In Sir Henry Newbolt's Victorian epic poem, the last man in is exhorted to "play up and play the game" when "his captain's hand on his shoulder smote". Yesterday at Castle Avenue, it was rather a reverse situation; maybe Angus Dunlop's shoulder was not smitten by anybody, but play the game Ireland's skipper most certainly and brilliantly did, to score a magnificent undefeated century, thereby saving the team from an embarrassing mauling at the hands of the visiting South Africans.
When Dunlop, batting at number six, came to the wicket, Ireland had lost the first five batsmen for a meagre 44 runs, off only 12 overs, and a long afternoon and an even longer night at the bar was in prospect.
Dunlop's derring-do may have reduced the Castle Avenue bar takings, but he contributed superbly to an excellent match which provided a century from either side and a palpitating finish as he, aided and abetted by the indomitable Matt Dwyer, struggled to achieve the Holy Grail of "the ton", thereby giving Ireland's amateurs a most praiseworthy defeat of 63 runs against one of the world's top cricketing nations.
Statistics (in this writer's admittedly biased view) are essential for the records, but detract from the on-the-field romance of sport; but if you insist, Dunlop reached his century off 102 deliveries and his innings included four sixes and seven fours.
But this was a classic, the real test of sporting attainment, achieved in the face of what seemed like absolute adversity.
Before Dunlop's arrival, Kyle McCallan (clean bowled by Shaun Pollock with the first ball of the innings), Ed Joyce, Stephen Smyth, Peter Gillespie and Jason Molins all had departed the scene. Dunlop was joined by the tenacious Derek Heasley, who helped him put on a face-saving 47 runs for the 6th wicket; the skipper went on to share in stands of 25 with John Davy, 20 with Jonathan Bushe and finally that vital 24 with Dwyer.
Earlier, as South Africa batted first, John Davy and Dwyer had done the initial damage, removing in turn Lance Klusener, Pat Symcox, Brian McMillan and Gary Kirsten for 95 runs by the 25th over. But then top-scorer Daryll Cullinan with an unbeaten 117 and Hansie Cronje - back at the scene of Ireland's B&H triumph over Middlesex in which he had starred last year - belted the score along to 289 for five off the 50 overs.
Davy bowled well for his brace of wickets, with more maiden overs and fewer runs conceded than Ireland's other bowlers. Dwyer took three wickets, two of them excellently caught and bowled, and should have had a fourth, but for Ryan Eagleson's spilled catch at long on.
Dwyer can look back on a fine match, and here's hoping that the droves of national selectors who ignored him down all the days will hang their silly heads in shame. Dwyer not only did his stuff with the ball, but then hung on with fine aplomb to help Dunlop through the nervous nineties on to his century in a notable contest. Truly, sporting memories are made of this.
