CRICKET:IRELAND'S TWO early birds dined out on Canada yesterday as the home side took complete control of their Intercontinental Cup clash from the get-go at Leinster Cricket Club, running up a massive 435 for seven by stumps, an Irish home record for runs scored in a day.
Two of the key contributors, Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien, had a 3.45am alarm call in London yesterday morning after attending the ICC annual awards. It didn’t show. Both missed out on the Associate player-of-the-year award (won by Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate) but they both displayed why they were on the four-man shortlist as Canada were blasted to all parts of Rathmines on a blustery day.
With O’Brien winning his second straight toss and deciding to bat, Stirling showed the early start had not hindered his natural attacking game as he hit his first 50 runs off 60 balls. Helped by some pretty average bowling, he and fellow opener Gary Wilson hit 81 runs in the first hour and were 129 without loss at lunch with Stirling on 69 and Wilson on 54.
Wilson went for 61 after an opening stand of 155 but 21-year-old Stirling powered on to his sixth international century and fourth this year, with 80 of his ton coming in boundaries in the only sign that tiredness might have been an issue. He eventually departed for 107, his second century against Canada, with the two Andrews, Poynter (11) and White (19), failing to hang around to leave Ireland on 236 for four.
Alex Cusack was on 29 when O’Brien came in but the big right-hander soon caught up and looked set to become the second centurion when he was caught at long-off for 79 (59 balls) in trying to hit the 100th six of his Ireland career. Cusack also missed out on three figures, departing for 81, but Poynter (31) and John Mooney (25 not out) left Ireland on course to beat their previous best first-class score of 524 for eight when play resumes at 10.30 this morning.
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