Harry Tector

Born into a cricketing family - his brothers Jack and Tim also captained Ireland at U19 World Cups - Harry Tector has quietly amassed an impressive record in the senior side since cementing a spot in the post-Covid era.

Playing in just his third ODI, in 2020, Tector produced an ice-cool 29 not out off 26 balls to help secure a famous win chasing 329 with a ball to spare. Paul Stirling's and Andy Balbirnie's hundreds may have taken the headlines on the day, but Tector's poise gave hope that Ireland may have found a cure for the middle-order ills that had plagued them following multiple retirements toward the end of the 2010s.

After a string of 20s and 30s against lesser opposition, Tector showed signs that he performs better on a bigger stage after he made 79 off 68 balls to help take Ireland to their first ever ODI win over South Africa, in July 2021. Since then, he hasn't looked back, making three fifties in Jamaica in an ODI series win over West Indies to start 2022. That run came in a stretch of nine ODI innings where he made seven scores of over 50, the last two of them hundreds against New Zealand. In between whiles he also made an unbeaten 64 off 33 balls in a rain-shortened T20 against India at Malahide.

Tector's reputation as a T20 player of value has grown enough that he is one of the few Ireland cricketers able to attract interest on the T20 franchise circuit. He secured a deal with Barbados Royals in the CPL in 2022.