Cork's Noel Cantwell: A sports man for all seasons

WHEN he won the FA Cup as captain of Manchester United in 1963, Corkman Noel Cantwell hurled aloft the famous trophy high into the air as he celebrated on the Wembley turf.

The story goes that an FA mandarin, feeling all this jollity was getting a little out of hand, ticked off Cantwell for risking damage to the venerable cup.

“Don’t worry,” replied Cantwell. “I knew I would be able to catch it, I play cricket for Ireland.”

His glorious career in the sport, during which he played for Cork County Cricket Club at the Mardyke, has been overshadowed by his exploits in soccer, where he also won two league titles with Manchester United, and played with distinction for West Ham United and Ireland.

But Cantwell is still hailed as one of the finest players ever produced by Cork County Cricket Club, which this year celebrated its 150th anniversary. He enjoyed great success as an all-rounder – with bat and ball – for both his home county and his country.

Such was his devotion to the game, and to the place where he sported and played it in his youth, that Cantwell, who died in 2005, had his ashes scattered on the cricket square there by his family.

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Born in 1932, Noel Cantwell grew up near the Mardyke, an appropriate address for one who would become both a soccer and cricket international.

He and his brothers, Frank and Gerry, played their club cricket with Cork Bohemians, played with Cork County in friendlies against Dublin, Northern Irish and English opposition, and all three played for Munster in inter-provincial matches in the post-war period.

At the same time, Noel was earning a name for himself as a star soccer full-back. Having cut his teeth in schoolboy football with Western Rovers, he captained the Irish Youths’ team.

The story goes that he was working on his batting stroke in the nets at Cork County Cricket Club one day in 1950 when a messenger from Cork Athletic was dispatched to offer him his first professional soccer break.

Athletic, for whom his older brother Frank played, were a man short for a Shield game against Waterford United and Cantwell’s proximity earned him his debut.

Such are the twists of fate that can shape a lifetime.

Meanwhile, Cantwell continued to impress with bat and ball for Cork Bohemians, probably the dominant club side in Cork and Munster in this period, winning the Senior League on six occasions in the 1950s.

Noel, a left-handed batsman and a right arm medium-paced bowler, would go on to play international cricket for Ireland.

Contemporary s describe him as being a fluent stroke maker and a brilliant fielder – hence his ability to juggle the FA Cup with aplomb at Wembley.

While he modestly downplayed his ability as a bowler, he was noted as “having the habit of taking wickets at club level when most needed”.

Noel played cricket five times for Ireland in the period 1956 to 1959. The side played relatively few matches then, perhaps three or four a year, and quite a few were in late August or September, when Noel’s burgeoning soccer commitments would have ruled him out of contention for selection.

He made his debut for Ireland in a three-day match against Scotland in Edinburgh from June 30 to July 2, 1956. Ireland escaped with a draw after Scotland amassed 411-6 declared in their first innings.

Ireland were bowled out for 276 in their first innings and, after Scotland declared their second innings on 56 for 1, made 76 for 4, having been set 191 to win.

Noel performed very capably with the bat, scoring 31 in the first innings, and 17 not out in the second. He also bowled his only spell for Ireland in the Scottish first innings, two overs for 13 runs and no wickets.

In 1957, West Indies played Ireland in a two-day game in Belfast, which was drawn, and in a one-day match in College Park on July 12. Noel came into the side for the one-day match, in which the visitors scored 140 for 7 before bowling out Ireland for 61.

Noel was out for a duck on this occasion – his only consolation being, perhaps, that he was caught by Frank Worrell and bowled by Gary Sobers – two of the greatest players in West Indian and world cricket history.

Other West Indian greats who played in that match were Rohan Kanhai and Wes Hall. Sobers took five wickets for 43 runs in 18 overs.

On July 16-17, 1958, Ireland played New Zealand in a two-day match in Belfast. The hosts scored 130 and 179 while New Zealand recorded a score of 208 in their only innings, with the match ending in a draw. Noel top-scored for Ireland in the first innings with 40 but was out for 7 in the second innings.

On July 18, the sides met again in College Park. New Zealand scored 182 for 4, in reply to which Ireland scored 121 for 3 in yet another draw. Noel was run out for 6.

In reporting on the New Zealand two-day match, Wisden stated that “Ireland were saved from collapse by Cantwell who, after showing very sound defence, hit boldly”.

