CRICKET:An innings of 95 not out from Alex Cusack and some late wickets saw Ireland keep hopes alive of a third straight Intercontinental Cup title in their final encounter against Namibia in Port Elizabeth today.
Their opponents finished the day 69 runs ahead but lost two early wickets in their second innings with Ireland opening bowler Peter Connell picking up two leg-before decisions to remove Louis van der Westhuizen and Louis Klazinga as they closed on 14 for two.
Connell earlier wrapped up Namibia's first innings on 250 when he bowled Kola Burger for 29 to claim his second five-wicket haul in just his fifth match in the competition.
Connell was to be trumped by the performance of Gerrie Snyman, who swung the ball fiercely on the St George's Park wicket to demolish Ireland's top-order.
After trapping Niall O'Brien leg-before for a duck in his second over, Snyman would go on take three wickets in four balls as skipper William Porterfield, Andre Botha and Kevin O'Brien were all clean-bowled in the 11th over to reduce Ireland to 27 for four.
Ten runs were added to the total before Andrew White became Snyman's fifth victim and the possibility of following on looked a distinct possibility.
Cusack and Trent Johnston supplied the cool heads when needed and rebuilt Ireland's innings with a sixth-wicket stand of 141, including 101 runs in the session between lunch and tea.
Johnston would eventually fall for a patient 58 from 129 balls, setting off a collapse as Sarel Burger helped himself to four wickets as Ireland were bowled out for 195.
It left Cusack five short of a deserved second century for Ireland after he had faced 230 deliveries and hit 15 boundaries.
SCORECARD
At St George's Park, Port Elizabeth. Day 2 (Overnight: Namibia 1st Inns 241-9 (90 ovs) (L Burger 72no, B Kotze 43, K Burger 22no; P Connell 4-51, B Rankin 2-62).
NAMIBIA 1ST INNS
A Burger b Johnston 13
L van der Westhuizen c K O'Brien b Rankin 18
S Burger c Porterfield b Connell 21
C Williams c Cusack b Connell 25
G Snyman c Connell b Botha 9
L Burger not out 74
D Kotze c Johnston b Cusack 5
B Kotze lbw b Rankin 43
T Verwey c West b Connell 0
L Klazinga lbw b Connell 0
K Burger b Connell 29
Extras (b5 lb8) 13
Total (all out, 94.3 ovs) 250
Fall: 1-36, 2-37, 3-81, 4-82, 5-104, 6-119, 7-210, 8-211, 9-212.
Bowling: P Connell 20.3-5-54-5; B Rankin 21-3-68-2; A Botha 20-8-41-1; T Johnston 19-6-43-1; R West 6-1-14-0; A Cusack 6-2-9-1; K McCallan 2-0-8-0.
IRELAND 1ST INNS
W Porterfield b Snyman 12
N O'Brien lbw b Snyman 0
A Botha b Snyman 0
A Cusack not out 95
K O'Brien b Snyman 0
A White c Williams b Snyman 8
T Johnston b D Kotze 58
K McCallan lbw b S Burger 2
R West c Verwey b S Burger 0
P Connell b S Burger 1
B Rankin c Verwey b S Burger 4
Extras (b8 lb5 w2) 15
Total (all out, 73.3 ovs) 195
Fall: 1-11, 2-27, 3-27, 4-27, 5-37, 6-178, 7-181, 8-181, 9-187.
Bowling: G Snyman 15-2-53-5; K Burger 8-0-33-0; L Klazinga 11-1-35-0; S Burger 19.3-9-23-4; B Kotze 7-1-26-0; D Kotze 13-7-12-1.
NAMIBIA 2ND INNS
A Burger not out 7
L van der Westhuizen lbw b Connell 0
L Klazinga lbw b Connell 0
S Burger not out 6
Extras (lb1) 1
Total (for 2 wkts, 9 ovs) 14
Fall: 1-1, 2-1.
Bowling: P Connell 5-3-8-2; B Rankin 3-1-3-0; T Johnston 1-0-2-0.
