Now it is the turn of Ireland’s cricketers.

Their first Test match against Pakistan has been taking place at Malahide, although the first day was unfortunately washed out.

The Irish have one of the longest cricket traditions of all and the game has flourished in Ireland for over two centuries.

In the 1850s, they exchanged fixtures with the revered Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London and, in the process, they became the first overseas team to play and win at Lord’s, considered the home of the cricket.

This summer, they will be joined in the Test arena by Afghanistan, who play their first official match against India next month. It is the first time since 1877 that two newcomers have made their bow in the same year; historical evidence suggests both will find the early going tough.

The term Test match had not even been invented way back then; instead the contest was billed as a ‘’Grand Combination match’’.

Alfred Shaw of England bowled the first ball to Australia’s Charles Bannerman at Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 15^th, 1877 to set into motion one of the most enduring rivalries of world sport.

Bannerman eventually retired hurt after striking 165. It was the first Test century and laid the basis for a modest but decisive advantage for Australia. They eventually won the match by 45 runs. A collection was taken for Bannerman to mark his achievement.

The Mercury, an Australian newspaper, noted: “None were taken more by surprise than the Englishmen.

“Whether they had any bets on the match themselves we don’t know, but they were heavily backed by their friends and 100 pounds was the amount of one wager laid with a supporter of Australian talent.”

South Africa are now considered one of the most powerful sides in world cricket but it was not always the case.

In March 1889, their Test debut was over and done with inside two days as England beat them by eight wickets in Port Elizabeth.

England were captained by Sir C Aubrey Smith, who later carved out a career playing upper-crust British types in the movies of the thirties, where he founded the Hollywood Cricket Club. He took five wickets in the first innings of a low-scoring match, the only Test appearance of his career.

The South Africans did not win a test match until their ninth attempt but they did play an important role in the development of international cricket before the First World War. In 1907, Sir Abe Bailey, then President of the South African Cricket Association, wrote a letter to MCC secretary Francis Lacey suggesting an “Imperial Cricket Board”.

Representatives of the three countries gathered in 1909 and the Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) was founded as a result.

They agreed to try a format which, had it flourished, would have revolutionised Test cricket.

In 1912, teams from Australia, South Africa and England met in a Triangular tournament of Test matches but the idea was shelved after the tournament was blighted by heavy rain.

Cricket was developing elsewhere and in the late twenties and early thirties, the family grew once again.

In 1926, the ICC invited delegates from three new territories and agreed that membership should comprise ‘’governing bodies of cricket in countries within the (British) empire to which cricket teams are sent or send teams to England”.

This did exclude the United States, which seemed a little harsh. Their annual encounter with Canada, inaugurated in 1844, remains the longest standing in all international cricket.

In 1928, the West Indies played their first Test match at Lord’s. They were captained by RK Nunes, who spent the night before the match re-visiting his old school, where they held a dinner in his honour.

Among the West Indians was Learie Constantine, destined later to become a Cabinet Minister enter the House of Lords.

The correspondent of The Times newspaper noted that he was a “cricketer of exceptional merit”. Although he took four wickets he was unable to prevent an innings defeat for his side.

The New Zealanders had also been invited to join the ICC and played their first Test against England in January 1930, with the match staged in Christchurch.

On the first morning England’s Maurice Allom took four wickets in five balls to reduce the New Zealanders to 21 for 7. From such a position, a total of 112 all out represented a considerable recovery. Roger Blunt was the top scorer with 45.

Born in England, his family had emigrated when he was only six months old. Batsmen continued to have problems and no player on either side scored a half century. England eventually won by eight wickets.

India achieved Test cricket status in 1932 and made an impressive start thanks to fast bowler Mohammed Nissar, who took five wickets at Lord’s against an England team which featured many star names.

‘’The Indian bowlers created a very good impression with the England team,” admitted England wicketkeeper Les Ames.

That the home team ultimately prevailed was due to skipper Douglas Jardine, a man noted for his iron will. Jardine had actually been born in India and top scored in both innings.

The tourists in those days were billed as “All India” but after partition and independence, Pakistan were in line for a place.

Their first official Test was against their greatest rivals India in Delhi. The home side posted a commanding 372 and Pakistan were unable to come to terms with Vinoo Mankad, who took thirteen wickets in the match as India won by an innings.

Pakistan’s top-scoring batsman was Hanif Mohammad, later to enjoy prolific status. For the next 26 years, every Pakistani team would either include Hanif or one of his brothers.

It would be thirty years before the next addition to the test match “family”. The Sri Lankans had long been a popular destination but they wanted to be known as something more than just a stopover to and from Australia.

They made their case for a place in Test cricket with courageous showings at the early World Cup tournaments. In 1979, still an Associate member nation of what was by now the International Cricket Council, they beat India.

Finally their Test debut came in 1982 in Colombo against England. Sri Lankan President Junius Jayewardene met both teams.

Although England won a low scoring match by seven wickets, the Sri Lankans soon proved a competitive force in test cricket.

During the seventies and eighties, no official teams had visited South Africa. They had been ostracised from world sport because of their Government’s apartheid policy, which would have made a Test match against West Indies unthinkable but the sides met in 1992 as part of South Africa’s re-entry to world sport.

In the “new” South Africa’s test debut, which took place in Bridgetown Barbados, a tight finish seemed in prospect until fast bowlers Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh got to work. South Africa lost their last eight second innings wickets for only 25 runs to give the West Indies victory.

South Africa’s neighbours Zimbabwe became a Test nation in impressive fashion in 1992. Kevin Arnott and Grant Flower posted a century opening stand against India in their inaugural Test. 

Skipper David Houghton hit 121 and a star-filled Indian team briefly wobbled, especially when Sachin Tendulkar departed for a duck. The Indian batting later recovered and the match was drawn.

Sadly it was not a sign of things to come as the game became increasingly politicised under the Robert Mugabe regime and many of the top players left the country.

Bangladesh became the first test nation of the new millennium. A banner proclaimed “we are the next generation” in Dhaka as the players readied themselves for their first Test against India.

They had an instant hero when Aminul Islam struck 145 in front of a crowd of 50,000 which included Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh totalled 400 but their second innings brought them rapidly to earth as they were all out for just 91.

Although the Bangladeshis did win a Test match against Australia last summer and also beat England in 2016, successes in the last 18 years have been few and far between in the long form of the game though one day success has at least been more regular.

Test cricket is the hardest school; Ireland and Afghanistan, you have been warned.