CRICKET/Quadrangular Series Quadrangular Tournament:Ireland beat Scotland by 23 runs at Stormont yesterday to finish second overall in the Quadrangular Series.
They recovered from a slow start to reach 222 off their 50 overs, driven by an excellent all-round contribution from Andre Botha and a rugged 72 from Niall O'Brien.
Botha reminded his team-mates of what they've been missing over the last six weeks of his injury-related absence from the team. His medium-paced swingers strangled the Scotland middle order, taking 3 for 27 off his nine overs, to add to 42 runs scored earlier in the day.
A landmark was reached when he clean bowled Matthew Poonia with the score on 66, as Botha took his 100th wicket for Ireland. The South African-born all-rounder from North County has completed a rare double, becoming only the ninth player to have also scored over 2,000 runs for the national team.
The recent wet weather and the proliferation of big games has made the job of groundsman more testing than usual. Unsurprisingly, a slow Stormont wicket didn't encourage fluency and O'Brien was forced to improvise to accelerate the scoring rate. With three spinners in the Scotland attack, he mixed reverse sweeps with conventional drives and pulls to good effect.
Scotland's Haq added three more wickets to the four he took against West Indies during the week. But O'Brien was urged on by his skipper, Trent Johnston, (32) in a partnership of 57, on a day when going the aerial route paid dividends.
When they were separated within two balls in the 47th over the total was 193 for 6 and there was still work to be done to post a testing total.
This was left to Thinus Fourie of Merrion whose quickfire 14 in the last two overs included a straight six; the ball stopping where it pitched like an obedient seven iron, a few feet over the boundary rope. In a tight game, it was the sort of contribution that makes lunch taste that little bit better.
The start of the Scottish reply, was marked by Dave Langford Smith bowling a probing off stump line testing the judgment of Fraser Watts, who went caught and bowled in the third over. It was a dramatic moment, the bowler taking four attempts to secure the ball, falling to his knees as though juggling a piece of antique china.
The Scots then consolidated well with Poonia and Watson putting on 60 for the second wicket.
Gary Kidd, one of eight bowlers used by Johnston, took his first wicket for Ireland at senior level when he had Hussein neatly stumped by Niall O'Brien off his third ball, a well flighted delivery which turned past the batsman's outside edge.
Guided by skipper Watson, Scotland got within striking distance, needing 78 off the final 10 overs. The run rate grew gradually as Botha and Kyle McCallan applied the brakes. So efficient were these two, aided by Alex Cusack at the death, that the visitors still needed 34 off the final two overs. The game ended with a Trent Johnston direct hit, his arms held aloft.
A rendition of Ireland's call was heard ringing out from within the clubhouse as the hundred or so spectators made their way happily home in late afternoon sunshine.
On Saturday, a much bigger crowd suffered a frustrating day. Over 2,500 sat around a sun-bathed Castle Avenue waiting for the game against West Indies to start, only to be frustrated by the weather and some weak umpiring.
After a brief foray on to the pitch, a shower meant play was delayed until five minutes to three in the afternoon. What cricket they did get to see was of a good quality, the highlight being two cameos from Ireland's Kevin O'Brien (25 off 18 balls) and Eoin Morgan, who drove and pulled the West Indies pace attack to get to 37 off 55 balls.
Two shots in successive balls showed the talent at O'Brien's disposal: the first a trademark short arm pull over midwicket for six, followed by a beautiful straight drive that ran along the ground past the bowlers' right hand. He went soon after, bowled getting too cute with Fidel Edwards.
The Irish boundaries were greeted by roars of approval from the crowd who were left to ponder what might have been when a second, much heavier shower ended all hope of a conclusion.
Ireland Innings
W T S Porterfield c Hoffmann b Blain 14
E J G Morgan b Drummond 10
A C Botha st C J O Smith b Haq 42
N J O'Brien b Haq 72
K J O'Brien b Watson 12
A R Cusack run out 10
D T Johnston st C J O Smith b Haq 32
D Langford-Smith not out 9
M J Fourie not out 14
Extras lb2 w4 nb1 7
Total 7 wkts (50 overs) 222
Fall of wickets: 1-18; 2-34; 3-80; 4-111; 5-136; 6-193; 7-200.
Did Not Bat: G E Kidd, W K McCallan.
Bowling: Blain 6-1-19-1; Hoffmann 10-0-37-0; Drummond 5-2-10-1; Haq 10-0-59-3; Rogers 10-0-53-0; Watson 9-1-42-1.
Umpires: D B Hair and S Hameed.
Scotland Innings
D F Watts c and b Langford-Smith 7
N S Poonia b A C Botha 23
R R Watson c K J O'Brien b A C Botha 83
R O Hussain st N J O'Brien b Kidd 1
N F I McCallum c A C Botha b McCallan 54
C J O Smith b A C Botha 3
J A R Blain run out 2
G D Drummond c N J O'Brien b Cusack 6
P J C Hoffmann b Cusack 1
R M Haq run out 5
G A Rogers not out 4
Extras b7 lb2 w1 10
Total (49.3 overs) 199
Fall of wickets: 1-13; 2-66; 3-72; 4-167; 5-172; 6-179; 7-182; 8-187; 9-194.
Bowling: Fourie 5-0-25-0; Langford-Smith 6-1-25-1; A C Botha 9-2-27-3; K J O'Brien 2-0-11-0; Johnston 5-0-14-0; Kidd 6-0-27-1; McCallan 10-1-35-1; Cusack 6.3-0-26-2.
