Ireland bowled poorly and batted without much conviction yesterday to lose to Essex by 171 runs in a Benson & Hedges Cup qualifying match at Chelmsford. Only Ryan Eagleson among the bowlers can be happy with his day's work reeling off ten overs for 36 runs and claiming the wicket of Stuart Law, albeit to one of his looser delivers which the Australian Test Batsman obligingly edged to the wicket keeper.
The stage was set for a massive Essex total of 359-7 when Paul McCrum's first over of the morning disappeared for 16 runs and with it, seemingly the Irish team's spirit.
Derek Heasley collected three wickets in quick succession at the end but his seven overs cost 77. Kyle McCallan risked a neck injury trying to follow the ball as Nasser Hussain twice deposited it back over his head towards the River Cam, and overseas professional Neil Johnson was hammered out of the attack by Ronnie Irani.
By contrast, the Ireland reply began at a pace akin to the pantomime horses in the Belfast marathon and when Jason Molins was finally put out of his misery he had managed just nine in 19 overs.
Johnson justified his match fee with a blustery 53 from 41 balls, including a six off Irani, and Ed Joyce gave further glimpses of his enormous promise, stroking a fluent 42 in half century stands with Johnson and captain Angus Dunlop.
On the bright side, 188-7 would have represented a record when coach Mike Hendrick was appointed three years ago. But Ireland will still go into today's match against Middlesex at Lords with little prospect of repeating last year's win.
