In the 1800’s there were as many cricket clubs in Kilkenny and Tipperary as there are hurling clubs today.
Last night an icon of modern hurling and Tipperary All Star Brendan Maher rediscovered the cricket gene as part of the AIB sponsored Toughest Trade documentary on RTE2.
Maher went to Australia where he faced an over of fast bowling after a stadium filling class in the Big Bash cricket league. He scored six runs which is a fair reflection on the week of training he did with the team down under and the time spent under the Cricket Ireland tutelage of John Mooney.
English cricketer Steve Harmison came the other way, once he found the village of Borris Ileigh and made a good fist of lining out in a local challenge match in hurling.
There was a notable difference in the quality of facilities from the modern Adelaide Bowl to the battered dressing rooms of Tipp club hurling but in terms of the player application Harmison was impressed almost beyond words.
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“It’s just as professional, if not more professional, than cricket when I left it. As the week went on, the more I was thinking that these guys are amateurs but behave like professionals,” explained the 37-year-old, who retired from the pro game nearly three years ago.
“To see the Borris Ileigh lads training to get themselves in a position to get better and playing for their parish made me shake my head. They’re amateurs, but they were going the extra yard for each other.”
“That was refreshing because I see some of the attitudes from people who are getting paid who are not interested, they take it for granted and have poor attitudes.”
“These lads do it for nothing and they work their absolute nuts off to be in a position to play. That for me was the biggest standout and what I enjoyed most.”
There were a few quirky elements of the show that stood out, none more than the O’Neills t-shirt worn y one young Tipp fan with a picture of a cow on the front and “I’m feckin fresion’ on the back.
Jeep and ‘West End, the main sponsors of the Adelaide Strikers did well from the exposure as did Savvy Kitchens, sponsors of Borris Ileigh who only missed out on the exposure of being on Harmison’s shirt by presumed virtue of not having the XXL size shirt he might have required.
Borris Ileigh themselves might be kicking themselves that their internet domain has expired thereby missing out on the extra traffic that the programme would undoubtedly generate.
Pulls hammer, sits out training but bet he still starts game at weekend. Steve Harmison has the hang of GAA already! #ToughestTrade
— Frank Craig (@FrankCraig13) March 8, 2016
The references to farming in #TheToughest trade are pure quality “they’re like weanlings coming out after the winter, they’re mad for road”
— Patrick Somers (@paddisom81) March 8, 2016
Cricket Ireland will also be delighted with the sporting credit the sport gets, particularly on the eve of their first match against Oman today in the World T20 Cup in India.
Biggest winners though are AIB who’s ad agency Rothco came up with this idea last year and who have been able to benefit from social media comment throughout the winter and carefully released news on the preparations of Maher and, for next week’s show Aidan O’Shea.
Image Credit: Stephen McCarthy, Sportsfile
