• Born 2 August 1981 Lambeth London
• Educated John Fisher School, Purley; St Mary's University, Twickenham
• Occupation Professional Cricketer
• Debut 23 June 2012 v Australia at Stormont
• Cap Number 682
• Style Left-hand batsman; right arm fast medium
• Teams British Universities England U19 Stanmore, Reigate Priory, Surrey, Middlesex

Tim Murtagh has for more than a decade been regarded as one of the best bowlers on the county circuit. Though capable of a lively fast medium, he rarely operates at more than a McGrath like 80 mph, swinging the new ball disconcertingly aimed at the top of the off stump, from a run up described in a Wisden Cricket Monthly profile as `"more trundle than sprint" This method has allowed him to continue longer than many others' To watch him - whether from high in the stands at Lord's or from the ringside at a smaller county ground - is a privilege, watching the master craftsman at work. Though no longer seen as the all-rounder some thought he might become he is also a useful left-hand batsman, capable of powerful and effective hitting.

Cricket runs in the Murtaugh family. His younger brother Chris, a heavy scorer for Surrey League club Reigate Priory, has a first-class century with Surrey to his credit, and also played a number of useful innings for Shropshire. once delighting this writer with an elegantly crafted 64 against Staffordshire on a sunny May afternoon on the pleasant Oswestry ground. The brothers' uncle, Dublin born Andy, played for Hampshire and Eastern Province as a batsman, before teaching for 20 years at Malvern College. He then turned his hand to cricket biographies, having now (March 2020) written five, of which - from an Irish point of view - the most interesting is probably that of George Chesterton, a colleague at Malvern, and a regular in MCC sides in Dublin 1948 to 1964. Perhaps Andy will, one day, focus his biographical keyboard on his elder nephew.

Tim was a keen all-round sportsman at John Fisher School, captaining the 2nd XV rugby team but his main interest was always cricket. After touring South Africa with Surrey U17 and playing some matches for Surrey 2nd XI, when he took the wickets, among others of future elite umpire Michael Gough and a young Middlesex opener called Strauss, Tim was a member of the England U19 side in the 1999-2000 World Cup in Sri Lanka. Captained by Alex Louden - later to gain publicity as Pippa Middleton's boyfriend and a bowler of doosras - and including Ian Bell, Michael Carberry and Ricky Ponting's favourite 12th man Gary Pratt, the team was eliminated before the knock out stages, but Tim was one of the successes with two 4 wicket hauls, the better of which was 4-26 against the West Indies.

Ireland v Afganistan, 2012

He retained his place for the three Test series against Sri Lanka the following summer, taking 16 wickets to become England's man of the series. Between 2001 and 2003, he also represented the British Universities XI, shining in a match against Pakistan in the first year. He took 6-86 in the tourists 316, including Inzaman-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar and Mohammed Younis (then known as Younis Yohanan) - before making a second innings 22* as Wasim Akram and Younis destroyed the students, batting.

That summer, in which he won the Denis Compton award for Surrey's most promising young player - he made his debut for the county side. In a five-year career he took 68 first class wickets at 37.72. His best match was against Leicestershire in September 2002, when he had match figures of 8-101, including 5-39 in the second with four LBWs and one clean bowled.

Surrey tended to see him more as a white ball bowler and he turned in some fine performances. In front of a packed Lord's in a T20 match in June 2005, he had figures of 4-0-24-6 including the two Eds: Smith and Joyce. Surrey won a thrilling game by 23 runs, Tim being man of the match. He has won 4 such awards in T20, a format he no longer plays. His vigorous batting also had some success at first class level for Surrey, as he twice made an undefeated 74. The first occasion saw him top score against Middlesex, putting on 106 for the 10th with James Ormrod, Tim's innings came from 94 balls, including 10 fours and 2 sixes. This match was drawn with James Dalrymple (244) and Ed Joyce (123 b Murtagh) excelling for the Lord's men. Tim's time with Surrey also saw him play in the Surrey Championship for Reigate Priory where, in 2004, he shone with the bat. Batting in the upper order he had successive scores 70, 86* and 76 which sent the local media into paroxysms of joy.

