CRICKET: Irishman Ed Joyce put his countrymen to the sword yesterday as Middlesex strolled to an embarrassingly easy, nine-wicket victory in the C&G Trophy at Lord's.
The 27-year-old left-hander opened the batting and soon had the Irish bowlers grovelling as he sent the ball to all parts of this famous old ground. No one was spared as Joyce, with two centuries for Ireland, was eyeing his first against the country where he learned the game.
In the end, with just four runs needed for victory but five for his 100, he was caught by Trent Johnston going for the six he and his team needed.
It was a savage innings. His 95 came off just 73 balls and included 16 fours and a six. Even though he didn't make the magic three figures, with several family members watching from the sideline, not to mention his brother Dominick looking on from even closer, it must have been a sweet feeling for the former Merrion and Dublin University batsman.
It also shows what Ireland have been missing since Joyce played his last game for his country last July. He is now eligible for England and, having played for England A, he can no longer represent the country of his birth, according to ICC regulations.
"It was mixed emotions scoring runs against Ireland today," he said. "I suppose 90-odd was fitting. To score a hundred might have been a bit of a kick in the teeth for them, so I'm glad in a way that I didn't," he said.
Having won the toss, Ireland batted fitfully with three players getting good starts but no one going on to amass a big score that would give his team a potentially match-winning total. Shahid Afridi made a quick-fire 27 before throwing his wicket away in a fashion belying his role in the team as the highly paid overseas professional.
After a run drought, it was good to see Dominick Joyce do well. He played some sweet drives and looked like he had plenty of time against the pace attack of Chad Keegan, Johann Louw and Mohammad Ali.
Under severe pressure to make runs, he compiled 45 - more than he managed in his six previous Ireland innings this season - but was then out to a good catch by Ben Hutton in midwicket.
But the day really belonged to brother Ed. He had stamped his mark on the match early, taking the catch to dismiss Jeremy Bray and later expertly running out Johnston with a direct hit running in from midwicket. At one stage he even came on to bowl against his little brother, much to the delight of the sizable Irish contingent who turned up.
And with a Joyce top-scoring for both sides, it must have been a proud day for their father, Jimmy, sitting in the stand.
When Joyce the younger was out with the score on 109, things went badly wrong for Ireland, and apart from a typically tenacious innings of 43 from Strabane man Peter Gillespie and a late stand of 31 between John Mooney and Saqlain Mushtaq, the away team offered little resistance.
Ireland must now pick themselves up for today's game against Kent at Tunbridge Wells. They will face another Irishman in wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien and they'll be hoping he doesn't put in the same performance as Ed Joyce.
Scoreboard
IRELAND
D Joyce c Hutton b Shah 45
J Bray c Joyce b Keegan 11
A Botha c Shah b Keegan 0
T Johnston run out 3
Shahid Afridi c Hutton b Styris 27
P Gillespie lbw Louw 43
A White c and b Dalrymple 7
K McCallan b Dalrymple 2
Saqlain Mushtaq c Hutton b Keegan 13
J Mooney c Styris b Keegan 17
D Langford-Smith not out 3
Extras (3w, 5lb, 5b) 13
... -----
Total (all out, 48.3 overs) ... 184
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-25, 3-38, 4-78, 5-109, 6-134, 7-138, 8-149, 9-180.
Bowling: Keegan 9.3-2-24-4, Louw 9-1-33-1, Ali 10-0-31-0, Styris 5-0-34-1, Dalrymple 10-1-32-2, Joyce 3-0-9-0, Shah 2-0-10-1.
MIDDLESEX
E Joyce c Johnston b Botha 95
E Smith not out 81
O Shah not out 1
Extras (5w, 3lb) 8
... -----
Total (for 1, 24.2 overs) ... 185
Fall of wicket: 1-181.
Did not bat: J Dalrymple, S Styris, N Compton, B Hutton, B Scott, J Louw, C Keegan, M Ali.
Bowling: Johnston 5-0-35-0, Mooney 4-0-22-0, Langford-Smith 3-0-30-0, Botha 4-0-33-1, Afridi 3-0-24-0, Saqlain 3-0-29-0, McCallan 2.2-0-9-0.
