of play. 

Townsend’s insight is gleaned from being the right man at the right place at the right time. One wonders would he have such access to players in this modern era. In not only chronicling the story of Irish cricket, one could argue that Townsend played a role in the shaping of that very story by introducing Ed Joyce to Middlesex and proposing the tactics which helped Ireland in winning their first international tournament. It’s very much a unique and unusual story that should fascinate readers who are looking to learn about Irish cricket or to those more well-versed in the story seeking a greater insight into those years. The book itself moves along at a pace that highlights the life of an international cricketer and a journalist trying to track and make sense of it all while meeting deadlines for multiple publications. Townsend’s humour and ability not to take himself too seriously is a joy to behold and if anything demonstrates the joy of watching that Irish team upsetting some of the more established and illustrious cricket nations. This reader was in his first year in secondary school when Ireland beat Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup and I can remember being the only student to note what an achievement it was, if Ireland had beaten South Africa in the rugby World Cup it would have filled conversation for days. Do they play cricket in Ireland indeed! 

In one sense this book is the conversation I always wanted to have about Irish cricket when I was a teenager who witnessed Ireland beat England on St. Patrick’s Day in 2015. To me Phil Simmons was the greatest coach that this island had ever seen. So much so I thought Phil’s Day on the 17th March had a nice ring to it. But how I would have loved to have talked to David Townsend and learn so much about the game and culture that I missed out on in the south-east of Ireland. By reading this book by Townsend I feel like I know him as a friend though I have never met the man. It’s a testament to his causal writing style (making the difficult look effortless) and his own candour such as his story about meeting a Rwandan woman named Antoinette and their friendship in the intervening years. There could be a book in that story alone. David Townsend has loved the game of cricket since attending his first Test match at the age of six. His career as a freelance cricket writer has seen him serve as Middlesex reporter for the telephone information service Cricketcall, sub-editing sport at the Times, Daily Express and Observer and as a ghost writer for Mike Gatting. Townsend began covering Irish cricket in 1994 and continues to write for the Irish Independent. This study finishes with Tim Murtagh taking 5 wickets at Lord’s against England as Ireland announce themselves as ready to compete on the Test stage. The pride of Townsend shines through not because of his love of the game but for people and their stories. He has done a great service in recording his and their story. 

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