Johnston facing knee operation after Ireland see off Canadians
The result, added to Monday’s win over the same opponents, means Ireland top the ICC One Day League with a 100% record after four games.
The top two teams from that league of eight associate nations automatically qualify for Australia in 2015, with two other associate teams joining them through a knockout tournament.
On Monday night, Ireland’s cricketers had moaned on Twitter about the 4.30am wake-up call they would receive the next day, to undergo a dawn stretching session with conditioning coach Brendan Connor.
And it seemed the Canadians’ extra hours in bed had given them the edge at the start of play, when Rizwan Cheema took a stunning catch in the slips to dismiss Ireland opener Ed Joyce off the bowling of Harvir Baidwan.
However, a half-century from captain William Porterfield and important contributions from Gary Wilson (44), Kevin O’Brien (43) and Trent Johnston (22 not out) helped Ireland to a total of 249 for seven off their 50 overs.
At five an over, the target was eminently achievable, but Canada are an amateur team playing against 11 full-time professionals, and that difference in mindset showed early in the reply. Porterfield (twice) and Johnston showed superb dexterity in the field to run out three of the top four Canada batsmen, with Jimmy Hansra’s team all out for 193 in the 47th over.
George Dockrell, who flies to India this morning to join up with his Somerset team-mates in the Champions League, was named man-of-the match for his figures of 2-27 in 10 overs.
However, Johnston was equally as impressive in taking 2-42 in his 150th and possibly final game for Ireland. The 37-year-old goes in for an operation on his chronic knee complaint next Thursday, and freely admits his career depends on the skills of surgeon Niall Hogan, the former Ireland rugby international captain.
“They will take a little of the tendon out, which is where I am getting the problem, and shave a little off the knee-cap to relieve pressure,” he said.
“I can’t go on the way I am going now. The cortisone got me through these two games, but hopefully an operation will get me through to next September (the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka).”
Ireland’s next games will be the Twenty20 World Cup qualifiers in UAE in March, and coach Phil Simmons expects to still be in charge of the team in Dubai. The Trinidadian has still to sign an extension to his current deal, which runs out in December, but insists that he wants to stay with the Irish team.
“I am here. I am not going anywhere,” the 48-year-old said. “When I come back next week we will start dealing with it. There are no problems.”
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