CRICKET/Intercontinental Cup/Ireland v Scotland:Odd lot the Scots. On Thursday they hardly played an attacking shot all day, crawling to 183 in six hours of stultifying tedium. Yesterday it was as if a different team had come to the ground, so positive was their intent. They scored exactly 100 runs in the pre-lunch period and went on to compile 314, following it up with a rush of early Irish wickets. From looking forward to building a first innings lead, Ireland had to stand and watch as the momentum of the game moved away from them.
They were saved by a century partnership between Niall O'Brien and Andre Botha in the final session of the day that set up an intriguing climax over the weekend. The hosts sit on 179 for 4, 135 runs short of a first innings lead.
John Blain took the honours for Scotland, last man out for a well-constructed 93 against a toiling Ireland attack. He went attempting a big hit off Kevin O'Brien (4 for 38 off 19.4 overs), smartly taken by Thompson at deep mid-wicket.
Facing a bigger total than they were expecting, Andrew White opened up the Ireland innings with William Porterfield.
The new ball concentrates the mind and White is comfortable against the quicker bowlers, but after a solid start his impetuosity came back to haunt him as he tried to cut a ball that was not short or wide enough for the shot.
His wicket was one of three to fall in the space of 12 balls as Ireland made the worst of starts. Porterfield went lbw, half forward to a straight one from Nel. Eoin Morgan followed next over, caught behind off a thin edge to a ball bowled by Craig Wright with the score on 32.
Niall O'Brien announced himself with a classical extra cover drive for four off his first ball. As the clouds closed in he and his brother Kevin put on 19 for the fourth wicket, with some crisply timed shots. The younger sibling was then out lbw and O'Brien Senior survived a vociferous appeal for caught behind off Nel, the batsman brushing his pad in a frantic signal to umpire Doctrove. The Scots were further aggrieved when the Railway Union player hit the next ball to the cover boundary with a flourish in the follow through.
A partnership of substance was called for and it came for the fifth wicket. He and Botha (53 not out) steered Ireland toward 100 off 23 overs amid showers on a increasingly gloomy late afternoon. They accelerated to 179 by close of play, propelled by some high-class strokeplay.
O'Brien's 83 came in 103 balls containing 14 boundaries. It was a high-class knock under pressure but it is important that he and Botha continue tomorrow morning.
Points for a first innings lead may be crucial to Ireland's ambition to retaining this trophy come next summer.
SCOTLAND 1st innings
S Knox c A White b T Johnston 17
N MacRae lbw b K O'Brien 9
R Watson c A Cusack b T Johnston 9
G Hamilton lbw b K O'Brien 16
N McCallum b G Thompson 36
R Berrington c N O'Brien b G Thompson 18
C Wright b T Johnston 36
J Blain c G Thompson b K O'Brien 93
S Smith lbw W G Thompson 40
J Nel lbw K O'Brien 22
R Lyons not out 0
Extras (b 12, lb 3, nb 1, w 2) 18
___
Total (all out, 148.4 overs) 314
Bowling: D Langford-Smith 21 9 53 0; T Johnston 27 10 49 3; A Botha 8 4 15 0; K O'Brien 19.4 9 38 4; A Cusack 7 4 6 0; K McCallan 17 6 39 0; G Thompson 29 10 76 3; A White 20 8 23 0.
IRELAND 1st innings
W Porterfield lbw b J Nel 18
A White c C Wright b J Nel 11
E Morgan c S Smith b C Wright 1
N O'Brien not out 83
K O'Brien lbw b C Wright 7
A Botha not out 53
Extras (b , lb 5, nb 1, w) 6
___Total (4 wkts, 44.0 overs 179
Bowling: J Blain 12 0 41 0; C Wright 15 1 48 2; J Nel 5 0 37 2; R Watson 7 1 34 0; R Lyons 5 1 14 0.
Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-32, 3-36, 4-59.
