Slack batting display sees Scots crash to Irish

SCOTLAND were heavily beaten in the opening encounter of their three-match ODI series against Ireland in Malahide yesterday.
Scotlands Hamish Gardiner is bowled by Irish ODI debutant Craig Young  Picture: ©INPHO/Presseye/Rowland WhiteScotlands Hamish Gardiner is bowled by Irish ODI debutant Craig Young  Picture: ©INPHO/Presseye/Rowland White
Scotlands Hamish Gardiner is bowled by Irish ODI debutant Craig Young Picture: ©INPHO/Presseye/Rowland White

The Scots suffered the worst of the conditions after being sent in to bat but there was little excuse for a paltry total of 172 which paved the way for the Irish to cruise to an easy seven-wicket win with more than 13 overs to spare.

Defending such a modest total, Scotland desperately needed quick wickets and they made the breakthrough when Iain Wardlaw trapped John Anderson in front for just nine runs.

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However, a partnership between Andrew Balbirnie and Andrew Poynter put the Irish on course.

While the Scottish bowlers kept things tight, Poynter broke the shackles by smacking a free hit over extra cover for six off Josh Davey.

Davey eventually had his revenge when Poynter nicked behind to be snapped-up by Matty Cross while Richie Berrington enjoyed Scotland’s final modest success when he had Balbirnie, also caught behind, for 38.

However, the arrival of Ireland skipper Kevin O’Brien brought an acceleration in the scoring rate.

O’Brien raced to a run-a-ball 56 with seven boundaries and a six off Majid Haq, who had no joy on the occasion of his 200th appearance in Scotland colours.

Stuart Thompson lent solid support with 35 not out as the visiting bowlers toiled.

Earlier, Scotland appeared to have created a platform to go on and post a challenging total only to throw away the initiative.

They recovered from the early loss of Cross, caught behind off Max Sorensen, to reach 50 in ten overs.

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Calum MacLeod was looking in good touch with four nicely-timed boundaries but, having reached 25, the Durham batsman edged a delivery from Craig Young to be caught at slip.

It was the first of three wickets in quick succession for Ireland’s ODI debutant, who produced two superb deliveries to clean bowl both Hamish Gardiner and Preston Mommsen to pile the pressure on the Scots.

Things got worse still when Berrington and Davey went tamely to the innocuous off-spin of Andy McBrine and, when Freddie Coleman was adjudged to have nicked Stuart Thompson’s first delivery to the keeper – the first of three contentious decisions that went against the visitors – the Scots were in deep trouble on 101-7.

Their blushes were partially spared by an eighth-wicket stand of 54 between Michael Leask and Safy Sharif who showed their more senior colleagues how to go about building a partnership.

Sharif, having made 18 with three boundaries, was the second batsman to depart in dubious fashion when he was also given out caught behind to a delivery which appeared to miss his bat.

It was enough to give Young his fourth wicket and his fifth – again a contentious caught behind verdict – was even more damaging for Scotland as Leask was sent on his way.

The Stoneywood-Dyce batsman had made his highest ODI score of 50 at exactly a run-a-ball and his seven boundaries and one towering six had at least given visiting supporters a little cheer.

But his departure signalled the end, Wardlaw being bowled by Sorensen without addition to the total of 172.

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