Cricket:Ireland went down to an agonising last-over defeat to Nottinghamshire in their Friends Provident Trophy clash at Castle Avenue today as Paul Franks hit the penultimate ball of the match to the boundary to complete a tight two-wicket victory for the English county side.
Chasing 141 for victory in a rain-reduced 34-over game, Nottinghamshire looked to be coasting to victory following a 42-run partnership between former England wicketkeeper Chris Read and Will Jefferson.
Irish skipper Kyle McCallan made the important breakthrough, trapping Read leg-before for 12. And when the 6ft 8in Jefferson then holed out to Kevin O’Brien for 31 off the bowling of Andrew White, Nottinghamshire were reduced to 126 for seven, and still needed to score 14 off the last two overs.
Seven came off Alex Cusack’s final over, during which England bowler Ryan Sidebottom was run out. White gave away four off his first four deliveries, but Franks drove the next ball past the despairing drive of Andrew Poynter in the covers to keep his side’s hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals alive.
Earlier, out of favour England spinner Samit Patel claimed career-best one-day figures of six for 13 from his seven overs to tear a hole in Ireland’s innings.
Having been put into bat, openers Jeremy Bray and Reinhardt Strydom put on 50 for the first wicket before the introduction of left-armer Patel changed the course of the match.
Making the best of a dry pitch, he had both openers stumped by Read and would take four wickets in 13 balls, before coming back in his second spell to take the wickets of White and O’Brien, who put on 47 for the sixth wicket.
Ireland travel to England for their final two games, starting with a day/night clash against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl on Monday before they finish their campaign against Worcestershire at New Road on Wednesday.
SCORES
Ireland 140-8 (34 ovs) (R Strydom 27, A White 24, J Bray 22, K O’Brien 22; S Patel 6-13), Nottinghamshire 141-8 (33.5 ovs) (A Brown 32, W Jefferson 32; K McCallan 2-20). Nottinghamshire won by 2 wkts.