Solid Irish display but visitors prove too strong

IRELAND gave notice that they may be more competitive than expected in this season’s Friends Provident Trophy despite losing to Nottinghamshire by 56 runs at Clontarf in the first match of the campaign.

With only five World Cup regulars in the line-up, a year on from those heroics in the Caribbean, hopes were not high at the start of yesterday’s game but a disciplined bowling performance held the county side to 217 for nine.

Kevin O’Brien was the star turn taking two wickets in a tight opening eight overs and returning at the end of the innings to claim figures of four for 31 — but there was also a promising debut from 25-year-old Strabane left-armer Phil Eaglestone who took two for 49 and looked the part.

National coach Phil Simmons said: “Our bowling was exceptional early on. Kevin O’Brien thrives on the pressure of opening the attack and Phil’s first three or four overs were very good indeed. He needs to work on keeping that intensity throughout.”

While Australian batsman Adam Voges top-scored for the visitors with 60, Ireland could have kept their opponents below 200 but for a couple of dropped catches — one a sharp return chance to Thinus Fourie, the other a dolly in the deep that was spilled by veteran Kyle McCallan.

William Porterfield, who had won the toss earlier in the day, began the Ireland pursuit with two fours in the first over from Ryan Sidebottom and struck a third boundary before edging the England seamer to slip on 15.

Youngster Paul Stirling sent a leading edge to mid-on, Reinhardt Strydom received a harsh leg-before decision and O’Brien was unable to turn in an all-round performance as he nicked his 12th ball behind without scoring.

Andre Botha, playing as a batsman, was caught behind off another England seamer Stuart Broad for 21, and any lingering hopes of Ireland adding a fourth county to their list of conquests ended when Andy White was run out for a top score of 30.

* At Clontarf (Ireland won toss): Nottinghamshire 217-9 (50 overs) (A Voges 60, C Read 45, K O’Brien 4-31) beat Ireland 161 (45.3 overs) (A White 30, M Ealham 4-39) by 56 runs.