After three competitive days, Ireland were finally put down on the final day in Belfast as Moises Henriques' four wickets bowled Australia A to a 93-run victory.
The margin of victory threatened to be much wider as Ireland slipped to 112 for 7 chasing 301 to win but Stuart Poynter made 63 at No. 9 to give the scoreboard respectability, which Ireland had earned with a good account of themselves.
Poynter, in-form after 172 for MCC Young Cricketers earlier this month, played with a maturity and confidence which belied his 22 years. He struck nine boundaries in a 79-ball stay and, with his former Ireland Under-19 world cup colleague Stuart Thompson, made the Australians work for the final wickets.
Poynter and Thompson shared an eighth wicket stand of 70 in 17 overs before Thompson became the third of three wickets for offspinner Nathan Lyon when he was trapped lbw for 23.
Lyon had made the initial breakthrough on day four, after the morning session was lost to rain, having Andrew White well caught by Nic Maddinson at short leg off bat and pad.
James Shannon followed in identical fashion just eight runs later, and when Henriques removed John Mooney for a duck and Kevin O'Brien for 10 in quick succession, Ireland had lost four wickets for just 20 runs. But Poynter and Thompson ensured Ireland were not embarrassed.
They might have hoped to get closer to the target but their chase was hampered on the third evening when they slipped to 38 for 3. Shannon and White managed to take the total to 98 for 3 but the introduction of Lyon put paid to their hopes.
Lyon's potential rival for an Ashes spot, legspinner Fawad Ahmed, took his first wicket in Australian colours when Trent Johnston was lbw for 5 and the match was wrapped up when Poynter's cameo ended when he gave wicketkeeper Brad Haddin his fifth catch of the innings - Peter Siddle finally getting the reward that his display deserved.
Day 3: Australia A 312 for 9 dec. and 174 for 0 dec. (Maddinson 113*, Doolan 56*) lead Ireland 186 for 4 dec. (Stirling 115, White 40*) and 51 for 3 (Henriques 2-7) by 249 runs
A dramatic day of three declarations and two stunning centuries ended with Australia A in the ascendancy. Ireland, 51 for 3, need a further 250 for victory.
Crucially, one of the Ireland wickets to fall on the third evening was first innings centurion Paul Stirling, who was unable to repeat his magnificent display earlier in the day.
Following the Australians' overnight declaration 22 year-old Stirling took a distinct liking to pace bowler James Pattinson, dispatching him for three boundaries in the first over which set the tone for another remarkable hundred - his 8th for Ireland.
Stirling dominated the proceedings to such an extent that when he reached his half century off just 44 balls, with 10 fours and a six, the scoreboard read 58 for 3, which included six extras.
Stirling found a willing partner in Andrew White, who excels in the longer format of the game. White was content to play second fiddle to the belligerent Stirling who hit 17 fours and a six. While the maximum was somewhat inadvertent, there was nothing fortunate about the other boundaries - many of which were magnificent cover drives and square cuts.
His innings ended on 115 from 142 balls, when he was smartly stumped by Brad Haddin from the impressive Nathan Lyon who conceded just 34 runs in 16 overs.
Debutant Fawed Ahmed went wicketless but following a nervous start he bowled with enough variety and control to suggest that he may indeed represent the senior Australian side before the summer ends.
Ireland captain Kevin O'Brien declared their at tea, 126 in arrears, in an move designed to take the game forward after most of Saturday was washed out.
What followed was a brutal assault by New South Wales opener Nic Maddinson. He made Stirling's innings look positively pedestrian by smashing 113 from just 63 balls, which included 13 fours and 6 sixes.
His partnership with Alex Doolan was worth 174 in just 122 balls before skipper Brad Haddin called off the carnage with the lead exactly 300.
And his bowlers responded before the close as Moises Henriques dismissed John Anderson and Alex Cusack after Pattinson had made the initial breakthrough as Stirling edged through to Haddin.
Day 2: Australia A 312 for 9 (Smith 133, Pattinson 66, Sorensen 5-50, Johnston 4-68) v Ireland
Max Sorensen completed his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket during the 16 overs possible before rain wiped out the second day against Australia A in Belfast.
The Australians reached 312 for 9 when the players were forced off and they did not return before play was called off at 4pm. Steve Smith and James Pattinson took their seventh-wicket stand to 157 while Sorensen and Trent Johnston shared the nine wickets to fall.
As had been the case on the opening day the new ball did the damage. Smith had moved to 133 when he edged a delivery from Johnston that nipped away.
Pattinson reached his half-century from 108 balls but three overs after Smith's departure he edged Sorensen to give him his notable haul. Sorensen was also involved in the ninth wicket when he held the catch offered by Nathan Lyon and that was the last action of the day.
The rain meant that the appearance of legspinner Fawad Ahmed was delayed but the forecast for the final two days is more settled.
Day 1: Australia A 248 for 6 (Smith 104*, Sorsenen 4-44) v Ireland
Australia A's top order again needed bailing out, this time by a century from Steve Smith, have Ireland had put them in difficultly on the opening day in Belfast.
Although the Australians secured an overwhelming victory in Scotland last week the frontline batsmen did not enjoy huge success with the main runs coming from Brad Haddin and Peter Siddle.
This time they slipped to 69 for 4 during the morning session, and were later 139 for 6 when Max Sorensen claimed his fourth by removing Siddle for duck, before Smith and James Pattinson added an unbroken 109 until rain forced an early close. Smith's hundred came off 164 balls.
"It's nice to get a few," he said. "The wicket played a little better probably the last 30-odd overs, it was nipping around early and was quite hard work but I got through that and it got a bit easier. The new ball did a fair bit and it was quite a tough period."
It was Sorensen who made the early inroads after Ireland, missing some of their county-based players, had won the toss. He bowled both Nic Maddinson and Usman Khawaja during his first four overs to leave the Australians 22 for 2. Trent Johnston, the senior statesman of the Ireland team, followed those breakthroughs by removing Alex Doolan for a lively 40 and claimed the key scalp of Haddin.
The first period of recovery came between Smith and Moises Henriques as the pair added 74 for the fifth wicket, keeping their concentration during breaks for showers. Sorensen's return lifted Ireland, though, when he claimed Henriques and had Siddle caught in the gully four balls later. It was an impressive display from Ireland, following on from their two extremely close-fought ODIs against Pakistan last month.
The Australians countered as their lower order, not for the first time, suggest more solidity than what was above them. Smith resisted against some accurate seam bowling in helpful conditions, and later took advantage of Ireland's back-up bowling, while Pattinson showed some of the batting prowess he has produced in Test cricket.
Fawad Ahmed, the legspinner, was included in an Australian side for the first time after being drafted into the squad following the news that his citizenship would soon go through and enable him to be eligible for the national team. Weather permitting, he will add much intrigue to second day.
"He's bowling really well in the nets," Smith said. "I'm looking forward to seeing him in the game. He's obviously a very skilful legspinner."
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