Ireland gain a deserved draw

My prediction that "a comprehensive clobbering" awaited Ireland on the third day of their match against the South Africa Development X1 at Castle Avenue yesterday turned out to be wildly exaggerated. An unbeaten 76 by skipper Angus Dunlop steered Ireland to an honourable and deserved draw, after the cause had seemed lost. Quentin Still and Ahmed Amla, the not out overnight openers, added a further 65 runs before Neil Carson had Amla caught by Stephen Smyth with the score on 157. He then removed Still just one run later. Amla, who had made 72 in his side's first innings, contributed a cracking 107 the second time around.

Arno Van den Berg declared at 177 for 3, all three wickets being taken by Carson, who finished with 3 for 39 off seven overs, leaving Ireland with some 20 minutes batting before lunch, and facing a target of 271 to win. After lunch, the aforementioned clobbering seemed imminent, with Peter Davy, Carson and Smyth all dismissed early.

That brought Jonty Rhodes and Dunlop together. They put on a useful, if hardly match-saving, 66 runs for the fourth wicket, before Rhodes was bowled by Dewald Pretorius while attempting a rash shot. Barry Archer was Dunlop's next partner and although he scored only seven runs, his tenacity and the captain's power put on an invaluable 54 runs for the fifth wicket. A draw was on the cards.

When Kyle McCallan quickly departed at 156, the Irish were in trouble again. But Dunlop and Paul Mooney tenaciously batted out the remaining overs for the draw.