CRICKET/Ireland v Gloucestershire: Trent Johnston became only the second player in Ireland cricket history to take a hat-trick and the first for 130 years, during Ireland's match against Gloucestershire at Clontarf yesterday. It was the one bright moment in an otherwise dismal display by the home team, who were bowled out for 63 chasing Gloucestershire's total of 248.
With the 49 for 1 on the board an hour into the morning session, the Ireland captain had opener Kadeer Ali caught behind by wicketkeeper Gary Wilson for 28, followed by Chris Taylor lbw.
The hat-trick ball moved back in from outside off stump to bowl Alex Gidman, who had shouldered arms intent on letting the ball go. The names of the three Gloucestershire batsmen join those of Macan, Higgins and Lord de Broke in the record books, the victims of Ireland's only previous hat-trick taker TH Hanna who performed the feat bowling underarm against the I Zingari team at Phoenix Park in August 1877.
The match report written on the day said: Caps were thrown sky high and a great deal of excitement prevailed.
A 21st century style celebration followed Johnston's effort, as the third wicket prompted a uninhibited dash toward cover point arm outstretched, chased and then engulfed by his team-mates.
Johnston finished his 10 over spell with the remarkable figures of 4 for 13, including four maidens. However, the rest of the day was a one-sided affair, the third time in a week that they have been outclassed by county opposition, following heavy defeats at the hands of Somerset and Hampshire.
For the majority of the game, the first in Dublin since the World Cup, play was watched by fewer than 300 people. "Something's got to happen, whether we go professional or go back to playing park cricket and back to the dark years," said Trent Johnston after the game, "we can't compete with these guys if we are practising one day a week and expecting to play against professionals.
"We've lost four quality players (those contracted to counties) and it would have been good to have a couple of weeks off before starting the tournament. Phil's (Simmons, Ireland coach) doing his best, but it is hard when you come here with a couple of hundred people watching, compared to 15,000 at the World Cup."
Coach Phil Simmons felt 248 on the relatively small Clontarf ground should have been achievable. "There was no fight shown, no guts or determination in the batting," he said.
New overseas signing Jesse Ryder was out for one after seven balls, bowled by Ashley Nofke, the ball passing through the batsman's forward defensive shot. Captain Trent Johnston removed Ryder from the bowling attack after two overs of slow medium went for 13 runs.
"Every batsman can have a bad day," said Simmons. "We'll see how he goes on Sunday, then we'll ask questions."
GLOUCESTERSHIRE INNINGS
Kadeer Ali c Wilson b Johnston28
I Fisher b Hayward8
M North c McCallan b McCallan77
C Taylor lbw b Johnston0
A Gidman b Johnston0
D Brown c Wilson b Johnston7
M Hardinges c Johnston b Hayward70
S Adshead c Porterfield b McCallan17
A Noffke c Ryder b Hayward ... 7
C Greenidge not out4
W Rudge c Sub b McCallan1
Extras (lb16 w13 pens 0)29
Total (50 overs) ... 248
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-94, 3-94, 4-94, 5-118, 6-183, 7-234, 8-237, 9-246.
Bowling: Langford-Smith 10-0-57-0, Hayward 10-1-61-3, Ryder 2-0-13-0, Johnston 10-4-13-4, K J O'Brien 9-0-43-0, McCallan 9-1-45-3.
IRELAND INNINGS
J Bray lbw b Rudge7
W Porterfield lbw b Noffke4
J Ryder b Noffke1
K O'Brien lbw b Rudge1
P Gillespie c Adshead b Noffke10
A White c Taylor b Greenidge10
G Wilson c Hardinges b Greenidge1
D Johnston not out22
W McCallan c Adshead b Gidman2
D Langford-Smith b Greenidge1
M Hayward b Greenidge0
Extras (lb2 nb2 pens 0)4
Total (21 overs) ... 63
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-12, 3-12, 4-19, 5-33, 6-34, 7-51, 8-62, 9-63.
Bowling: Rudge 6-2-18-2, Noffke 7-1-24-3, Greenidge 5-1-15-4, Gidman 3-0-4-1.
Gloucestershire beat Ireland by 185 runs
