CRICKET/Ireland tour"Ignore the strength of Ireland at your peril" isn't one of the cricket's better known adages, but after trouncing the Duke of Norfolk's XI on Monday, Ireland completed another convincing seven-wicket victory against the MCC at Lord's yesterday.
Jeremy Bray, the Australian-born Dublin resident, led the charge to victory with a hard-hit 94, including a six that disappeared over the Mound Stand, and was well supported by Andre Botha, another who began life in the Southern Hemisphere. But the victory was built on two fine spells of spin bowling from Kyle McCallan and Andrew White.
McCallan derailed the MCC with a canny 10-over spell mid-innings while White, who may well have provided the answer to who bowls at "the death" for Ireland, took 4 for 28 despite not appearing in the attack until the 40th over.
A sunny day at Lord's brought out a couple of hundred spectators, at least half of whom appeared to be Ireland Cricket Union committee members, of one sort or another, who have always enjoyed this traditional fixture.
There was little for them to cheer in the first hour other than opening bowler Paul Mooney hitting the stumps a couple of times.
Ryan Eagleson failed to repeat his heroics of the opening match, Botha proved hard to get away without ever looking threatening and it wasn't until the spin of McCallan was introduced that Ireland began to get a grip on the game.
McCallan's second ball accounted for Mike Dallaway, caught at deep cover by Botha, and after an expensive opening three overs he settled into a good rhythm to tie down twins Hamish and James Marshall. Hamish, who has played one Test for New Zealand, tucked into Ralph Coetzee's first four balls but then missed the fifth and was bowled for 46.
His brother ran out Giles Toogood and then dawdled his way to 50 from 86 balls and it was left to former Ireland international Garfield Harrison to hoist the home side past 200 with a lusty 29 before he became White's third victim.
The North Down off-spinner, who had earlier taken two wickets in as many balls, then wrapped up the innings by bowling Ronnie Kotkamp.
Ireland quickly lost Jason Molins, yorked by Kotkamp, but Bray and South African-born Botha put the game beyond the MCC with a partnership of 103.
Botha was particularly severe on former England spinner Peter Such as he struck a total of nine fours and a six before slicing Harrison to backward point for 55.
Bray took a liking to Harrison, lifting him over the short leg boundary for two sixes, the second landing on the roof of the Mound Stand.
The Phoenix player also hit nine fours and seemed destined for a century when he top-edged a hook and fell to a wonderful running catch by wicketkeeper Ryan Bradshaw.
White, who had played understudy in a stand of 92, pushed the winning run shortly after with a full 10 overs in hand.
Eion Morgan, the 16-year-old batsman from Dublin, joined the squad last night with the promise that he will become the youngest player to be capped by Ireland, either today against the Free Foresters at Eton College or more likely in the final match of the tour tomorrow at Shenley.
MCC
A P Tarrant b P Mooney 1
M J Dallaway c Botha b McCallan 30
K Newell b P Mooney 27
H J H Marshall b Coetzee 46
J A H Marshall st Bushe b White 51
G J Toogood run out 1
M R Bradshaw c Coetzee b McCallan 5
G D Harrison c Gillespie b White 29
G J Kruis b White 0
P M Such not out8
R Kotkamp b White 1
Extras (2b, 4lb, 4nb, 3w) 13
Total (49.5 overs) 212
Fall: 1-7, 2-56, 3-76, 4-136, 5-138, 6-150, 7-199, 8-199, 9-210
Bowling: P Mooney 8-0-26-2; Eagleson 4-0-20-0; J Mooney 5-0-24-0; Botha 9-0-30-0; McCallan 10-1-36-2; Coetzee 8-0-42-1 White 5.5-0-28-4.
IRELAND
J A M Molins b Kotkamp 5
J P Bray c Bradshaw b Dallaway 94
A C Botha c Dallaway b Harrison 55
A R White not out 41
P G Gillespie not out 0
Extras (1b, 9lb, 3nb, 5w) 18
Total (40 overs) 213
DNB: K W McCallan, R T Coetzee, P J K Mooney, R Eagleson, J F Mooney, J A Bushe
Fall: 1-11, 2-114, 3-206 Bowling Kruis 8-0-47-0; Kotkamp 10-0-47-1; Such 6-0-36-0; Toogood 4-0-18-0; Harrison 7-0-37-1; Newell 4-0-16-0; Dallaway 1-0-2-1
Ireland won by seven wickets
