What has Ciara Metcalfe managed in her cricket career that Ed Joyce, Niall O’Brien, Kevin O’Brien, Trent Johnston, Tim Murtagh, Graham Mooney and I have not?
Ciara is one of only 11 players in the history of Irish cricket to have played a Test match for Ireland.
Ciara’s first club was Rush C.C. and there still remains in the Clubhouse, a faded team photograph (I say photograph, but it was so long ago now, it could have been a very good painting!) with an impish Ciara smiling for the camera. As you can see from the pictures attached, Ciara always has a ready and winning smile for the camera. You may not recognise her as she is not wearing her baggy shorts, but a skirt (it may be the only picture in existence of Ciara in a skirt!). Ciara’s preferred attire of shorts and hoodies is well known throughout Leinster cricket and she has been known to wear them not only year round without consideration of the actual weather, but has also been known to wear them to formal occasions too.
Ciara made her debut for Ireland in June 1999, playing at age 19 and she then went on to her first tournament, the European Championships, that same summer. It was during the 2000 season that Ireland hosted Pakistan in the only test match played by either the Irish Men’s or Women’s teams to date. Her bowling figures of 4/26 helped Ireland dismiss their opponents for 53.
In terms of statistics, Ciara has represented Ireland at cricket 52 times over 17 years, with one Test Match, nine T20 games and 42 One Day internationals. She ranks third in Ireland’s leading wicket takers, behind Isobel Joyce and Barbara McDonald. Since returning to the international fold in 2015, Ciara has played only T20 games, more as a quirk of scheduling and tournaments rather than finding 50 overs too much at this twilight stage of her career. Due to the training programmes brought in by Ireland Coach Aaron Hamilton in addition to the additional work Ciara has put in herself, she finds herself probably fitter now than at any previous time in her career.
Having retired from international cricket in 2011 after twelve years, Ciara decided to return to international selection once more in 2015 and returned to the international team for the T20 World Cup qualifiers. With Ireland successfully negotiating that tournament Ciara now finds herself flying out to India for the Finals with a very youthful and enthusiastic squad. If this is to be her swansong, then let us hope it is a successful and enjoyable one which will give her much to write about, for Ciara has taken to writing articles and contributing to all forms of social media. Her views on cricket in Ireland and the way forward, especially for Women’s cricket have been written from a position of experience and from having seen the Irish Women’s team make the move from amateur to professional in attitude, if not payment.
In Club cricket Ciara has, in addition to her beginnings in Rush C.C., played for Malahide C.C. for many years before transferring to Pembroke C.C. in a cross-city move. At Pembroke she led the team to only its second Leinster Senior Cup triumph as well as league success. Ciara has been consistently a full “Club Member” in every sense of the word in Pembroke, looking after the social media the older members can not fathom and being fully involved in all social events and having served on the Executive Committee as well as skippering, playing and coaching. Ciara has also been an enthusiastic player and supporter of the Cricket Ireland Super 3’s cricket, which was brought in to bridge the gap between club and international cricket.
However upon her return from the World T20 tournament Ciara will be taking up a new post with The Hills C.C. as player-coach with a brief to coach, encourage and lead their Women’s team. I can not comment (due to court-imposed restraining orders, but mainly as it is not my place to do so) on behalf of Pembroke, but personally I will be very sorry to see Ciara leave Pembroke and not only for the sight of her in her shorts, no matter the weather, but for her company and her forthright views on all matters cricket and non-cricket related. It will be a pleasure to welcome her back to The ‘Broke any time.
The Hills C.C. have made an astute signing in Ciara and I wish her all the very best in her new role in Club cricket, but also that she and the rest of the Irish squad have a great World T20 Cup Final tournament on and off the field of play and raise the profile of Irish and Women’s cricket to hitherto unknown heights.