Most Test Centuries for Ireland

Ireland made its historic entry into Test cricket in May 2018. Though they lost their debut match, they showed great fight. Things didn’t go as well afterward, as they suffered six consecutive losses before finally securing their first Test victory in 2024.

It took them 8 Tests to finally taste victory. Here’s how long every team waited for their first-ever Test win.

With a very short history in the format, Ireland has few records. This article delves into the players who have scored a Test century for the nation.

Most Test Centuries for Ireland

You can find the ODI century-scorers list for Ireland here.

Key Stats – Ireland’s Test Cricket Centurions

So far, only four of the 29 batters who have played Test cricket for Ireland have scored a century. Each of these players has a single ton to their name.

The distinguished group includes Kevin O’Brien, Lorcan Tucker, Curtis Campher, and Paul Stirling.

The Inaugural Ton: Kevin O’Brien’s Historic Century

The first batter from Ireland to score a Test century was Kevin O’Brien. His historic milestone came in the country’s very first Test match against Pakistan in 2018. His aggressive knock of 118 also stands as the highest individual score by an Irish batter in the format.

The Rising Stars: More Batters Join the Elite List

Following O’Brien, three more Irish batters have joined the elite list of Test centurions.

Wicket-keeper batter Lorcan Tucker became the second when he made 108 in a 2023 Test against Bangladesh.

Curtis Campher scored 111 against Sri Lanka at Galle.

And Paul Stirling has also notched a century to his name.

Batting Records and Milestones

To date, none of the Irish batters have crossed the 1000-run mark in Test cricket. Lorcan Tucker leads the run tally with 571 runs from seven matches. Andy McBrine is the only other batter to have accumulated over 500 Test runs.

In terms of scores of fifty or more, former skipper Andrew Balbirnie leads with five. Andy McBrine, Harry Tector, and Lorcan Tucker all come next with four 50+ scores each. Among them, only Tucker has also made a century.

Centuries in Defeat, Fifties in Victory

An intriguing fact about Ireland’s Test history is that all four centuries scored so far have come in matches that the team lost. In a contrasting achievement, Andy McBrine’s 90 is the highest score by an Irish batter in a Test victory.

Also Read: The Progress of Ireland Cricket under their coach Heinrich Malan