When John Mooney was injured last month, a place suddenly opened up in the Ireland squad. And with the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka around the corner, timing was everything.
Stuart Thompson doesn't seem to have much problem with his timing. "It's been a fantastic summer, unexpected really," he told the Irish Daily Star.
"I did well for the A team and got picked to play against the Afghans. I got a chance to bowl in the second innings and it's gone on from there. The South African tour gave us boys on the fringes a lot of opportunities. I'm mainly a bat but I did well with the ball which was a great confidence boost."
Stuart's dad, Nigel, played 18 times for Ireland between 1988 and 1992.
"I played a lot of seconds with him at the end of his career, and a couple of senior games. He's been a great mentor to me, always took the time to go down the nets for the extra hour."
Thompson spent the early summer at Somerset, and hopes to get a call up next year. He played for Ireland A in July, when he came to the attention of Trent Johnston.
"The first time I saw him play was against Scotland A, and I saw he had huge talent," he told the Star.
"He has lots of time when batting and he's good in the field. His bowling's a bit raw but he gets the ball in good areas. Working with Craig McDermott this week will be a great help to him."
Thompson has had to delay the start of his second year Geography course at Newcastle University, but he's adamant this tournament is no holiday.
"I'm gonna push to play. If I push hard in training, play one or two of the warm-ups and impress I could get my foot in the door."
Tweet of the week: Paul Stirling (@stirlo90) "Class menu here at the
Royal Thai in the hotel, it will take a few days to work through
it…"
WILLIAM Porterfield and Co are currently warming up in Sri Lanka, but they aren't the first Irish cricketers to play on the island. More than a century ago a Dubliner called Robert Fox-Goodman played for Ceylon.
He was a colonial administrator, one of many produced by Trinity College at the time. In 1905 he scored 56 for Trinity against Essex and was picked for his only Irish cap against I Zingari.. He played as an No.10 batsman who didn't bowl, making 8 and 1*.
He moved to Ceylon, where he played top class cricket, and toured India with a Europeans selection. On that trip he made a brilliant 101 against Madras in the Chepauk.
He later played for Ceylon and Malaya, before retiring to Tipperary. His name was borrowed by cricket fan James Joyce for the bell-ringer in Finnegans Wake.
Performance of the week: Anto Coates, who crowned Ring Commons's successful first season back in Division 13 with an unbeaten 205 at Rush.
FINALLY, the summer of 2012 has been put to bed with little regret. Hail to Leinster, who claimed a back-to-back promotion/senior league, and Clontarf who coupled a cup win with relegation.
Pembroke and Phoenix swop places with Tarf and Terenure, while Balbriggan look to have won promotion to Division 2.
Bill Coghlan of Clontarf has won the batting trophy, and Mohammed Tariq (Railway) is the province's top bowler.