Cricket:Ireland let a winning position slip away in their bid to claim a first ever victory over Australia as the world champions triumphed by 39 runs at Clontarf. Australia had looked rusty in the face of some tight Irish bowling and were thankful for Tim Paine's 81 from 122 balls as they managed 231.
Ireland then looked on course for a famous first victory over the world champions when skipper William Porterfield and Paul Stirling thrashed 80 in a breezy opening stand from 11 overs.
But the wheels fell off the Irish chase thereafter as all-rounder James Hopes claimed career-best figures of five for 14 and ripped through the hosts who were bowled out for 192 from 42 overs.
It meant Australia avoided the embarrassment of defeat against a team with just six full-time professionals and at least blew away some of the cobwebs ahead of the five-match ODI series against England, which begins at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.
Ireland got off to a flying start in their chase thanks to their skipper Porterfield and Stirling as they thrashed Australia’s new-ball bowlers to all parts of the picturesque Castle Avenue.
Porterfield cut Ryan Harris to the point fence on three occasions in the Australian’s opening over which cost him 16. Stirling offered the same punishment to Clint McKay, who had immediately replaced Harris, before Porterfield launched the Victorian over square and into the neighbouring houses.
The 4,500 sell-out crowd were enjoying every moment in the glorious sunshine and their mood was helped further when Nathan Hauritz dropped a running chance off Porterfield in front of the beer tent when he was on 35.
The world champions were under pressure but hit back with three quick wickets for the cost of six runs. Harris slid a yorker into the stumps of Stirling (36) before trapping Gary Wilson (four) in front.
Porterfield’s enterprise was then ended meekly when he misjudged a Hauritz delivery that held its line and crashed into his off stump. Australian-born Alex Cusack and Niall O’Brien maintained Irish belief with a 51-run stand for the fourth wicket, but Hopes ripped through the middle order to end the contest.
Cusack (30) was trapped lbw by the all-rounder before Niall O’Brien (15) was caught by Paine off Hauritz. Hopes then accounted for Andrew White (four) and Kevin O’Brien (five), both caught behind, before bowling Trent Johnston (one) and trapping Peter Connell lbw (duck) from consecutive balls to secure his maiden ODI five-wicket haul in his 78th match.
Australia’s batsmen had struggled with the bat on a slow surface and after Boyd Rankin induced an early edge from the dangerous Shane Watson (13), who had already clubbed Johnston over the long-on fence, the tourists struggled to find the boundaries.
Skipper Ponting (33) briefly shone, despite having not played since the March tour of New Zealand, as he twice effortlessly caressed Peter Connell to the off-side boundary and defy his team-mates’ struggles.
The watchful Paine hooked Rankin for six over square in a rare show of aggression before Kevin O’Brien (three for 43) and off-spinner Stirling (two for 34) put the clamps on, restricting Australia to just 29 from the 10 overs after the initial powerplay.
The hosts were rewarded for their economy with the wickets of Ponting and vice captain Michael Clarke in successive overs. Ponting miscued Stirling to deep mid-wicket before Clarke was brilliantly stumped by Wilson off medium paceman Alex Cusack for a duck.
Paine’s labour earned him 50, albeit from 86 balls, although the Tasmanian’s stoicism was at least offset by Cameron White’s 54-ball 42 before he lazily swung Stirling to Porterfield at mid-wicket.
That left Australia 152 for four with 12 overs remaining and Paine tried to supply the late hitting, again hooking Rankin for six, before he miscued Kevin O’Brien as far as his brother Niall.
The O’Brien’s then teamed to remove Mike Hussey (eight) and Hauritz (19) as the Australian late hitting never fully materialised amid a crumble of wickets.
Australia
S. Watson c Wilson b Rankin 13
T. Paine c N O'Brien b K O'Brien 81
R. Ponting c White b Stirling 33
M. Clarke st Wilson b Cusack 0
C. White c Porterfield b Stirling 42
M. Hussey c N O'Brien b K O'Brien 8
J. Hopes b Rankin 12
N. Hauritz c N O'Brien b K O'Brien 19
R. Harris c Mooney b Cusack 6
C. McKay not out 4
Extraslb-6, w-6, nb-1 13
Total(9 wickets; 50 overs) 231
Fall of wickets:1-20, 2-86, 3-86, 4-152, 5-186, 6-194, 7-218, 8-222, 9-231
Bowling:Rankin 10-1-45-2, Johnston 5-1-21-0, K O'Brien 10-1-43-3, Connell 5-0-37-0, Cusack 8-0-38-2, Stirling 10-0-34-2, White 2-0-7-0.
Ireland
W. Porterfield b Hauritz 39
P. Stirling b Harris 36
G. Wilson lbw b Harris 4
N. O'Brien c Paine b Hauritz 15
A. Cusack lbw b Hopes 30
K. O'Brien c Paine b Hopes 5
A. White c Paine b Hopes 4
J. Mooney c Ponting b Watson 38
D. Johnston b Hopes 1
P. Connell lbw b Hopes 0
W. Rankin not out 3
Extraslb-3, w-11, nb-3 17
Total(all out; 42 overs) 192
Fall of wickets:1-80, 2-86, 3-86, 4-137, 5-139, 6-146, 7-150, 8-156, 9-156, 10-192
Bowling:Bollinger 6-0-30-0, Harris 7-0-40-2, McKay 6-0-39-0, Hauritz 10-0-40-2, Hopes 9-1-14-5, Watson 4-0-26-1.