Cricket/ One-day match: Ireland lost to Essex by seven wickets at Clontarf in yesterday's Friends Provident Trophy match, going down to a dazzling century by Ravi Bopara, who won the game in a partnership of 180 with his captain, Ronnie Irani. The Essex pair saw their side home with 8.3 overs to spare.
There were signs of improvement from a changed Ireland team, particularly with the bat, much needed after being bowled out for 62 by Gloucestershire at the same ground on Thursday.
In came the Railway Union pair of Kenny Carroll and Roger Whelan. Carroll has been on the fringes of selection for some time and was a member of the World Cup squad. He replaced Jeremy Bray, who was rested, and Roger Whelan replaced Kyle McCallan, who suffered a family bereavement.
Significantly, coach Phil Simmons also called two others into the squad: Alex Cusack of Clontarf and Thinus Fourie of Merrion have represented Ireland A, but have yet to make a senior appearance. Both were left out before play started, but may play later in this tournament.
Explaining Bray's absence, Simmons said the team had been looking tired after their exploits in the World Cup, and he felt "it was time to freshen it up a little".
"I'll be rotating the guys over the next few weeks in the lead-up to our ODIs at the end of June," said Simmons.
Having been put in to bat by Irani, Ireland's total of 228 was mainly down to a welcome return to form by William Porterfield, who made 88. When he had scored 82, the 22-year-old passed 1,000 runs for Ireland, a personal milestone reached in his 29th match for his country.
Carroll was first to go, caught at point, after an opening partnership of 21, and he was followed quickly back to the pavilion by Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand overseas professional. Ryder travelled to Ireland for the game straight after playing for his club, New Brighton, in the Liverpool League on Saturday. He was bowled by Bopara for two, following his duck on debut during Thursday's match.
Porterfield and Kevin O'Brien consolidated with a 74-run partnership before O'Brien fell for 37, stumped by James Foster off James Middlebrook, the Essex off-spinner.
Peter Gillespie then continued his run of form, making 47 off 53 balls, hitting five fours. Gillespie was making his 122nd appearance, making him the second-most capped player behind McCallan, who has 163. The Strabane player moved one ahead of Alan Lewis, the international rugby referee.
Bopara also removed Porterfield, whose vigil fell 12 runs short of a deserved century. In all he faced 134 balls and scored 12 fours in his 88.
An early breakthrough by Dave Langford-Smith removed Alastair Cook, who an hour before play started was named in England's squad to play West Indies at Lords this week. The Ireland opening bowler pinned him lbw on the back foot.
Langford-Smith then took another wicket, that of Pettini, which brought Bopara in to join Irani. It was the partnership that won the game for Essex, with Bopara beating his skipper to three figures just before the end of the game, having survived a huge appeal for caught behind off Johnston when on 12.
The innings confirmed the potential shown by Bopara in the World Cup, where he was one of very few positives to emerge from the tournament from an England perspective. He finally fell just after he reached three figures and only two short of the target, by the last ball of Roger Whelan's spell, which nipped back and looked an easy lbw decision.
Ireland Innings
W Porterfield c Cook b Bopara 88
K Carroll c Bopara b Napier 7
J Ryder b Bopara 2
K O'Brien st Foster b Middlebrook 37
P Gillespie not out 47
D Johnston b Danish Kaneria 1
A White not out 25
Extras(lb8 w10 nb2) 20
Total(5 wkts, 50 overs) 227
Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-43, 3-117, 4-166, 5-174.
Did not bat: G Wilson, D Langford-Smith, R Whelan, M Hayward.
Bowling: Nel 10-2-38-0; Napier 9-1-34-1; Bopara 8-0-43-2; Danish Kaneria 10-2-33-1; Doeschate 5-0-27-0; Middlebrook 8-0-44-1.
Essex Innings
A Cook lbw b Langford-Smith 14
R Irani not out 90
M Pettini c Whelan b Langford-Smith 4
R Bopara lbw b Whelan 101
J Foster not out 0
Extras(b4 lb6 w3 nb6) 19
Total(3 wkts, 41.3 overs) 228
Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-46, 3-226.
Did not bat: R ten Doeschate, J Middlebrook, T Phillips, G Napier, D Kaneria.
Bowling: Hayward 6-0-38-0, Langford-Smith 7-0-44-2, Johnston 8-1-27-0, Whelan 9-0-54-1, A White 8.3-1-31-0, K O'Brien 3-0-24-0.
Umpires: V A Holder and G Sharp.
Essex beat Ireland by 7 wkts
