Sport

Dunlop keeps Ireland in the hunt

IRELAND earned a couple of bites at a place in the 1999 World Cup finals with a 51 run win over Hong Kong yesterday that took…

By DAVID TOWNSEND
Sat Apr 05 1997 - 01:00

IRELAND earned a couple of bites at a place in the 1999 World Cup finals with a 51 run win over Hong Kong yesterday that took them into the last four of the ICC Trophy in Kuala Lumpur.

While the first bite - a semifinal against strong favourites Kenya tomorrow - is only likely to attract a dental bill, with three teams qualifying to play in England, there is a second chance in the third place play off on Thursday.

Coach Mike Hendrick is confident that Ireland ha ye the ability and nerve to beat either Scotland or Bangladesh, the other semi finalists, in such a play off but the inconsistency of his team must be worrying him. At 120-5 yesterday morning, it was worrying a few other people as well.

Decker Curry had succumbed to the inswinger, Alan Lewis was caught behind nibbling outside the off stump, and then Justin Benson and Neil Doak offered up the simplest of catches off leg spinner Rahul Sharma. It was left to Angus Dunlop and the tail to rescue the situation with 65 runs from the last eight overs.

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Dunlop took the opportunity to score Ireland's first half century against one of the tournament's serious sides by enjoying a bit of luck when an edge flew wide of slip, and then tucking in as the bowlers tired.

Only one team had successfully chased more than Ireland's 223-7 in the opening two weeks of competition - unfortunately that team was Hong Kong, and when Stewart Brew blasted 14 off a Garfield Harrison over, there was briefly a danger they might repeat the feat.

But Paul McCrum bowled straight to take 3-30 from his 10 overs, including the wickets of Brew, pulling, and Sharma, swinging to leg. Well, straight-ish. His four wides were almost praiseworthy in a total of 28. Mark Patterson was again the chief culprit - unplayable one ball, unreachable the next - but he finally got one on target to have David Jones lbw and dismiss Hong Kong for 172.

For some time, Ireland thought - they might avoid Kenya but Bangladesh overcame the odds, the rain and Holland by reaching a slightly reduced target off a greatly reduced number of overs.