Ireland

Ed Joyce

Born: September 22, 1978, Dublin

Ed Joyce bio

Edmund Christopher Joyce, more commonly known as Ed Joyce, is a former Irish cricketer who is best remembered for playing for two different countries in successive World Cups. Born and raised in Dublin, Joyce comes from a large family, with four brothers and four sisters. He had a successful career playing for Ireland in ICC Trophy matches, scoring an impressive 758 runs in 14 matches between 2001 and 2005, with an average of 84.22.

However, Joyce always had aspirations of playing at the highest level and decided to switch to England for the 2007 World Cup. Despite representing Ireland through the qualifying tournament, Joyce became the first Irishman in the modern game to play for England. Yet, his England career did not quite pan out as he had envisioned and he made the decision to switch back to playing for Ireland just in time for the 2011 World Cup. Although he had not completed the full four-year qualification period, the ICC recognized his unique circumstances and granted him special dispensation to represent Ireland.

Joyce’s international career started in 2006 when he made his one-day debut against Ireland, a team that included his younger brother Dominick. Just two days later, he made his Twenty20 debut for England. Unfortunately, he suffered an ankle sprain shortly after his debut, which led to a temporary hiatus from the game. However, this setback did not deter his determination, and upon his return to the game, he showcased his immense talent by scoring a career-best 211 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Although Joyce seemed to solidify his England place with impressive performances, questions were raised about his fluency, and he was ultimately dropped from the England team after the 2007 World Cup. Frustration at his stalled England career led him to sever ties with Middlesex, where he had been an important middle-order player for a decade, and join Sussex. During his time with Sussex, Joyce became an influential member of the side, though he never regained his England place. In 2012, he was appointed captain of Sussex, succeeding Michael Yardy.

In 2014, Joyce had an exceptional summer, hitting seven centuries and averaging 66 in Division One of the Championship, making him one of the standout performers. His outstanding performance led to suggestions that he could have been considered as Alastair Cook’s opening partner in the Test side if he were still eligible to play for England. However, despite his accomplishments, Sussex were relegated in 2015, and Joyce ultimately resigned from the captaincy.

An oddity in Joyce’s career was a rare form of dismissal during a Championship game against Warwickshire in 2009 when he swept a ball straight into the pocket of the short leg fielder, Jonathan Trott, who was trying to take evasive action at the time.

Once Joyce realized that his England career was over without the Test debut he desired, he expressed his intentions to return to the international stage with Ireland. After a hiatus of over five years from playing for Ireland, he was named in a pre-World Cup touring squad in 2010 and granted special dispensation by the ICC to represent Ireland in the 2011 World Cup. He cited his desire to contribute to Ireland’s success as a “born and bred Irishman” if Test cricket remained elusive.

Ed Joyce’s family also has a strong connection to Irish cricket, with two of his brothers, Gus and Dom, as well as his twin sisters, Isobel and Cecelia, representing Ireland. Isobel even captained the Ireland women’s team, further highlighting the Joyce family’s impact on Irish cricket.

Overall, Ed Joyce’s journey in cricket is a testament to his talent, perseverance, and love for the sport. He will always be regarded as one of Ireland’s most accomplished cricketers who achieved international success despite the hurdles he faced along the way.

Ed Joyce career stats

Batting stats

Batting Matches Innings Nos Runs High score Ave BF SR 100s 50s 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 1 2 0 47 43 23.5 102 46.07 0 0 6 0 1 0
T20Is 18 15 3 405 78* 33.75 431 93.96 0 1 30 5 5 0
ODIs 78 77 8 2622 160* 38 3630 72.23 6 15 255 25 27 0
FC 255 419 34 18461 250 47.95 - - 47 92 - - 228 0
List A 311 296 32 10267 160* 38.89 - - 18 58 - - 108 0
T20s 91 85 13 1453 78* 20.18 1508 96.35 0 2 123 14 29 0

Bowling stats

Bowling Matches Innings Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w
Tests 1 - - - - - - - - - - - -
T20Is 18 - - - - - - - - - - - -
ODIs 78 - - - - - - - - - - - -
FC 255 - 1311 1033 11 2/34 - 93.9 4.72 119.1 - 0 0
List A 311 - 264 309 6 2/10 2/10 51.5 7.02 44 0 0 0
T20s 91 1 6 12 0 - - - 12 - 0 0 0

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