CRICKET NEWS: IRELAND WILL bring renewed confidence into their final two Friends Provident Trophy matches after coming within a whisker of beating Nottinghamshire in Clontarf on Saturday.

In a match reduced to 34 overs a side, the English county got home off the penultimate ball when Paul Franks dispatched Andrew White to the boundary to complete a two-wicket win that keeps alive their hopes of making the quarter-finals.

Although Ireland will take plenty of positives out of their performance, they will rue the concession of 22 extras, with Phil Eaglestone’s two early no-balls proving especially costly as Nottinghamshire added 10 runs from the resulting free hits.

The Strabane bowler did claim the wicket of Mark Wagh in his first over, and Nottinghamshire were struggling somewhat at 77 for five before a 42-run partnership between former England wicketkeeper Chris Read and Will Jefferson put them within sight of victory.

There was still time for a twist in the tale with skipper Kyle McCallan making the important breakthrough, trapping Read leg-before for 12. And when the 6ft 8in Jefferson then holed out to Kevin O’Brien for 31 off the bowling of White, Nottinghamshire were reduced to 126 for seven, and still needed to score 14 off the last two overs.

Seven came off Alex Cusack’s final over, during which England bowler Ryan Sidebottom was run out. White gave away four off his first four deliveries, but Franks drove the next ball past the despairing dive of Andrew Poynter in the covers to end Ireland’s hopes of pulling off the upset.

Earlier, out-of-favour England spinner Samit Patel claimed career-best bowling figures of six for 13 from his seven overs.

Having been put into bat, openers Jeremy Bray and Reinhardt Strydom put on 50 for the first wicket before the introduction of left-armer Patel changed the course of the match.

Making the best of the dry pitch and a strong breeze, he had both openers stumped by Read and would take four wickets in 13 balls, before coming back in his second spell to take the wickets of White and O’Brien, who put on 47 for the sixth wicket.

Ireland move on to Southampton today where they will play under lights for the first time in a day/night match against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl, before finishing their campaign against Worcestershire at New Road on Wednesday.

Coach Phil Simmons brings Trent Johnston and Peter Connell back into the squad for the final two outings, with Eaglestone and James Hall left out of the 13.

Meanwhile, Ireland will play three extra warm-up games ahead of next month’s Twenty20 World Cup, while also taking part in a training camp at Wormsley in Buckinghamshire.

Ireland will play New Zealand in Derby on Wednesday, May 27th, with games against West Indies and a PCA Masters XI lined up during their camp.

“It’s a great opportunity for the guys to get some much needed experience in this form of the game,” Simmons said.