Now that I'm in the big bad world of paying a mortgage I was delivered the last of my boxes from home. My Mother did seem very keen to get rid of my stuff so she either needs the space or is making sure I don't come back!!! So I spent an evening working my way through the contents not remembering what I had packed in there. That's where my journey down memory lane began. I don't think anybody would be surprised to hear most of the contents were cricket related! Castle Avenue was such a huge part of my life, I did try over the years to collect memories and keepsakes so I would have something to look back on.
So sifting through photos, match stumps and scorecards from the years gone past brought the memories flooding back. Without doubt the best and proudest day to date of my cricketing career was the World Cup match in 1999. It was such a huge occasion for Clontarf CC, and to be a part of that success is always something I look back on fondly and probably something that will never be matched for me. To see the ground transform from a club ground into an international cricket ground for the world to view on TV was fantastic! I have a large framed aerial photo of the ground on match day that will take pride of place on my wall.
Castle Ave hosted a lot of County games, and I always looked forward to them. There were a couple of great matches to reflect on. Beating Middlesex in 1997 was probably one of the hardest games ever. It went into the second day due to bad weather, I lost count how many times the covers went on and off, but we had a famous victory. Beating Surrey in 2004 was another great day, one which I enjoyed and will always remember as a big run chase on a good pitch. Another time I look back on with fond memories was the ICC Trophy in 2005 when we qualified for the World Cup in the West Indies. To host 3 matches in 5 days was a challenge in itself. I loved the intensity and pressure.
Those experiences gave me the desire to aim towards working at a higher level. With cricket in Ireland growing I got opportunities, with the help of then coach Mike Hendrick, to travel to England for work experience at Derbyshire. I met him again last year at the Rose Bowl and had a good chat and laugh. He looks back very fondly at his time in Ireland. Other opportunities to work further afield came about as well. Stints in Johannesburg for a couple of winters came about by Ireland playing there in the Under 19 World Cup. Another opportunity to work in Australia came about too when I met umpire Daryl Hair on one of his trips to Clontarf. He said to drop him a line if I was ever Down Under. I did that and I was working at a club two days later! And then Adrian Birrell organised me a spell at St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth for the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
So as much as the Ireland players are getting fantastic exposure to the world nowadays I feel I got the similar exposure too, and all that has helped me get to The Rose Bowl where I am very excited about my involvement in my first Test match this coming June. Thats the present for me, the fast approaching County Cricket season, an England Test match against Sri Lanka and an ODI against India, and my first view in person of Sachin!!
What does the future hold? Heres hoping to a successful Test match, and many more! A lot of where this venue wants to be depends on major match days and securing long term regular Test matches. But the reality is there is too many Test match venues in England. There is much debate about how Test matches are allocated. At the moment we bid for a package of matches, which may include a Test match, one or two ODIs, Twenty20 Finals Day, over the course of a couple of years. Is this bidding system fair? Some say no. Headingly lost money on the neutral Test match with Australia and Pakistan, they now say they won't bid for an Ashes match in 2013. So time will tell to see whats sustainable and whats not. There are numerous Counties releasing their financial figures at the moment, a lot have made a loss. So nowadays its not just a game, its a business, and a big business to us.
Finally, well done to the lads in the sub-continent, you did us all proud, and its especially great for me everytime I walk into work knowing we beat England! I can't wait to see Corky!!!
Follow me on Twitter for more regular comments and pictures @Karl_McDermott
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