[1] Irvine was a hard-hitting left-handed middle-order batsman, a fine outfielder who became a regular wicketkeeper and an occasional right-arm medium pace bowler.
He was, however, pretty much an unknown quantity when he was signed by Essex as an overseas player for the 1968 English cricket season,[1] the first season when limited numbers of overseas players were allowed to be registered without a period of qualification or a special dispensation.
[3] He finally scored a century for Essex in the match against Glamorgan at the end of the season.
His batting immediately moved up a notch in terms of averages and aggregates and he also started to keep wicket regularly for the team.
He was selected for the proposed tours of England in 1970 and Australia in 1971–72, but the tours were called off, and though other players, such as Barry Richards and Mike Procter, returned to their English counties, Irvine did not go back to Essex after 1969.