Weakened Ireland fall to English county men

CRICKET NEWS: THE ROUND of applause that greeted the Ireland skipper's third half-century in four Friends Provident Trophy matches at Stormont yesterday was rich.

Richer still was the fact William Porterfield was batting 250 miles away in Bristol, helping Gloucestershire to a victory over Surrey and not leading his side against Worcestershire.

Back at a cold and wet Stormont, Ireland had yet to take the pitch, as the conditions pushed the start back three hours on a mizzly, grey Belfast day.

It was such a contrast to a week earlier, when Ireland were wrapping up their successful World Cup qualifying campaign in South Africa, although the impressive trophy that sat on the boundary rope reminded everyone of their recent triumph.

On the pitch things weren’t so rosy as an Ireland side missing three of the top four from their batting order and their top strike bowler from South Africa were outclassed by the county side, who claimed a 52-run victory.

With the game reduced to 33 overs a side, Worcestershire took the somewhat strange decision to bat first after winning the toss.

Vikram Solanki and Steven Davies roared out of the traps, hitting 25 off the first four overs as Ireland’s opening bowlers struggled to readapt their length to Irish conditions.

Davies enjoyed a couple of lives early on, with sharp chances dropped by Kevin O’Brien and Andrew White, before John Mooney finally made the breakthrough in the 10th over when he found a way through Solanki’s defences to bowl the former England one-day player for 21.

The North County player’s next intervention was just as telling, as his stunning piece of fielding at gully left Stephen Moore short of his ground.

Kyle McCallan had been handed the captaincy in Porterfield’s absence and bowled superbly, taking three wickets for 26 runs off his seven overs.

He ended Davies’s innings three short of a half-century, before bowling the hugely-talented Moeen Ali for 21. He also accounted for Ben Smith, who popped an easy catch up to White at extra cover.

That left Worcestershire at 127 for five in the 25th over, but, despite Paul Connell taking two wickets in four balls on his return, they would add 53 off their last eight overs, including 26 off the last two, to move out of Ireland’s reach on 180.

Ireland’s openers struggled to get the ball off the square. Australian paceman Ashley Knoffke trapped Gary Wilson leg-before after he made 10, while Reinhardt Strydom made eight off 45 balls before he was stumped by Davies off the bowling of Ian Fisher.

But just as the day looked like ending on the same gloomy note it had begun, up stepped 18-year-old Paul Stirling to give another exhibition of his outrageous talent.

The Belfast teenager starts his A levels in a couple of weeks, but took a day away from the books yesterday in a fearless display that saw him hit three sixes and three fours in a gem of an innings that was finally ended on 51 when he was stumped off a wide delivery from Solanki.

England spinner Gareth Batty removed O’Brien and Andrew Poynter in the space of three balls, with McCallan (24) and Mooney (22) playing some useful late cameos before Ireland’s innings came to a close on 128 for nine.