Ireland blow golden opportunity

Ireland blew a great chance for a shock win over South Africa after slumping to a 35-run defeat in their World Cup warm-up match at the Sir Frank Worrell grounds today.

Set 193 for victory, Ireland appeared cruising to victory at 139 for four with 14 overs remaining, but collapsed dramatically to be all out for 157.

Andre Botha (40) and Kevin O’ Brien (33) added 54 runs for the fifth wicket to put their team on course for what would have been one of the biggest upsets in world cricket.

But once Botha was caught by wicket keeper Mark Boucher off the bowling of Andre Nel, South Africa lifted their game and dismissed the next five wickets for just 18 runs.

Ireland lost their first wicket in the second over when Jeremy Bray (1) was caught by Boucher of Andre Nel with the score on one.

Andrew Hall, who inspired a South Africa recovery with an unbeaten 67 after his team was perilously placed at 91 for eight, grabbed the wickets of Eoin Morgan (14) and Niall O ’Brien (16) to leave Ireland 69 for three after 22 overs.

Hall bowled Morgan at 34 in the 12th over and had O’Brien caught by Boucher at 69.

Roger Telemachus then had opener William Porterfield (37) caught by Graeme Smith at slip in the 25th over as Ireland slipped to 85 for four.

Porterfield faced 71 balls, batted for 116 minutes and struck four boundaries.

Ireland’s most productive partnership followed, with Botha and O Brien taking no chances against controlled bowling.

After batting for 79 minutes and hitting three fours off his 59 balls, Botha’s concentration seemed to wane and he drove at Nel only to see Boucher gleefully accept his third catch of the innings.

A steady procession followed thereafter as Kyle McCallan (3) was bowled by Charl Langeveldt at 148.

Skipper Trent Johnston (0) was bowled by Hall one run later and Andrew White (0) was lbw to Langeveldt at 152.

O’Brien’s steady innings came to an end at 157 when he was Langeveldt’s third victim, edging an intended drive to Boucher.

His knock of 33 came off 54 balls and spanned 88 minutes. It contained just two boundaries.

The match ended when Paul Mooney was lbw without scoring to give Langeveldt his fourth wicket. The bowler‘s 8.2 overs cost just 31 runs.

Hall took three for 26 from his eight overs and Nel two for 38 off eight overs. Shaun Pollock also bowled seven straight overs for the loss of just 12 runs.

Earlier, South Africa’s total was built around a fighting ninth-wicket partnership of 85 between Hall and Robin Petersen (29).

The pair came together at 91 for eight, with 25 overs left and their team in danger of being dismissed for less than 100.

However, they applied themselves to add 85 for the ninth wicket to restore respectability to their team’s total.

Hall arrived at the crease at 66 for seven and shared a partnership of 25 with Mark Boucher for the eighth wicket. Boucher fell at 91 but Hall found Petersen to be a useful partner and the pair batted resolutely to give respect to their team’s total.

Petersen was eventually bowled by Andre Botha with less than three overs remaining. Botha also grabbed the wicket of Roger Telemachus (10) with the last ball of the innings.

Hall struck six fours and a six in his 98-ball innings which spanned 125 minutes.

The early part of the South African innings was undermined by some superb bowling from Ireland skipper Johnston and Dave Langford Scott.

Johnston took four for 40 off his 10 overs but it was Langford Scott who removed the first three batsmen in an eight-over spell that cost 30 runs, putting South Africa’s backs against the wall.

Ireland will next play Canada on Thursday while South Africa will face Pakistan in their second warm-up match on Friday.