IT’S been a mixed sort of season for George Dockrell, but Ireland’s frontline spinner hopes to get back on track against Scotland next week.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Malahide,” he told Inside Edge yesterday. “It should be a great little series.”
Scotland provide the opposition for three ODIs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday next week, and were the opponents this time last year when Dockrell set his career best figures.
“Yeah, 4-24,” he grins, “It was coming out well that day up in Stormont.”
“The summer hasn’t been as good as I wanted it to be at Somerset, but I’ve got a good few wickets in the championship.”
His white ball game hasn’t been as successful however, and he has bowled just ten wicketless overs for the county in 50-over games.
“It can be tough for a spinner in white ball cricket if you’re not right on top of it. But I’ve been working on a few things and it will come right.”
Somerset’s coach, Dave Nosworthy, wasn’t one of George’s biggest fans and the Irishman struggled a little at Taunton since his arrival. While he wasn’t exactly dancing when he heard the news that the coach would be returning to South Africa shortly, it should prove a boost to his career.
“It’s not ideal when the club changes coaches,” he says, “but hopefully I’ll get on well with the new coach and I can improve under his coaching.”
With speculation that Dockrell’s “other” coach might be on the move back to the Caribbean, does he think Phil Simmons would be a big loss to Ireland?
“It would be a huge loss,” he says. “He’s a very good coach and I’ve been under his guidance for five years now.
“He’s been fantastic for us – the results we’ve had and the cricket we’ve played. We don’t want to lose him.”
Dockrell will be keen for Simmons to be there when the team flies out for a training camp Down Under in three weeks. The month-long tour will be vital acclimatisation ahead of the World Cup.
“I played in New Zealand and Australia at Under 19 world cups,” (in 2010 and 2012), he says. “And I really enjoyed it, particularly Brisbane.
“Australian pitches are bouncier, although they don’t spin much. With my height I like the extra bounce and I can’t wait to get back on them.”
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MALAHIDE’S promotion season has been built largely on the back of their opening pair of Fintan McAllister and Reinhardt Strydom.
‘Reiny’ passed a rare landmark at the weekend, notching up his 1,000th run of the summer in Leinster league and cup. After 18 games he now stands at 1,066 at an average over 66.
The last time this was achieved was in 2004, when Andre Botha made 1,046 for North County.
Strydom is the 20th to reach four figures, with Jeremy Bray’s 1,273 the best in 2000.
Twelve men have achieved the feat, including three born here – Angus Dunlop (1992, 1993, 1995), Alan Lewis (1984, 1991) and Jason Molins (2003).
Strydom’s teammate Fintan McAllister has a chance of joining him – but he’d need to make 103 to do so.
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THE Nightwatchman is a respected UK cricket magazine which comes in book format and specialises in longer, deeper articles.
Two of its writers, Tim Wigmore and Tim Brooks are here next week for a roadshow event in the Sugar Club where there will be a Q&A session on all aspects of Irish and international cricket.
Also taking part are former Ireland captain Alan Lewis, and your own Inside Edge columnist, while the IFTA-nominated Batmen will be shown during the interval.
The evening kicks off in the Sugar Club on Leeson Street at 6.30pm on September 11th, with tickets from eventbrite.ie which includes a free copy of the Nightwatchman.
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WHILE William Porterfield will be aiming the get his hands on it on March 29th next year, plenty of other Irish people will be able to see the Cricket World Cup up close next week.
The 11kg silver trophy will be taken on a tour of the sights of Dublin next Tuesday, and will be on display at the ODI in Malahide the following day where supporters can have their photo taken with it.
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FIXTURES
Sat 6: U13 All Ireland final: Waringstown v Rush, RSA Div2: Malahide v Phoenix
Sun 7: RSA Div2: Pembroke II v Merrion II, Cork County v Rush, Leinster v Balbriggan
Mon 8: ODI: Ireland v Scotland, Malahide, 10.45am
Tue 9: Women's T20: Ireland v South Africa, Solihull 11am and 3.30pm