Ireland v England, 2013

His move to Middlesex in 2007 transformed him into what he has become, an outstanding fast medium bowler, one of the very best in the country. At the time of writing (March 2020) he has taken 700 wickets for the county - far ahead of any rival - having sent down 33850 balls to achieve this. HIs figures include 31 five wicket hauls, besides taking 10 or more in a match on four occasions. His best bowling to date 22-5-82-7 was achieved against Derbyshire at Derby in 2009, including the prized scalp of Australian opener Chris Rogers for 0. Rogers was later to join Middlesex. In 2011 Tim and he shared the county's Player of the Year award, Tim having has his best season with 85 wickets at 20.87. He also had a number of most impressive List A appearances, but never appeared to be on the England selectors' radar.

A dinner party conversation with his friend and then county colleague Ed Joyce, led him to approach Phil Simmons with regard to playing for Ireland. The coach gave him no guarantees of automatic selection but, in truth was only too glad to have him. Trent Johnson was nearing retirement and Boyd Rankin seemed on the verge of declaring for England.

Ireland v UAE, 2014

In the eight years in which he "Wore the green jersey" Tim took 142 wickets in all formats at an average of 25.42 with 2 "five fors." His best ODI figures came in his final season at Stormont when he destroyed the Zimbabwe batting with a return of 10-1-21-5 in the second of three matches played in early July. Three days later, he was at it again with 3-39 to give Ireland a 3 - 0 clean sweep. Outside his three Test Matches his best first class figures came against Namibia at Windhoek in October 2015 when he had match figures of 6-62 with a second innings analysis of 13-4-18-4 to seal an impressive innings victory after Joyce ( 205) and William Porterfield (186) had batted the hosts out of the game.

Tim achieved his long awaited ambition when he opened the bowling for Ireland against Pakistan in the inaugural Test Match in May 2018 at Malahide, the ground on which he had almost blown England away on the 2013 ODI, only to be thwarted by a county team mate who should surely have been on the home side. If Kevin O'Brien was Ireland's hero of the Test, Tim also showed himself of Test class with figures of 4-45 and 2-55.

Papua New Guinea v Ireland, 2018

Though wickets somewhat deserted him in his and Ireland's Second Test, against Afghanistan a Dehra Dun in March 2019. he shone with the bat to a remarkable extent. Batting second Ireland collapsed to 859 when Tim joined George Dockrell. They put on 87 before George was out for a patient 39. Tim, the dominant partner, was left undefeated on 54 from 75 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes. The stand was worth 50.58% of Ireland's total, making it the 5th highest percentage for the last wicket in Test history and the first time a Test side other than England or Australia had achieved more than 50% of the total for the last wicket. Tim also added 57 for the last wicket with James Cameron- Dow in the second innings but, alas, this was not enough to stave off defeat.

So, we come to that magical morning in the swelteringly abnormal heat of Lord's on 24 July 2019. This writer sat high in the Mound Stand and reduced to tears of emotional joy, will remember for the rest of his life the wonderful atmosphere, the sense of elation as Lord's became transformed into the Aviva Stadium. While the excellent support of Mark Adair and Boyd Rankin cannot be forgotten, it was Tom, in a heat outrageous enough to warrant 3 drinks breaks, who carried all before him and walked off at lunch, holding the ball high in the air to gain a place on the Honours Board.

In November 2019 he came to the difficult decision that hid future lay with Middlesex with whom he signed a two-year contract. This is much to be regretted but is also very understandable. He will long be remembered in Irish cricket circles. Finally, he is not the only member of his family to be prominent at Lord's. His wife Karina works in office management for the ECB and played large part in organising the Red for Ruth Day at Lords on 26 May 2019 which raised half a million pounds for the anti-cancer charity. She is now Chief Executive of the Ruth Strauss Foundation. Both Murtaghs still have big roles to play at "the Home of Cricket."