Waringstown Cricket Club is delighted to announce James McCollum as our new men’s first eleven captain.
The Ireland international batsman is taking over at the helm for the 2027 season following Greg Thompson’s hugely successful spell in charge.
James (31), who has played six Test matches and 10 ODIs for Ireland, is already a Waringstown legend in his own right, having been a mainstay of the batting since he joined from Lurgan over a decade ago.
James, who enjoyed arguably his finest season with the bat for Waringstown in 2026, will be assisted by Graham Hume, who is the new vice-captain, as Waringstown bid to follow up our NCU Premier League title success from this summer.
James said: “It’s a privilege to be offered the captaincy of a club so richly steeped in cricketing history and success.
“Special mention to Greg Thompson who has set the bar for expectations and has played such a pivotal role in the success of the first eleven over the past seven years or so.
“Having such a depth of experienced players around the club will definitely make my job a lot easier next season. Looking at our roster for next year it’s a hugely exciting time to be part of the club and hopefully we can fill up the trophy cabinet in 2027.”
First team coach Lee Nelson paid tribute to outgoing captain Thompson
“Firstly I think it’s massively important to thank Greg for his contribution over a seven-year period. His trophy record and personal performances have been crucial over a period of sustained success. Secondly, I’m now massively excited to see the progress of the team under James as captain and Graham as vice captain,” he said.
“James has been vice captain under Greg for the last four seasons so it will be a natural progression for him.
“His development as a player has been evident on the pitch over the last few seasons and we hope this extra responsibility will bring the best out of him as he enters the prime years for himself as a batter of proven quality and temperament.
“I’d like to wish both guys the very best of luck and look forward to working with them in 2027 and beyond.”