Green Wickets

Ireland’s achievement at the 2007 Cricket World Cup ranks as one of the outstanding performances by an unfenced national squad at a major competition. After tying with Zimbabwe, the largely non-professional team went on to beat the hotly tipped Pakistan in a thrilling clash on St Patrick’s Day and enter the Super Eight stage of the competition.

Despite the sudden death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer threatening to turn the competition into an extended Agatha Christie–style yard, the team, coached by South African Adrian Birrell, continued their run of good form through the Super Eights – and Pakistan flew home on the seats reserved for the Irish. After running England close – and taking the scalp of Ed Joyce, who had declared for England – they capped an outstanding tournament by beating Bangladesh and entering the top flight of one-day-international teams.

In this lavishly illustrated book, which features numerous behind-the-scenes photographs by team member Paul Mooney, Ed Leahy tells the take of the exploits of the men in green – not forgetting the role played by the fanatical “Blarney Army” – and gives us a flavour of life in the Caribbean for fans and players alike during the tournament.