After that game, Noel was offered professional by Essex but he declined on the basis that he did not want to spend the whole year in England. He obviously enjoyed his summertime and cricket in Cork.

His final game for Ireland was against Lancashire on July 1-2, 1959. Ireland hit 146 and 75 and Lancashire scored 204 for 8 and 18 for 1 to win by 9 wickets. Noel scored 25 and 11 in the game, batting at Number 4.

Probably the best known player in that Lancashire side was Ken Higgs, a future test seamer, who bowled 11 overs in the match for 6 runs and 1 wicket.

Had his sporting career progressed differently, and he had concentrated on cricket as his first sport, he might have blazed a trail for future Irish cricketers such as Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan, and been a star player in English County cricket and Test cricket.

Noel Cantwell died, aged 73, in 2005, and a decade later, Cork City Council commemorated his sporting career by renaming one of the roads connecting the Mardyke with the Western Road ‘Noel Cantwell Way’.

His beloved wife, Maggie, kept his ashes at their home in Peterborough, England, but, upon her death in 2017, the couple’s daughters, Kate and Elizabeth, decided to have them scattered over the cricket square in Cork where he enjoyed so many sporting memories.

150 years not out for Cork's long running, eye-catching cricket club

THE origins of Cork County Cricket Club and its base at the Mardyke actually go all the way back to 1849.

That year, The Mardyke Cricket Club was founded, but 25 years later, it was decided to form a new club which would embrace the county – thus, Cork County Cricket Club was born in 1874.

This year, the club marked its 150th anniversary with a City Hall reception and various other events, including a match against the prestigious MCC.

The club’s original Life read like a who’s who of Cork in the 19th century, and the list included the Earls of Cork and of Bandon, Sir George C. Colthurst, of Blarney Castle, W.H Sharman Crawford, and R.P Beamish.

Cricket flourished in the years before independence, especially in garrison towns, and the beauty of the Mardyke setting achieved widespread fame.

In 1903, the legendary W.G Grace played there for London County against a Gentlemen of Ireland team and, having been dismissed for two low scores, opined: “How could any man be expected to play cricket in such beautiful surroundings?”

Given that games can last all day in the summer months, refreshments have long been a tradition in cricket, and often a few tipples too.

In 1884, the club decreed that if a member appeared on the field twice under the influence of drink, the first time he was to be cautioned and the second time, “to be deprived of the privilege of the Club”.

Although the sport lost popularity after independence, the Cork club benefited from the organisation of leagues across Munster and Ireland, augmented by visits from clubs overseas.

The first of Cork County Cricket Club to represent Ireland were Barclay Wilson and Noel Cantwell, in 1955. Two years later, Jim Kiernan – also a distinguished rugby player, and brother of Tom – was awarded a cap.

A total of 32 of Cork County Cricket Club have played for their country, including Denis Leng, Wally Booton, Noel Mahony, Ian Lewis, Jack Short, John Power, Ted Williamson, and Pat Dineen – the latter gaining the most caps of any Cork player – 23.

There have also been three first-class international cricket games played at the Mardyke, all Ireland v Scotland matches, in 1947, 1961 and 1973.

Perhaps the greatest feat at the venue occurred in that 1973 match when Ireland all-rounder Dermott Monteith scored 100 runs and grabbed ten wickets

He hit 26 and 78, and took 7-38 and 5-57 as Ireland won by 50 runs. Cricket Bible Wisden reported that the Scottish batsmen “could not fathom his bowling”.

The club has shown an ability to not just survive but thrive in recent decades, buying the lease for the ground in 1970 and surviving a disastrous flood in 2009.

This year, the Mardyke groundsman Matt Reed received The Lord Taverner Ireland Groundskeeping Team of the Year Award from Cricket Ireland.

The club embraces a diverse group of more than a dozen nationalities, many from countries where cricket is the most popular sport, and is also hoping to set up a women’s team, while embracing and fostering youth players of both sexes.

Among the many tributes to the club in its 150th anniversary year was this from former England star Derek Pringle.

“With its splendid playing field bound by tall hedges and leafy views of Cork’s northern suburbs across the River Lee, the Mardyke is cricket utopia – a rural idyll in an urban setting. Such places just revivify the soul.”