CRICKET: It was a day of records at Bishop's Stortford yesterday when Ireland recorded their highest one-day score of 387 for four, a total they haven't bettered in any form of cricket since 1923.
Andre Botha hit the first century for Ireland in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy, quickly emulated by Gerald Dros, and it may also have been the first time two Ireland batsmen have conducted a mid-wicket chat in Afrikaans.
Yet when rain intervened at 5.28 p.m. victory was by no means assured with Hertfordshire 283 for seven in reply, having found a centurion of their own, Gary Butcher. If the home side had secured a few more wickets, they would have been favourites when play resumes this morning.
Botha, who lives and works in Dublin and is qualified to play for Ireland as a resident, shared in two substantial partnerships that should have put the game beyond the strong English minor county side. Making the most of a receptive pitch, Botha added 157 with Jason Molins and, when the skipper flicked to deep square leg 16 short of his century, he piled on another 146 with Dros.
Much of their strokeplay was lethal. Botha struck 16 fours and cleared the ropes four times in an innings of 139 from 110 balls. Dros, the South Africa A captain who is Ireland's invited overseas professional in this tournament, started indifferently and was lucky to escape a confident appeal for caught behind on 26.
But once he was into his stride Dros cleared the leg-side boundaries seven times with some enormous blows. Three of his sixes came off successive balls in the last over before he was bowled out for 124; his final 74 runs coming from only 31 balls.
Predictably, Ireland's bowlers also suffered on the fast-scoring pitch, but crucially they took early wickets. Ryan Eagleson removed pinch-hitter Nick Walker with his second delivery and then claimed dangerman David Ward when the former Surrey batsman casually flicked to mid-on.
With Dros suffering a badly bruised toe towards the end of his innings and unable to bowl, Botha assured himself of the man of the match award with four wickets, and remarkably on a day of so many runs, a maiden over. His most important strike was bowling Butcher, the brother of England batsman Mark, for 126, three overs before rain brought an early close.
