Cricket in Ireland, 2011

	England, captained by Eoin Morgan, played their first match in Dublin in 2011 © Getty Images Enlarge
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It will always be remembered as the year Ireland beat England for the first time, in a stunning World Cup upset in Bangalore. More important in the long term, however, was Ireland's leading role in persuading the ICC to reverse their recommendation that the next tournament be restricted to ten teams.

When the ICC chief executives' committee announced after their meeting on April 4 - just 32 days after Ireland's shock victory in India - that the 2015 event would be limited to the ten Full Members, the decision was ridiculed throughout the cricket world. Over the next 24 hours, more than 500 comments on the matter accrued on Cricinfo - and only two were in favour.

Led by Cricket Ireland's chief executive Warren Deutrom, Ireland and the other 94 Associate and Affiliate Member countries railed against what Deutrom termed the "frankly outrageous" decision. Within three months, the ICC announced there would be a qualifying tournament after all and, once again, a 14-team World Cup in 2015. As U-turns go, they don't come any bigger. It was Ireland's greatest victory in 2011.

On the field, the national team played 17 matches, the fewest for five years - but while in 2006 only the inaugural one-day international against England had been against a Full Member, Ireland now played nine games against Test nations. All but five of the 17 were one-day internationals.

At the World Cup, Ireland were genuinely disappointed not to qualify for the second phase. Defeat in the first match by Bangladesh - when they collapsed in the white-hot humidity and atmosphere of Dhaka - was not a great start, but the historic three-wicket victory over England, when Ireland completed the biggest run-chase in any World Cup, gave them a glimpse of the Promised Land. For the next three days, the world wanted to talk to Kevin O'Brien, whose century against England, from only 50 balls, was the fastest in the tournament's history. Among the calls O'Brien did accept - he turned down more than 200 - was one from Ireland's president Mary McAleese.

The success ensured that Ireland's next game, against India and also at Bangalore, was watched by a sell-out crowd. A five-wicket defeat by the eventual winners did Ireland's reputation no harm, but the decisive loss was to West Indies. Kieron Pollard, dropped when 19, went on to score 94 from 55 balls and, with 78 coming from the last ten overs, West Indies reached 275. Ireland needed 99 from the last 12 with seven wickets left, but Ed Joyce and Gary Wilson - to a controversial decision - were dismissed in quick succession after making half-centuries, and Ireland were bowled out for 231.

That left them needing to upset South Africa four days later to make sure of qualification, but they could not raise themselves in time and went down by a thumping 131 runs. The last match was academic, but Ireland showed they were still the pick of the Associate nations by beating the Netherlands, despite conceding a total of 306. O'Brien finished the match with a six - his ninth of the tournament and his 98th for Ireland. (He brought up that particular century in September.)

Paul Stirling hit a hundred from 70 balls against the Dutch and, two months later, again reached three figures in the second of two matches against Pakistan at Stormont. Ireland had been bowled out for 96 in the first but, two days later, helped by Stirling's 109 from 107 deliveries, they reached 238. Pakistan got home by five wickets with eight balls to spare.

Ireland fielded another full-strength team for the first two matches of the ICC's new 50-over league, against Namibia - which, though neither side knew at the time, were later deemed World Cup qualifying games. Ireland and the other leading Associates have been given two chances to qualify for the 2015 event, with automatic places going to the top two at the end of the eight-team one-day league, and the remaining six entering another eight-team qualifying tournament to decide the last two finalists.

Two convincing victories sent Ireland to Edinburgh in good heart for back- to-back matches against Sri Lanka and Scotland. The first was washed out and, although Stirling scored 113 out of 182 as Ireland reached 320 against the Scots, Ireland were beaten with nine balls to spare as they conceded their highest total bowling second.

England played their first match in Dublin at the end of August. Much like the game in Belfast two years earlier, the weather should have helped Ireland to victory. Happy to have restricted a below-strength England - captained for the first time by Dubliner Eoin Morgan - to 201, Ireland were 42 for two after 13 overs when it rained. The new target was 129 in 23, but they failed to recover from losing three wickets in successive overs, and fell 12 short.

The season ended with two one-dayers against Canada, and the first two matches of the sixth Intercontinental Cup, all of which were won. Against Namibia, Andrew White, in his 195th match, became the third player to score 4,000 runs for Ireland; against Canada, who failed by 11 runs to make Ireland bat a second time, Stirling made his fourth hundred of the year, an Irish record. William Porterfield, the captain, scored half-centuries in both matches against Canada, and ended the year only 20 runs shy of Stephen Warke, Ireland's all- time leading scorer.

There were two debutants in 2011: Graeme McCarter, a 19-year-old opening bowler from Derry, and wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter, the 20-year-old brother of Andrew (both have been on Middlesex's books). Nineteen players were used in all, the fewest since 2003. Now that Cricket Ireland have 12 cricketers under contract, availability is no longer a major problem: the World Cup victory over England was the first time Ireland had fielded an all-professional XI, in their 764th match.

On the domestic scene, Waringstown became the first Northern Union team to win the Irish Cup since North Down in 1995, beating Instonians in the final at Comber. They also won the Challenge Cup, although they were pipped to their league title by North Down.

Match reports for

Only ODI: Ireland v England at Dublin, Aug 25, 2011
Report | Scorecard