CRICKET ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL: IRELAND COMPLETED the double over Canada in the second of their World Cup qualifier matches at Castle Avenue in Clontarf yesterday, although they were made to work a lot harder from a more spirited visiting side before they secured a 56-run victory.
It leaves Phil Simmons’s side on a full eight points from their opening four games, with the September weather playing ball one last time, even if the temperature saw players and spectators alike donning several layers to keep out the chill wind in Dublin 3.
After winning the toss, Ireland captain William Porterfield opted to bat and opened alongside Ed Joyce in the absence of Paul Stirling, who failed a morning fitness test on his stiff neck.
Stirling’s influence at the top of the order was missed as Canada beat the bat on a number of occasions, getting the ball to move around in the early morning conditions. Joyce went for 14, with Rizwan Cheema pulling off a brilliant one-hand catch high to his left at first slip off Harvir Baidwan’s bowling.
Porterfield went on to top-score with 53, while Gary Wilson (44) and Kevin O’Brien (43) also making decent contributions.
The loss of O’Brien ended any hope of Ireland getting close to 300 and their final total of 249 for seven was a good 30 or so less than they would have liked.
Canada were much sharper in the field, possibly a reaction from the dressingroom dressing down they received from their coach after Monday’s 133-run defeat.
Ireland, though, have been one of the best fielding teams in the world in recent years and they demonstrated just why, with skipper William Porterfield leading by example as usual.
Hiral Patel had hit a run-a-ball 20 before he top-edged a Trent Johnston delivery, with Kevin O’Brien making plenty of ground from short fine leg to take a great catch.
Johnston then swooped brilliantly from mid-on to run out the dangerous Ruvindu Gunesekera before Porterfield showed just how dangerous he is in the covers, with a brilliant piece of work to run out 17-year-old Nitish Kumar just after the first drinks break.
Usman Limbada called for a single believing his drive had beaten Porterfield, but the Warwickshire player somehow got a hand to it and in a seamless movement threw to Niall O’Brien and Kumar was gone for 30 to leave the score on 82 for three.
Limbada would become the third victim of a run out after he was sent back by skipper Jimmy Hansra, with George Dockrell throwing in from short fine leg.
The spin combination of Dockrell and Albert van der Merwe then went to work, with man of the match Dockrell claiming the prize scalp of Cheema for a duck before bowling Hansra for 38. Clontarf member Alex Cusack took the last two wickets to wrap it up for 193.
Ireland won by 56 runs
Ireland won the toss and batted
