Irish win as Connell cuts through Royals

PETER CONNELL grabbed a one-day best five for 19 as Ireland ruined Worcestershire’s hopes of qualifying for the Friends Provident Trophy quarter-finals with a shock 94-run victory at New Road.

The 27-year-old paceman was in devastating form as Ireland stopped the Royals from collecting a win which would have earned them a home tie in the last eight.

Needing 153 to finish top of Group A, they were skittled out for a disastrous 58 in 20.3 overs.

It was their lowest score in one-day cricket. The bottom-of-the-table visitors, who lost by 52 runs when they hosted the Royals in Belfast last month, had never previously bowled out a county for less than 100 runs.

After being put in, Ireland lost half their side for just 52 before being bowled out for 152 in 48.5 overs following a battling half-century stand between Trent Johnston and Kyle McCallan.

Chris Whelan claimed three for 22 for Worcestershire.

It was his fellow pace bowler Matt Mason, however, who began pushing Ireland onto the slippery slope by striking in successive overs to remove Jeremy Bray and Alex Cusack.

Paul Stirling then edged Whelan to wicketkeeper Steve Davies who soon followed up by stumping Kevin O’Brien off spinner Ian Fisher.

Whelan then pounced again by having Andrew White superbly caught two-handed at deep square leg by the diving Alex Kervezee.

Worse was to follow for crumbling Ireland when Ashley Noffke ran out Andrew Poynter before Worcestershire’s healthy progress was held up by defiant Johnston and McCallam who put on 57 in 14 overs.

Their partnership eventually ended when Daryl Mitchell had Johnston comfortably caught at long-on by Mason for 39 which contained four fours off 63 balls.

Whelan, Noffke and Mitchell shared the last three wickets with McCallan finally falling for 40 which included four fours off 60 balls.

But woeful Worcestershire hit massive problems when they launched their victory chase by plunging to 21 for six, with hero Connell grabbing five wickets for three runs in 14 balls.

He began in sensational style by ripping out Solanki, Stephen Moore and Moeen Ali first ball before Kevin O’Brien stepped up the pressure by trapping Kervezee lbw.

Deadly Connell was back under the spotlight to oust Davies and Gareth Batty before Mitchell and Noffke tried to repair the damage with a 29-run stand in 10 overs before Noffke hit Johnston straight to Cusack at square leg. Cusack then dismissed Whelan and Fisher before Mason was last out to leave Mitchell unbeaten on 15, his embarrassed side’s highest score.