CRICKET INTERNATIONAL MATCH: IRELAND FINISHED their preparations for tomorrow's One Day International against New Zealand in Aberdeen with a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh 'A' at Upritchard Park in Bangor yesterday.
The win came at a cost, though, as Clontarf all-rounder Alex Cusack broke a finger attempting a catch and will miss the Tri-Nations series that also includes a game against Scotland on Wednesday.
Coach Phil Simmons is expected to name his replacement this morning before the team fly out to Aberdeen.
In truth, Simmons's side could have done with a more rigorous workout yesterday, the tourists crawling to 110 for nine off their 44 overs, six overs having been lost due to a weather-delayed start.
Bangladesh 'A' won the toss and had got off to a steady start, reaching 33 without loss after 10 overs. Thinus Fourie made the breakthrough for Ireland when Junaid Siddique nicked behind to wicketkeeper Gary Wilson after making 23, Bangladesh's highest score.
Andre Botha bowled Farhad Hossain for three to leave the Bangladeshis on 48 for two in the 15th over. At a time when they would have been expected to up the scoring rate the visitors went into their shells, scoring just 62 runs off the remaining 29 overs.
Much of the credit went to the Irish bowling attack, with skipper Kyle McCallan giving another brilliant display with the ball. After taking three wickets in Friday's Twenty20 clash at Eglinton, the Waringstown player repeated the dosage yesterday, bowling his nine overs for just 10 runs and taking the scalps of Imrul Kayes, Nadif Chowdhury and Dhiman Ghosh.
Other bowling highlights included a first senior international wicket for Peter Connell, while Andy White picked up Nazmul Hossain with his first delivery, Andrew Poynter taking the catch.
Ireland suffered an early blow in their reply, Paul Stirling going for one off the first ball of the second over. Reinhardt Strydom and White put on 47 for the second wicket before White was trapped leg-before by Arafat Sunny for 11.
Strydom went soon after, bowled by Rubel Hossain for 40, but Botha settled things down, and despite losing Poynter (8) and Wilson (10), hit the winning boundary off the last ball of the 28th to finish on 30 not out.
Cusack's injury means Ireland will be without six of their top players and face a massive task against a Black Caps side that wrapped up a 3-1 series win over England at Lord's on Saturday.
Ireland's top three batsmen have decided to stay with their counties, with Middlesex's Eoin Morgan and Gloucestershire's William Porterfield both making half-centuries in yesterday's County Championship clashes.
On the bowling front, Simmons is without the injured duo of Kevin O'Brien and Boyd Rankin, with New Zealand-born Peter Connell in line to face the country of his birth in his first One Day International.
Meanwhile, West Indies wrapped up a 2-0 series victory over Ireland with a six-wicket victory in yesterday's Women's ODI at Malahide. Claire Shillington hit a half-century on her home ground as Ireland made 163 for nine off their 50 overs. But 17-year-old batting sensation Stefanie Taylor added 66 to the 90 she made in last Friday's T20 game as the Windies chased down the total in the 36th over.
England concluded their one-day series with a feeble defeat to New Zealand on Saturday and now must weigh up whether to recall Andrew Flintoff for the next assignment.
Hours after Kevin Pietersen experienced a painfully drawn-out defeat by 51 runs in his debut as captain at Lord's, England's selectors were considering the return of all-rounder Flintoff for the Test campaign against South Africa.
The squad for the first Test is due to be announced on Thursday.
Meanwhile Jacques Kallis gave South Africa an injury scare after helping the Proteas to dominate the opening day of their tour of England against a depleted Somerset attack at Taunton yesterday.
Kallis had reached an impressive 152 when he attempted to hook a delivery from former England paceman Andrew Caddick and was struck on the elbow.
He looked in pain and received lengthy treatment out in the middle from South African physio Shane Jabaar.
Kallis briefly continued his innings and flayed the next two short-pitched balls from Caddick for four before retiring hurt on 160 made from 157 balls with 23 fours and two sixes.
A South Africa spokesman said: "There is bruising around the elbow and Jacques has an ice-pack on it but we are not worried and there is no structural damage."
Scoreboard
At Upritchard Park, Bangor
Match reduced to 44 overs per side.
BANGLADESH A
I Kayes c Stirling b McCallan 21
J Siddique c Wilson b Fourie 23
F Hossain b Botha 3
R Saleh c Wilson b Connell 13
N Islam b Eaglestone 1
N Chowdhury c Fourie b McCallan 0
D Ghosh b McCallan 7
N Hossain c Poynter c White 1
A Sunny not out 10
S Rasel c Stirling b Botha 11
R Hussain not out 2
Extras(lb4, w14) 18
Total(for 9 wkts, 44 ovs) 110
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-48, 3-62, 4-66, 5-67, 6-82, 7-82, 8-85, 9-106
Bowling: P Connell 9-2-28-1; P Eaglestone 9-3-19-1; T Fourie 7-1-20-1; A Botha 7-1-21-2; K McCallan 9-3-10-3; A White 3-1-8-1.
IRELAND
R Strydom b R Hossain 40
P Stirling c Siddique b N Hossain 1
A White lbw b Sunny 11
A Botha not out 30
A Poynter lbw b R Hossain 8
G Wilson c Siddique b Sunny 10
K McCallan not out 3
Extras(lb4, nb2, w3) 9
Total(for 5 wkts, 28 ovs) 112
DNB: A Cusack, T Fourie, P Connell, P Eaglestone.
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-53, 3-57, 4-71, 5-87.
Bowling: S Rasel 7-0-28-0; N Hossain 5-0-17-1; R Hossain 8-0-39-2; A Sunny 7-1-22-2; N Islam 1-0-2-0.
• Ireland won by 5 wkts.
