Alan Lewis was yesterday denied the chance to bow out at the Headquarters of cricket by a combination of his own sense of occasion and the ruthlessness of Ireland coach Mike Hendrick. Lewis likes to do things properly and after deciding to call an end to his 13-year international career, he probably spent just as much time over how to announce it. Do I tell the lads the night before, or at breakfast? Do I wait until we're in the dressing room at Lord's on the morning, or should I keep quiet until it's over?
Having already confided in Hendrick, it did not occur to Lewis that his speech would begin with the line "Well lads, this would have been my last game . . ."
But it seems there is no room for sentiment under the Hendrick regime. Hendrick insists the decision to leave out Lewis was purely a cricketing decision made on the grounds of blooding younger players.
Jason Molins and Peter Davy, the two younger batsmen preferred, showed some nice touches as Ireland replied to the MCC's 230-6 declared on the first day of two.
But it was 18-year-old Ed Joyce, already a fixture after only seven matches, who again caught the eye, hitting seven bounders to reach his second half century in successive days. Joyce, who will have a trial with Middlesex next week, suffered the indignity of being run out for 53 at the non-striker's end before Ireland declared 45 behind.
MCC v Ireland MCC - First innings T W Romaines c Rutherford b McCrum - 3 G D Hodgson lbw b McCrum - 8 G V Palmer b McCallan - 58 J Foster not out - 57 C M Taylor c Rutherford b Heasley - 23 P D Carroll c Benson b McCallan - 0 A R Whittall c Patterson b McCallan - 13 J D Ricketts not out - 53 Extras - 15
Total (6 wkts dec, 52 overs) - 230
Did not bat: N A Foster, S G Kenlock, G A R Harris.
Fall of wickets: 1/3, 2/21, 3/75, 4/116, 5/ 116, 6/142.
Bowling: Neely 14-3-50-0; McCrum 12-344-2; J Davy 8-0-46-0; Heasley 4-0-26-1; McCallan 12-1-37-0; Benson 1-1-0-0; Joyce 1-0-15-0.
Ireland - First innings J A M Molins b Kenlock - 28 A D Patterson b Whittal - 27 E C Joyce run out - 53 P J Davy c Harris b Romaines - 34 J D R Benson lbw b N Foster - 16 W K McCallan lbw Harris - 1 D Heasley not out - 2 J O Davy not out - 8 Extras< LI 16 - Total (6 wkts dec, 52 overs) - 185
Did not bat: A T Rutherford, G J Neely, P McCrum.
Fall of wickets: 1/59, 2/68,3/147, 4/166, 5/172, 6/174.
Bowling: N Foster 11-2-29-0; Kenlock 84-20-0; Harris 8-2-34-0; Whittall 10-1-35-0; Ricketts 11-5-33-1; Romaines 4-0-21-0.
MCC - Second innings
T W Romaines not out - 2 G D Hodgson not out - 0 - Total (0 wkt)
