Cricket/Intercontinental Cup final:Ireland put recent disappointments aside to play splendidly throughout the first day of the Intercontinental Cup final against Canada here in Leicester. An excellent all-round performance has set up the opportunity for a convincing victory and the retention of the trophy.
Having bowled out Canada for 92 in the morning, Ireland reached 250 for 3 by close of play. Jeremy Bray scored his seventh century in national colours, his 146 equalling the record held since 1980 by Ivan Anderson of Waringstown.
The morning belonged to the bowlers: on a beautiful morning Canada were nine down at lunch. The Grace Road wicket appeared to be offering some help to the seamers, certainly enough to justify Johnston's decision to bowl. But it wasn't a 92 all-out pitch: Canada's demise was a mix of good bowling and some injudicious shot-making.
The game started late, due to the team bus not turning up at the hotel. But once Ireland got out on the pitch there was no stopping them. They got off to a great start. Canada's danger man, John Davison, was out to the first ball he faced, lbw to Dave Langford-Smith. Trent Johnston continued his run of good form with the ball, taking four wickets for 12 runs in a spell of suffocating accuracy. One ball to remove his opposite number, captain Ashish Bagai, came back to take the batsman's off stump as he shouldered arms, a carbon copy of Johnston's historic hat-trick ball two weeks ago against Gloucestershire at Clontarf.
He had good support. Thinus Fourie impressed with his brand of bustling, medium paced swing bowling, playing in the place of Andre Botha. The South Africa-born player from the Merrion club took 3 for 31 in his eight overs. He owed the wicket of Qaiser Ali to the brilliance of William Porterfield's fielding, who took a blistering catch diving full length at point, holding on to the ball at ankle height.
Kevin O'Brien took two wickets in the final over before lunch. Bastiampillai was caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Gary Wilson, and was soon followed by Austin Codrington caught at slip to leave O'Brien with figures of 2 for 4 off four overs.
When Ireland batted, the tone of the game changed completely, as bat dominated ball. Bray was offered more width than he has been for some months and took full advantage. He reached his 50 with the Ireland total on 67 and he propelled the team total passed Canada in just 24 overs.
His hundred, 82 of which came in boundaries, with 19 fours and one six, came up in 112 balls.
At the other end Porterfield played with quiet assurance, reaching 50 in more balls than it took Bray to get to three figures. On 125, the record for Ireland's previous best opening partnership in this competition was surpassed, that of Bray and Jason Molins against the Netherlands in 2005.
Both then fell within a ball of each other, with the score on 202.
Bray's innings ended tamely when the left-hander fell to the off spin of Davison, caught at slip. He was followed immediately by Porterfield in the next over.
It brought Eoin Morgan to the crease, having sat in the pavilion with his pads on for some four plus hours. Morgan, who scored a hundred for Middlesex on Sunday, navigated the final 45 minutes of the day, setting up Ireland for a second day which could see them bat Canada out of the match.
Scoreboard
Canada: First Innings:
G Barnettlbw b Johnston 4
J Davisonlbw b Langford-Smith 0
A Samadlbw b Johnston 29
A Bagaib Johnston 4
Q Alic Porterfield b Fourie 9
A Mullab Fourie 3
T Bastiampillaic Wilson b K O'Brien 5
S Jyotib Fourie 0
U Bhattinot out 22
A Codringtonc Morgan b K O'Brien 0
H Osindec Fourie b Johnston 8
Extras(b4 lb2 w1 nb1) 8
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Total(31.4 overs) ... 92
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-11, 3-23, 4-43, 5-53, 6-55, 7-57, 8-75, 9-75.
Bowling:Langford-Smith 9-2-39-1; Johnston 9.4-4-12-4; Fourie 8-0-31-3; K O'Brien 4-3-4-2; McCallan 1-1-0-0.
Ireland: First Innings:
J Brayc Mulla b Davison 146
W Porterfieldc Bagai b Samad 54
E Morgannot out 17
P Gillespielbw b Samad 18
Extras(b1 nb1) 2
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Total(3 wkts, 62 overs) ... 250
Fall of wickets:1-202, 2-202, 3-230.
To bat:K O'Brien, A White, T Johnston, G Wilson, K McCallan, T Fourie, Langford-Smith.
Bowling:Osinde 13-3-48-0; Bhatti 11-3-38-0; A Codrington 9-2-33-0; Samad 13-0-54-2; Davison 11-3-48-1; Ali 5-0-28-0.
