Photo Credit: Cricket Wellington
2021/22 contracted Wellington Firebird Luke Georgeson is swapping his New Zealand aspirations for the bright green of Ireland.
The 22-year-old left-hand opening batsman received a maiden Firebirds professional contract ahead of the current summer and departs having played nine Plunket Shield matches, six Ford Trophy games and three Dream11 Super Smash T20s for the Firebirds – as well as a handful of matches for Ireland’s Northern Knights (not to be confused with NZ’s Northern Knights, now known as Northern Brave) before he was picked up by the capital.
The former New Zealand Under-19 rep who played in the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup made a splash in Ireland’s 2021 summer, scoring his only T20 half century for Ireland’s Knights with a knock of 51 off 41 in Dublin in the Inter-Provincial Trophy.
Georgeson had made his debut for Wellington in February 2020 in the one-day format, and also scored a List A maiden century (128) and two half tons for the Knights, while the best of his two half centuries for the Firebirds is a knock of 56.
Wellington-born Georgeson holds an Irish passport through ancestry, and will come under the influence of newly appointed Ireland coach Heinrich Malan – the former Central Stags and Auckland Aces head coach who moved to Ireland for his new role last month.
He became eligible for Irish selection from the end of January 2021, three years after he last played for New Zealand U19s (the qualification criteria having changed from four years to three).
Cricket Ireland has contracted Georgeson for one year.
Name of Author: New Zealand Cricket
The New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, made their Test debut in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth nation to play Test cricket. After waiting 26 years for their first Test win against the West Indies in 1956, they also played their first ODI in 1972–73 against Pakistan. New Zealand are the inaugural World Test Championship champions (2021) and have won the ICC Champions Trophy (2000). They have reached the Cricket World Cup final twice and the T20 World Cup final once.
