CRICKET: It's at times like this that one realises the magnitude of the task facing Ireland's national cricket coach Adi Birrell.

Almost a year ago Ireland lost by only one run (and with it, the European Cricket Championship) to much the same side as yesterday's opponents; but yesterday, at Malahide, Ireland - short Jason Molins, admittedly - were simply never at the races against a confident English Cricket Board (ECB) X1.

Quite simply, only a handful of players performed well; that band of brothers apart, there were too many merely going through the motions, consequently leaving precious little to shout about for the onlookers.

Let's hope there will be a bit more competitive needle today at Rathmines and tomorrow back at Malahide.

Kyle McCallan, resuming as captain in Molins's absence, won the toss and put the ECB into bat. There were two encouraging early breakthroughs as Steve Adshead and Richard Howitt, bowled by Gary Neely and Paul Mooney respectively, departed the scene with only 21 on the board, only for opener Quentin Hughes with 40 (79 balls, three boundaries) and Andrew Hall to put on 98 for the third wicket.

Hall was the game's top scorer, with a sprightly 73, which included six fours hit off 113 deliveries, before he was caught behind by Niall O'Brien off the bowling of Gary Neely.

No one else made a notable batting contribution, but they did enough - with the aid of 21 extras - to leave the ECB X1 on 213 for eight after 50 overs; Neely and Andre Botha were Ireland's most effective bowlers, with three apiece.

That was to flatter merely to deceive. After Jeremy Bray and Andy White were out with just eight runs on the board, Botha (22) and O'Brien (18) brought the score to 49, only for both, along with Peter Gillespie, to get out without a run being added.

Dom Joyce and McCallan stopped the rot and helped Ireland escape a total rout, and useful contributions from Conor Armstrong and John Mooney took Ireland closer to some sort of respectability.

Armstrong top-scored for Ireland with a fine 38. McCallan was next with 32, followed by Botha with 22.

None of which alters the fact that this was an easy and comprehensive victory for the ECB X1.

No one should doubt the capabilities of this Ireland squad, but it would be encouraging to see more of the sort of spirit which brought that 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe and a respectable performance against South Africa last month.

ENGLISH CRICKET BOARD (ECB) X1

S Adshead b Neely 12

Q Hughes c Armstrong b McCallan 40

R Howitt b Mooney 5

A Hall c O'Brien b Neely 73

S Chapman b Botha 15

C Boroughs b Botha 4

C Mole c Gillespie b Neely 12

S Foster not out 15

A Akhtar c Bray b Botha 9

S Humble not out 7

Extras 21

Total for 8 wickets, 50 overs ... 213

Did not bat: M Sharp.

Fall of wickets: 1/14; 2/21; 3/119; 4/154; 5/166; 6/168; 7/191; 8/203.

Bowling: P Mooney 5-1-24-1; G Neely 10-2-42-3; J Mooney 10-1-31-0; C Armstrong 4-0-20-0; K McCallan 10-0-32-1; A Botha 10-0-45-3; A White 1-0-7-0.

IRELAND

J Bray lbw b Sharp 1

A White b Sharp 2

A Botha b Sharp 22

N O'Brien c Buroughs b Akhtar 18

P Gillespie lbw b Sharp 0

K McCallan c Howitt b Foster 32

D Joyce c Mole b Chapman 16

P Mooney b Chapman 0

C Armstrong c Akhtar b Chapman 38

J Mooney run out 14

G Neely not out 6

Extras 12

Total all out, 46.1 overs ... 161

Fall of wickets: 1/2; 2/8; 3/49; 4/49; 5/49; 6/86; 7/86; 8/122; 9/152; 10/161.

Bowling: S Humble 5-1-23-0; M Sharp 10-2-16-4; A Akhtar 8.1-2-30-1; S Foster 10-1-29-1; C Burroughs 3-0-19-0.

ECB X1 WON BY 52 RUNS.