THERE are very few sportsmen who can be immediately identified by their initials. In cricket we have WG of course, while in other codes BOD, DJ, JPR or JBM will produce instant reaction among their followers. But Irish cricket is unique in that our household name’s initials aren’t even his real name.
David Trent Johnston, known to one and all as TJ, plays his last game this evening in the city that has been his home for a decade.
He played his last game for Ireland in 2013, having contributed ten glorious summers to the side. Those ten years hauled Irish cricket into the 21st century – some would say the 20th too – and left the game in ruder health than he could have dreamed of when he and his family took the last plane out of Sydney one morning in January 2004.
It was a trip he only took after some urging by former Carlisle team-mate Jason Molins, who had worked out that a loophole in naturalisation law meant Trent was entitled to an Irish passport, an ICC prerequisite at the time. Jason was Irish captain at the time, and had been telling Adrian Birrell about this big, strapping bowler who was quicker than anyone else he had in his squad.
Johnston had spent three seasons at Carlisle back in the ’90s, and a further season at Leinster in 2001. Back home his cricket had been noticed too, and he secured a contract with New South Wales.
He made his debut alongside Mark Taylor, David Boon and Brett Lee, but a freak accident – he broke his arm in the door of the team coach – derailed his progress and his contract wasn’t renewed.
“I wasn’t sure Adi would pick me”, admits Trent, while the coach wasn’t convinced either. But he took that flight and a week after his 30th birthday made his Irish debut against Surrey on May 5th, 2004 at Castle Avenue, home of his newest LCU club. His naturalisation wasn’t through in time so he played as a second overseas player alongside Gerald Dros. TJ took 1-35 off his eight overs in a rare victory over a county side.
Trent’s work-rate was something new in Irish cricket, and his passion and on-field aggression marked him out as a leader in waiting. He spearheaded the attack that qualified for the World Cup and soon after replaced Molins as captain and collected Ireland’s first global ICC trophy with the 2005 Intercontinental Cup.
Heading to the World Cup in the Caribbean, Johnston’s public mantra was that the aim was to show the Irish people that we have a cricket team, but privately he was upbeat about the draw which pitched them against Zimbabwe, Pakistan and West Indies.
Sure enough, two powerful innings by Jeremy Bray and Niall O’Brien, and brilliant bowling by Andre Botha and Kyle McCallan, among others, saw Ireland atop the group, unbeaten after two games. But perhaps the two most memorable moments from the win over Pakistan involve the captain – his full length dive to catch Kamran Akmal, and the six into the George Headley Stand which got Ireland over the line.
It was a transformative moment, one which was exploited and built upon, on and off the field. Johnston returned home to find his weekly visit to the supermarket took twice as long due to the numbers who wanted to congratulate him. He moved to Railway Union and led that club to its first senior league and cup wins in more than 40 years, before another move, to YMCA for whom he lifted a Leinster Senior Cup.
After a career mostly free of injury, the march of time hit him hard. The advent of central contracts was a huge help, probably giving him four more years that wouldn’t have been possible as a part-timer. But those big legs and powerful shoulders had given too much and a brief retirement in 2008 was a sign that all wasn’t well.
When he finally called it a day, which he announced last summer, he explained what the sport now did to him: “It's becoming harder to recover after matches, so much so that I can hardly walk for a couple of days.” After the UAE tour he had to ask his kids to help take off his socks and he knew then his time was limited. “Although it would have been great to play in another World Cup in Australia, it was just beyond me. It’s time to move on to new things and give Phil Simmons a chance to find somebody to replace me.”
Johnston’s last efforts in an Irish shirt were crucial, his man of the match award in the World T20 qualifier final against Afghanistan for a career best 62 and 3-34, and a fourth InterContinental Cup medal in Dubai.
For the past year Johnston has been a full-time coach, leaving Leinster Lightning with three trophies out of five so far, and set fair a fourth. The Irish Women are European Champions and English Division T20 champions too, while his Academy charges are making great strides - one into his county debut this very week. His final tally of 198 caps and 270 wickets leaves him high in the Pantheon, but the numbers are secondary.
“I was incredibly proud to wear the shamrock and to lead your country 60 times including a World Cup was just massive for me”, he said. “That first World Cup put Irish cricket on the map and it has kick-started the cricketing expansion that we’re witnessing now. It was a privilege to be part of that.”
Get along to Claremont Road tonight (5pm) - even if there wasn't a league and relegation at stake it would be a huge occasion.