Gayle impossible to stop in sunshine

IRELAND FELT the full force of Chris Gayle’s power at The Oval yesterday as the West Indies skipper clubbed 88 from just 55 deliveries to help his side stroll to a nine-wicket win in a Twenty20 World Cup warm-up game.

Coming just a day after Phil Simmons’s side saw off the Netherlands in an exciting, one-over eliminator at Lord’s, it was a result that will certainly level the mood in the Irish camp as they prepare for next Monday’s key opening game against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge.

Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, Ireland finished on 130 for seven off their 20 overs, well short of a competitive score, and especially so with Gayle showing the kind of form that earned him a €560,000 contract in the Indian Premier League.

“It’s not easy when you are defending 130. And when a player like him gets going it is difficult to stop,” admitted captain William Porterfield. “It shows us what we will be up against over the next week.”

In a bid to give his full squad a run-out, Simmons made four changes from Monday’s game against the Dutch, bringing in Niall O’Brien, Andrew White, John Mooney and Alex Cusack.

Porterfield departed early for five, but Niall O’Brien (22) and Jeremy Bray (30) put on 31 for the second wicket, while Bray and Andre Botha brought the score up to 69.

The introduction of spin in the shape of Sulieman Benn and skipper Gayle slowed Ireland’s progress.

Andre Botha (12) and Kevin O’Brien (20) fell to the spinners, while John Mooney’s entertaining 23, including the only six of the Ireland innings, pushed the score on to 130 off their 20 overs.

Ireland failed in their bid to get among the Windies top order, and by the time Andre Fletcher holed out to Boyd Rankin off the bowling of Kyle McCallan they already had 55 on the board.

Gayle had made 35 of those and would bring up his 50 off just 35 balls, with five fours and three sixes.

He would launch another four maximums with back-to-back hits off both Kyle McCallan and John Mooney to bring his side home with four over to spare.

Ireland will play their final warm-up game at Southgate tomorrow against South Africa, with Simmons expected to name his strongest side ahead of the start of the tournament proper.

Meanwhile, former Ireland star Eoin Morgan impressed in his first T20 game for England yesterday, hitting an unbeaten 23 from 17 balls in a partnership of 49 with Kevin Pietersen to secure a six-wicket victory over Scotland at Trent Bridge.

Oval Scorecard

Ireland won the toss and batted.

IRELAND

J Bray b Benn 30

W Porterfield c Pollard b Edwards 5

N O’Brien c Taylor b Bravo 22

A Botha st Ramdin b Benn 12

K O’Brien c Bravo b Gayle 20

J Mooney run out 23

T Johnston c Fletcher b Taylor 7

A White not out 2

Extras (b2, lb5, nb 2) 9

Total (for 7 wkts, 20 ovs) 130

Did not bat: A Cusack, K McCallan, B Rankin.

Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-39, 3-69, 4-76, 5-108, 6-121, 7-130.

Bowling: J Taylor 4-0-24-1; F Edwards 3-0-13-1; D Sammy 2-0-20-0; D Bravo 2-0-17-1; S Benn 4-0-24-2; C Gayle 4-0-25-1.

WEST INDIES

C Gayle not out 88

A Fletcher c Rankin b McCallan 19

R Sarwan not out 25

Extras (lb1, w1) 2

Total (for 1 wkt, 16 ovs) 134

Fall of wickets: 1-55.

Bowling: B Rankin 3-0-23-0; T Johnston 4-0-25-0; A Cusack 4-0-24-0; K O’Brien 1-0-12-0; K McCallan 3-0-30-1; J Mooney 1-0-19-0.

West Indies won by 9 wickets

At Trent Bridge: Bangladesh 151-6 (20 ovs) (R Hasan 38no, M Rahim 34, S Al Hasan 23; I Udana 2-30), Sri Lanka 152-6 (19.4 ovs) (M Jayawardene 43, S Jayasuriya 29; S Al Hasan 2-18, M Mortaza 2-30).

Sri Lanka won by 4 wkts.