Monday 21 November 2011

Eoin Morgan


Eoin Morgan,

Eoin is an Irish born cricketer, born in Dublin, Ireland. Although he plays for England, he is a left handed batsman, who is signed with Middlesex Cricket Club, the same start as Ed Joyce and Paul Stirling.

He was brought up through the Irish system and made his debut for Ireland. He is the only player to score an ODI hundred for two nations. His unique batting style is loved all around the world, and his boundary hitting ability and cool headed approach has made him a vital part of the English side. He loves the reverse sweep shot, which he has said comes from the Irish game of hurling, as the grip needed for hurling is the same grip that is needed for the reverse sweep.

He was capped at the Irish U-15 and U-17 levels. He was later selected for the Irish U-19 squad for the 2004, U-19 World Cup, and was Ireland's top run-scorer in the competition. He then captained Ireland in the 2006 U-19 World Cup.

He was the most promising cricketer to come out of Ireland since Ed Joyce, and he went on to make his debut for Ireland on the 5th of August 2006 at the European Championships against Scotland. He made a solid 99 and he was the first player who had been dimissed for 99 on debut.
He was to later make his maiden ODI hundred on the 4th of February 2007 against Canada and in doing so he became the youngest ever non-subcontinental player to make a century in ODI cricket.

Eoin also was the first Irish cricketer to have scored a first-class double century for Ireland with an unbeaten 209 against United Arab Emirates and was selected in Ireland's squad for the 2007 World Cup but didn't really show his potential. He scored only 91 runs from 9 innings. Everyone involved in Irish cricket knew it was only time before he would be selected for England, as Ireland couldn't offer Eoin test level cricket. He knew he had to leave Ireland.

In May 2007, Eoin was named as one of England 12th men for the Lord's Test versus West Indies, and came on for Matthew Hoggard on the 3rd day. He then repersented England Lions in a list A match against the South Africans, and was later sent on the England Performance Programme squad to India in 2008.

He became the first ever player to score centuries for two nations on the 2nd of March 2010 when he scored an unbeaten 110 against Bangladesh. He became a vital part of England’s success in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies, even scoring the most runs in the English order against Ireland with a score of 45.

He was then given the chance he always wanted. Eoin was included in England's Test squad for the home series against Bangladesh, where he scored 44 runs in the first innings but was not required in the second as England won by 8 wickets after Bangladesh were asked to follow-on.

One of his biggest achievements was in the first of five games in the ODI series against Australia, where he scored 103 from 85 balls which saw England to victory and was later named player of the series.

Ian Bell’s injury let Eoin retain his spot for the Test series against Pakistan. A chance Eoin was to take. In the first Test he scored a century and England won by a massive 354 runs.

He was purchased for $222,000 for the 2010 IPL by the Royal Challengers Bangalore but he batted very low in the order and never really got going. Eoin was picked up again for the 2011 IPL this time for Kolkata Knight Riders for $350,000 and he made a much better impression. Often opening the batting with Kallis, it was a plan to give them the quick fire boost that the side needed and it didn't always work but it showed the world his unique and exciting batting style.

He was a big part of the English side, mainly the ODI side. Where in the past England had often struggled to clear the boundary nearing the end of the innings, it came so naturally to him. When he fractured his finger before the 2011 World Cup he was left out of the squad, but would be later recalled following the injury to Kevin Pietersen.

He has been in battle with Ravi Bopara for the spot in the test squad since the retirement of Paul Collingwood. In the match against the Sri Lankans for the England Lions he scored 193 and that was enough to secure his spot for the Test series against Sri Lanka.

He was given the captaincy for a one-off ODI against Ireland, becoming only the third Irish man to lead England, a game which he scored 59. What no-one else in the team ever got going, he made look very easy. England won on the D/Lewis method and secured him the Man of the Match award. He had received a very generous reception when he came out to bat as this is where he would have spent many times coming out to play for Ireland in the past.

He remains a vital part of the English squad, and being only 25 he has many more years of cricket in him. All Irish fans are sad to see him play for England but they understand that he went for a form of the game that Ireland cannot offer him and who knows, in the future, if Ireland are to receive test status, maybe EoinEoin Morgan and what he brings to the game. I hope he can continue to shine the Irish light for many years to come. It shows a lot for Irish cricket that one of England's best players was a man born in Dublin,

Good luck Eoin...


1 comment:

  1. I love the attacking batting of Eoin Morgan. He is one of my fav Irish batsmen. Like you said it is sad that he plays for the evil empire :)

    Btw perhaps you are not aware... but he is currently rated as the best T20 batsman in Internationals according to the ICC rankings.

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