These 20 years have flown by

Jeremy Blackmore catches up with Tim Murtagh after bringing the curtain down on his international career

Tim Murtagh may have called time on his international career with Ireland, but the evergreen seamer shows no sign of slowing down.

It is 20 years since Murtagh made his first-team debut for Surrey before becoming a constant fixture in the Middlesex bowling attack.

As a sign of his enduring ability to run through opposition batting line-ups, he claimed his 37^th five-for at the Oval this month and then bowled 48 overs in 35-degree heat at Radlett.

“Some days it does feel 20 years,” he told TCP. “Some days it doesn't. Some days after we’ve spent a day in the field, it definitely does! But it's flown.

“I don't feel 39 at all really. It's quite strange. I still have a great appetite for the game and still really enjoy that batter against bowler competition. It’s something I've loved for 20 years. That's no different to how it was 20 years ago. Once I step on the field, I'm always fiercely competitive.”

That competitive streak and his metronomic accuracy have brought him 830 first-class wickets and almost 400 white-ball scalps in a career which also saw him play 75 international games.

However, with Ireland players classed as overseas in county cricket from this year, Lambeth-born Murtagh was forced to make the difficult decision to give up his international career to continue playing for his beloved Middlesex.

“It took me a while to get my head around it, hoping that the rules might change. I still felt I had more to offer to Ireland and the international game, but I've got family now with two kids and we’re all settled here [in London]. It would have been a bit of an upheaval to move.

“Also, I wouldn't have been playing regular cricket over there and at my age, I need to keep the body moving and keep playing. Big chunks without any competitive games might have been hard work. So, it was a tough decision, but one that I’ve made my peace with now.”

Murtagh made the move across the Thames to Middlesex in search of regular cricket in 2007 and counts himself lucky to have played almost every four-day game since.

“They’ve been so welcoming. I love the place. I’ve many fond memories, winning the Championship in 2016 being the highlight.

“I want to give as much as I can towards Middlesex right at the back end of my career. I want to keep playing as long as I can and as long as I still feel I’m good enough to compete.”

Murtagh’s bowling average dropped significantly on moving to Middlesex. He has claimed 714 first-class wickets for the Seaxes at just 23.91, compared to an average of 37 at Surrey.

He believes he was at the right age to kick on when he switched counties. Regular opportunities played a part too. Bowling at Lord’s also helped.

“It suits my style of bowling a bit better. At the Oval, it does swing but generally it’s a better batting wicket. Whereas Lord’s offers a bit more through the air and with the slope.”

He credits former Middlesex bowling coach Richard Johnson for his support. However, Murtagh has never tinkered with his action and prefers not to look at videos.

“[I’d rather] just go on feel and just get myself in a battle with a batter rather than worrying about where my left arm is, where my right foot’s landed.

“I’ve always been a bit more like that, and not so concerned about the technical side of things. It's more the game plans, working batsmen out and putting them under enough pressure over time to make them make mistakes.”

His Ireland career came from a chance conversation over dinner with close friend and former Middlesex teammate Ed Joyce who asked about Murtagh’s surname which originates from his Irish grandfather. Joyce said that he could qualify for Ireland via that route.

“I was around 30. I’d given up any chance of playing for England, so that was a nice bonus to have at the back end of my career. To get eight years of playing international cricket, going around the world, seeing different sides and playing in different conditions was great. That culminated in the Test Match at Lord’s last year which was a pretty special week.”

Murtagh gave the England selectors a glimpse of what they had been missing and why he became a valued mainstay of the Ireland side, as he ran through England’s top order with a startling return of 5-13.

“It's an incredibly special place and to be given that chance to get myself on the honours board and give England a bit of a fright was a week I’ll never forget.

“The dream growing up would have been to be on the honours board in the home dressing room, not the away one, but that’s how it worked out!”

Ireland struggled in the first two recent ODIs against England before what Murtagh calls an ‘awesome’ performance by former Middlesex teammates Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie to chase down 329 in the third fixture.

“Ireland have got some talent, they've got some good young players coming through, but it’s difficult. They're not playing enough competitive cricket to the quality that say an Ed Joyce or Niall O’Brien, who grew up in the county system and were playing week-in, week-out against some pretty good players and good teams over here.

“These guys are not going to have that and it's going to take a bit of time for a first-class structure in Ireland to really take off and become a strong enough competition to feed into the international game.

“That's my only concern that with that bridge being shut between county cricket and the Irish players that they’re going to have to learn quicker and on their feet almost and it is going to take a bit of time.”

Murtagh speaks proudly of wife Karina, CEO of the Ruth Strauss Foundation. Donations during the Red for Ruth Test Match at Old Trafford exceeded £870,000.

“It was incredible and testament to her and the team around her. A lot of hard work went in behind the scenes. I’m very proud of her.”

Donations to the Foundation can be made at: https://ruthstraussfoundation.com/