CRICKET: As far as preparation for the ICC Trophy, which gets under way on July 1st, these two games against the MCC will not have been an enormous benefit to the Irish beyond a chance for the batsmen to spend some time in the middle and the bowlers to turn their arms over.
A total of 686 runs scored between Bangor on Monday and at Waringstown yesterday will look good for Ireland in the record books but beyond David Langford-Smith and, to a lesser extent, Ben Claypole the MCC bowling was pretty friendly.
Yesterday, Andre Botha emerged from an out-of-sorts day on Monday to hit 85 quality runs at the Lawn. His instructions from coach Adrian Birrell were simple: just spend some time out there and play yourself into a bit of form. But he did more than that. He raised his bat for 50 off just 52 balls and looked in control all the way.
Before that, Conor Armstrong showed again why he has been unlucky not to get more caps in the last couple of years, scoring 55 to go with his 90 the day before. He was ably supported by skipper Jason Molins who scored freely until being caught by Ian Flanagan at midwicket for 46.
Ireland reached 335 for 6 off their 50 overs, thanks also to Peter Gillespie, whose lightning 23 came off just nine balls. The Strabane man really is hitting his peak at the right time for Ireland.
In reply, the MCC never really looked like chasing that score despite a well compiled half-century from Alan Evans at the top of the order and, later on, Derek Heasley (48 off 37 balls) and Langford-Smith (40 not out).
Like Monday, the MCC tail managed to make it look respectable but in truth, the result was never in question. Ireland looked so much sharper than their opponents, bowling and fielding tightly, and Birrell will be glad the team's progress is continuing apace.
This weekend, Ireland will play against a Southern XI in Milverton on Saturday and a Northern XI on Sunday, both containing a liberal sprinkling of club professionals. One hopes, and believes, that those sides will give Birrell's charges a more stern test than the MCC have managed.
IRELAND v MCC (at The Lawn)
Toss: Ireland
IRELAND
J Molins c Flanagan b Evans 46
C Armstrong c Langford-Smith b Bourke 55
A Botha c Fitzgerald b Bicknell 85
D Joyce c Flanagan b Evans 57
P Mooney c Langford-Smith b Claypole 27
N Shoukat b Bicknell 10
P Gillespie not out 23
K McCallan not out 3
Extras (5b, 5lb, 3nb, 16w) 29
----
Total (for 6, 50 overs) 335
Fall of wickets: 1-101, 2-134, 3-246, 4-276, 5-293, 6-332.
Did not bat: G Wilson, J Mooney, G Thompson
Bowling: D Langford-Smith 8-0-53-0, B Claypole 9-0-66-1, A Evans 10-0-53-2, A Bourke 7-0-20-1, J Sylvester 8-0-52-0, J Sparrow 4-0-36-0, I Fletcher 1-0-18-0, M Bicknell 3-0-27-2.
MCC
M Bicknell c J Mooney b Shoukat 17
A Evans b Thompson 52
I Flanagan c Wilson b P Mooney 1
B Claypole b Botha 14
N Fitzgerald run out 18
J Sylvester c J Mooney b Thompson 8
D Heasley b McCallan 48
I Fletcher lbw Shoukat 33
D Langford-Smith not out 40
A Bourke not out 19
Extras (5b, 8lb, 2nb, 6w) 21
... ----
Total (for 8, 50 overs) 271
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-43, 3-81, 4-114, 5-115, 6-135, 7-195, 8-218
Did not bat: J Sparrow
Bowling: P Mooney 9-0-42-1, Shoukat 10-0-47-2, Botha 8-0-39-1, McCallan 10-0-51-1, Thompson 7-0-37-2, J Mooney 6-0-41-0.
Ireland won by 64 runs.
