Cricket: Ireland are granted Test match status
Ireland have been granted full membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC), meaning they are now eligible to play Test match cricket.
In an historic announcement from London this afternoon, the ICC confirmed that both Ireland and Afghanistan have been granted full member status.
The news will transform cricket in Ireland, with a financial windfall on its way to the game on this island.
The granting of Test status will fulfil a lifelong ambition for the likes of legendary batsman Ed Joyce, who is playing on in expectation of a treasured first Test cap.
Ireland and Afghanistan, indisputably the best two Associate nations in the world, are the first two countries to be granted Test match status since Bangladesh became a full member back in 2000.