"O waly waly up the bank/And waly waly down the brae" - Robert Burns was lamenting the loss of his true love, but his lines reflect the emotions of Ireland's cricketers at Castle Avenue yesterday, as the Scots won their opening Triple Crown match by two wickets and with just two balls to spare.

An engrossing contest, sure enough, but Ireland's failure to put away an under-strength side which contained just three of Scotland's World Cup squad - James Brinkley, Asim Butt and Keith Sheridan - was hugely disappointing.

Sheridan was the member of that trio who played a major part in this victory, coming in to join man of the match Craig Wright when Scotland were teetering on the on the edge of the abyss, on 170 for eight in the 43rd over, needing 61 runs to win.

He contributed a steadfast 18 off 22 deliveries as Wright hit the winning boundary off the fourth ball of the final over from Gordon Cooke, to top-score with an unbeaten 66, from 50 balls, his magnificent innings including one six and eight fours.

Ireland's fortunes during Scotland's innings fluctuated. Ryan Eagleson removed Fraser Watts in the first over and Dwayne McGerrigal bowled Dougie Lockhart in the second with just seven runs scored, before Bryn Lockie and Drew Parsons stopped the rot with a 48-run stand, followed by the 77-run fourth-wicket partnership of Parsons and Colin Smith, which Cooke ended by trapping Smith leg before, leaving the Scots on 132 for four in the 32nd over.

James Brinkley, Parsons (87 deliveries, six fours, 55 runs), Scott Gourlay and Gregor Maiden then departed rapidly, courtesy of good bowling by Eagleson and McGerrigle, and an end to Ireland's six-year losing sequence to this opposition was in sight. But the superb Wright, well aided by Sheridan, was up to the challenge; only that Great Umpire in the Sky knows just why the economical Matt Dwyer and Barry Archer were not recalled to the attack.

Earlier, Archer scored a fine 39 (55 balls, six fours) in his Ireland debut, with useful contributions from Ed Joyce and Neil Carson. Angus Dunlop played a vital captain's role with an undefeated 56 (113 balls, one six, four fours), and with gutsy help for McGerrigle put on 54 runs for Ireland's last unbroken stand; without which, be it said, the match would have ended far earlier, with consequent gain to the Clontarf club's bar receipts.

In the other match at College Park, England easily defeated Wales by 95 runs. Wales could only muster 141 runs in reply to 236.