Cricket Intercontinental CupIn the end, there was no doubt. A comprehensive win for ICC Intercontinental Cup defending champions Ireland over the United Arab Emirates has put Adrian Birrell's side into the final but it was the manner in which they completed their task with a day to spare at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium that was most impressive.
Trent Johnston, whose bowling was a huge concern in the recent one-day ICC World Cricket League Division One in Nairobi, turned it on in style yesterday. Johnston bowled eight fine overs yesterday morning and ended with figures of 3 for 8.
Johnston was ably assisted by off-spinner Kyle McCallan and the lanky Boyd Rankin, whose 4 for 56 cleared up the tail and ensured Ireland registered victory by an innings and 170 runs.
And all that on a dead flat track that was a dream to bat on, illustrated by the fact Ireland initially put on 531 for 5 declared on the first day and a half of this game.
Ireland had needed the outright victory in this four-day match to get through to the final, which will most likely be played at an English venue in May against the winners of the other section, Canada.
Considering the torment they went through in Kenya, losing four of five matches after each one went down to the wire, it was a big effort to pick themselves up and put in a performance of this quality. Let's not forget, UAE almost beat Scotland in the same competition last month.
This will be remembered for Ireland's bowling, taking 20 UAE wickets in little more than a day's play. It will be remembered also for some fine fielding and well-held catches but when the sand finally settles on this great desert victory, it will be the 360-run partnership between Eoin Morgan and Andre Botha that will live longest in the memory.
If the bowlers engineered the victory, it was the two left-handed batsmen who were the architects behind it, smashing the opposition into submission on the first day and a half. Morgan's 209 not out is the highest score by an Ireland batsman while Botha joins the exclusive club of those who have passed 150 for Ireland.
After taking nine first-innings wickets on day two, it did not take long before the 10th and final one was snapped up yesterday morning and, as expected, Johnston enforced the follow-on and invited Arshad Ali and his men to bat again. The second innings took less time than the first to complete. Like hounds on the scent it took just 48 overs for the Ireland attack to finish the game.
It is a welcome psychological boost as they make their final preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup and, notwithstanding two warm-ups games against Canada and South Africa in Trinidad, this is their last competitive match before they take on Zimbabwe in Sabina Park, Jamaica on 15 March.
Now they're ready.
Australia wicketkeeper-batsmen Adam Gilchrist is set to miss the first three weeks of next month's World Cup due to the impending birth of his third child.
Reports suggest Gilchrist will not be available until their final Group A match against South Africa in St Kitts on March 24th.
It means Brad Haddin will be announced as wicketkeeper for the early matches when the squad is officially released. Overnight - Ireland (first innings) 531 for 5 dec (E Morgan 209 not out, A Botha 157, J Bray 82, W Porterfield 46; Khurram Khan 2-60); UAE (first innings) 222 for 9 (Arshad Ali 74; A Botha 2-14, T Johnston 2-48)
UAE - First innings, continued
Naeemuddin Asham not out 38
Ahmed Raza lbw Johnston 11
Extras (3b, 2lb, 1nb, 3w) 9
Scoreboard
Total (all out, 83.3 overs) 243
Fall of wickets: 1-75, 2-98, 3-136, 4-164, 5-176, 6-186, 7-198, 8-199, 9-207, 10-243.
Bowling: Langford-Smith 14-1-55-0, Rankin 10-1-34-1, Johnston 19.3-7-53-3, McCallan 27-11-48-1, White 7-1-34-1, Botha 6-1-14-2
UAE - Second innings
Naeemuddin Asham c Gillespie b Johnston 2
Arshad Ali lbw Johnston 7
Gayan Silva c Bray b Johnston 1
Saqib Ali lbw O'Brien 10
Khurram Khan lbw McCallan 42
Kashif Khan lbw Rankin 0
Shadeep Silva c Langford-Smith b McCallan 11
Ahmed Nadeem c Bray b Rankin 4
Qasim Zubair b Rankin 10
Ahmed Raza c Bray b Rankin 10
Waseem Bari not out 0
Extras (5b, 8lb, 7nb, 1w) 21
... -----
Total (all out, 48 overs) 118
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-12, 3-12, 4-36, 5-59, 6-87, 7-98, 8-98, 9-111, 10-118.
Bowling: Johnston 8-3-8-3, Langford-Smith 2-0-3-0, Rankin 16-5-56-4, Botha 8-4-6-0, O'Brien 6-2-11-1, McCallan 8-1-21-2.
Ireland won by an innings
and 170 runs
