CRICKET TWENTY20 INTERNATIONAL QUADRANGULAR SERIES: IRELAND OPENING bowler Boyd Rankin was yesterday ruled out of next week's World Twenty20 qualifier in the UAE after a scan on his injured right foot revealed that, although there was no fracture, he will need a further three weeks of rest before returning to action.
The confirmation came after Ireland’s bowlers were given the run around for a second straight day as they failed to defend a record total of 174 for six as Sri Lanka A took the T20 Quadrangular title with a five-wicket victory at the SCC.
And with seamer Phil Eaglestone set to undergo further tests on an ankle injury picked up in Wednesday’s loss to Canada, you might expect coach Phil Simmons to be reaching for the bottle. Alas, that wasn’t even an option as yesterday’s Independence Day celebrations here meant a ban on the sale of alcohol.
Simmons, though, was far from downcast at his side’s performances in the Quadrangular series and believes the four Twenty20 games played in Sri Lanka will be of huge benefit ahead of the vital qualifying campaign next week.
“There was a few things we tried to hit on in training and we’ve got most of them now. And we still have four days before we’re into action in the tournament,” said Simmons. “I think the batting is almost where we want it to be but we still have some things to work on in the bowling and the fielding,” he added.
Simmons rested some of his front-line bowling attack yesterday as Trent Johnston and Andre Botha took the day off, while captain William Porterfield also sat the game out as Niall O’Brien took over the captaincy for the first time.
Paul Stirling joined O’Brien at the top of the order, with the pair putting on an Irish T20 record of 104 for the first wicket.
Stirling, 19, took the lead role at the start, hitting a brilliant six high over long-on in the second over and dominating the scoring as he raced to 28 before O’Brien got off the mark.
The Northamptonshire player soon got into his stride, bringing up his second consecutive half-century with a beautiful reverse sweep for four.
Stirling made 43 from 25 balls before departing in the 12th over, while O’Brien departed in the next after he scored 59 off 37 deliveries, including six fours and two sixes. Kevin O’Brien and Alex Cusack both made 11, with the in-form Gary Wilson finished unbeaten on 25 as Ireland finished on 174 for six.
Peter Connell, who only arrived back in Sri Lanka this morning after becoming a father for the first time, went for 29 in his opening two overs, while Alex Cusack took two wickets in his first two overs, but also at the cost of 29 runs.
It gave Sri Lanka A the perfect start and they didn’t let off the gas as they got home with 10 balls to spare.
John Mooney and George Dockrell picked up a wicket apiece, while Nigel Jones may have bowled his way in as a potential replacement for Rankin after taking a wicket and conceding just 22 runs from his four overs.
Ireland fly out from Colombo to Dubai in the early hours of tomorrow morning, with a warm-up game against Canada pencilled in for Sharjah on Sunday before the T20 Qualifiers get under way on Tuesday.
