Randy Petes off to tour the Emerald Isle in lead-up to grade cricket season

Randwick Petersham Cricket Club will head off on a tour of England and Ireland this Saturday as it looks to find form in the lead-up to the grade cricket season.

Irish consul general Jane Connolly joined the Randwick Petersham cricket club for a farewell dinner ahead of their tour of England and Ireland, departing July 1. Picture: Peter Bannigan.

Randwick Petersham Cricket Club will head off on a tour of England and Ireland this Saturday as it looks to find form in the lead-up to the grade cricket season.

The squad of 15 made up from a mix of lower grade up to second grade players is looking forward to the opportunity to represent the club on the tour.

The Randy Petes will spend the first week in Maidstone, Kent, where they will take on local region clubs Gore Court, The Mote and Linton Park.

The second leg of the tour will take them to Dublin, Ireland, to compete against local sides Malahide, Merrion, Leinster and Pembroke.

Cricket Ireland and Randwick Petersham formed a partnership during the lead-up to the 2015 ICC World Cup of one-day internationals with a match at Coogee Oval.

The Randy Petes have since welcomed a plethora of Irish internationals including Barry McCarthy and Andrew Balbirnie as part of the Overseas Scholarship Program, with the bond forged inspiring the idea for the British Isles tour.

Cricket Ireland has recently been given the status to play Test cricket, recognising the growth of the game across the nation.

The Randwick squad was joined by Irish consul general Jane Connolly (pictured) at a dinner last week to celebrate the impending tour, marking the importance of the club’s partnership with Cricket Ireland and wishing luck to the players.

The squad has received support from local sponsors including Coogee Bay Hotel, SOS Rehydrate, Impala Sports and JC Travel.

To follow the club’s progress on the tour, visit its Facebook page facebook.com/RandwickPetershamCricket