Cricket Ireland have confirmed that Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin will stage the One Day International with Australia in 2010.
The fixture will be played on Thursday 17 June, and Clontarf President Roger McGreal was understandably delighted at being awarded the game.
McGreal said: 'This is a wonderful opportunity for our club to showcase Irish cricket, and I’m sure all our members will rise to the occasion. We have carried out major improvements to the ground over the past year and have increased capacity at the venue. It’s sure to be a fantastic game, and I’ve no doubt that we’ll be able to accommodate all those wanting to see Ireland take on Australia.'
The venue is no stranger to hosting high profile games, with West Indies playing Bangladesh during the 1999 World Cup. South Africa and the West Indies have also played Ireland at the picturesque venue in recent years.
Cricket Ireland Chief Executive Warren Deutrom is anticipating another exciting clash, saying: 'Following the huge success of the RSA Challenge one-day international at Stormont between Ireland and England, when we came to so close to overcoming the Ashes winners, we are delighted to welcome England’s Ashes opponents, Australia, to Dublin next June.
'Not only do we believe that this match will continue to raise the growing profile of Irish cricket, but we also believe that the Irish players will have confidence in their ability to properly challenge one of the world’s great cricket teams.'
Ireland's most recent clash with Australia came during the Super Eight phase of the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. On Irish soil, they were Ireland's opponents during the last international game at Ormeau in 2001, while Eglinton were the hosts in 1997.
You have to go back 16 years to 1993 to find the last time they played in Dublin. On that occasion, centuries from Matthew Hayden and Allan Border helped the tourists to a resounding 272 run win.
During that game, Border almost emulated Sir Garfield Sobers and Ravi Shastri by hitting the first five balls off an Angus Dunlop over for six. He could only manage two from the final delivery, thus sparing Dunlop an unwanted entry into cricketing folklore.
