Gillespie goes out fighting

CRICKET: A fighting innings of 88 not only made him the top scorer but also earned Ireland's Peter Gillespie the man of the match award as the West Indies A side finally bested the weather and went on to win by 82 runs in a game sponsored by Anglo Irish Bank at Rathmines yesterday.

Gillespie faced 105 deliveries and hit two sixes and eight fours in the course of a gallant innings which gave some sort of respectability to Ireland's all-out total of 186.

That tally looked unlikely as Ireland, chasing the West Indies A score of 268 for six, lost their first four wickets with only 58 runs on the board.

Skipper Daren Ganga had top-scored for the West Indies A with 86 (111 balls, 10 fours and one six), and there were other useful contributions from Donovan Pagon and Dwayne Bravo, while Andy White was Ireland's most effective bowler with three for 49.

But there was a sense of inevitability when Ireland went in to bat. Apart from Gillespie only Jason Molins, Kyle McCallan and Peter Davy reached double figures.

Ireland did keep the West Indies in the field for almost the 50 overs, but it was clear from early on in the Irish innings that there was not going to be a shock result, like that at Sion Mills in 1969.

WEST INDIES A

D Ganga c & B White 86

D Smith c White b Heasley 22

D Pagonc & b White 62

D Bravo c Gillespie b White 35

K Hibbert st Patterson b Heasley 10

R Morton not out 24

L Simmons c & b Neely 1

S Benn not out 6

Extras (B 2, LB7, W12, NB1) 22

Total for 6 wickets, 50 overs 268

Did not bat: R King, M Black, D Powell.

Fall of wickets: 1/46; 2/175; 3/190; 4/229; 5/247; 6/252.

BOWLING: P Mooney 5-0-36-0;G Neely 10-1-47-1;D Heasley 8-1-43-2; J McGonagle 8-0-38-0; K McCallan 10-0-46-0; A White 9-1-49-3.

IRELAND

J Molins c Ganga b King 19

A White c Smith b Black 0

D Joyce lbw b Powell 3

P Davy b Benn 18

P Gillespie c Smith b Black 88

K McCallan c Morton b Benn 20

A Patterson c Morton b Benn 5

D Heasley c & B Ganga 1

P Mooney b Bravo 10

G Nely not out 4

J McGonagle b Black 3

Extras (LB7, W6, NB2) 15

Total all out, 49.1 overs186

Fall of wickets: 1/14; 2/26; 3/27; 4/58; 5/93; 6/105; 7/110; 8/151; 9/182; 10/186.

BOWLING: R King 10-1-46-1; M Black 9.1-2-23-3;D Powell 10-1-41-1; S Benn 10-3-24-3;D Ganga 4-0-16-1;D Bravo 6-1-29-1.

West Indies A won by 82 runs

MAN OF THE MATCH: Peter Gillespie (Ireland).

Umpires: R O'Reilly, S Daultrey.