Ireland ease past Denmark

Malahide's medium-pace bowler Barbara McDonald, making only her fourth international appearance, helped Ireland to a comfortable victory over Denmark in Madras yesterday and all but guaranteed them a place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Having won the toss, Denmark elected to bat but made just 56 for seven in a match reduced to 23 overs. The Irish reached their target with four overs to spare, for the loss of just one wicket, and now share second place in their group with Australia.

The match was initially reduced to 33 overs, after rain delayed the start for three hours. Play finally got under way at 12.30, when the outfield had dried up sufficiently, but was interrupted again for 90 minutes by yet another downpour. When play resumed, with Denmark on 21 for one, McDonald and her Malahide team-mate, Adele Spence, ripped through the Danish batting line-up: McDonald, voted player-of-the-match, took 3 for 12, while Spence finished with figures of two for 10. Railway Union's Heather Whelan capped her international debut with a wicket, while Miriam Grealey and Catherine O'Neill, captain and vice-captain respectively, also chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Nikki Squire (Belfast Ladies) and Caitriona Beggs (Malahide) opened the batting for the Irish and shared a stand of 46 before Beggs was dismissed for 13. Grealey joined Squire, who made 21 not out, in the middle and hit the winning run off the first ball of the 19th over. "It was a great result for us," said Grealey. "It was a game we had to win so there was a lot of pressure on us. We're absolutely thrilled to have won. We bowled very well, Barbara was excellent and I was delighted for Heather when she took a wicket on her debut.

"We have South Africa next and the fact that they're facing us with two losses behind them, and we're going in on the back of a win, should make it a fairly even contest. The girls are on a high now so we'll probably give them a hell of a game - we're looking for third place in the group now, instead of fourth," said Grealey of Ireland's third Group A fixture against the South Africans, who have lost their opening two matches against England and Australia, in Pune tomorrow.

England, who top Group A, broke the world record with their score of 376 for two against Pakistan yesterday. Barbara Daniels hit an unbeaten 142, just one run short of Australian Lindsay Reeler's World Cup record, with Jan Brittin also scoring a century (138). In reply Pakistan made 146 for three.

Six thousand people attended the English match in Vijayavad yesterday and the tournament is receiving increasing media coverage in India by the day. "The press coverage here is fantastic, they have pictures and quotes and everything in the papers - I'm like a superstar at this stage. It's great crack," added the Irish captain.

"We're going to celebrate tonight with a steak, our first of the trip. The hotel is lovely, everyone is so friendly and hospitable, they can't do enough for you. We could get used to this, you know."