Cricket: Ireland are granted Test match status
![Ireland cricket captain William Porterfield](https://www.newsletter.co.uk/webimg/legacy_oak_95555627.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Ireland cricket captain William Porterfield](/img/placeholder.png)
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.
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Hide AdThe 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.