Intercontinental Cup Ire v Sco 4 day game

Day 1 Ireland 35 for 0 trail Scotland 138 (Sharif 41, Young 4-53, McCarter 3-13) by 103 runs

Craig Young made an impressive debut for Ireland, claiming 4 for 53 against Scotland, as they took control of their Intercontinental Cup meeting at Clontarf.

Ireland's seamers combined to remove the visitors for 138 after putting them into bat following a delayed start and were able to round off the day on a strong note with the openers reaching 35 for 0 in reply. Ireland currently lead the table, 12 points clear of Afghanistan, and are now well placed to consolidate that advantage.

 

Without Tim Murtagh, who played the ODI against England and one of the 50-over matches against Scotland, where Ireland secured the World Cricket League Championship, the coach Phil Simmons needed to delve into his bench strength for this four-day encounter and he will have been delighted with the outcome.

 

Young, 23, opened his tally in his third over when Freddie Coleman slashed to point, and by the end of his first spell had 3 for 28, having also accounted for Richie Berrington and Preston Mommsen who were both bowled by full deliveries.

 

Kevin O'Brien contributed two wickets, and sandwiched between them held the catch at second slip which accounted for Majid Haq.

 

At 68 for 7, three figures was looking out of reach for Scotland but the lower order rallied through a stand of 56 between Moneeb Iqbal and Safyaan Sharif. Graeme McCarter then struck twice in three deliveries (spread across two overs) before Young finished the innings with his fourth when he had Sharif was caught behind for 41.

 

In fading light, the closing overs should have been tricky for Ireland's openers, but William Porterfield and Paul Stirling were able to score at nearly six-an-over to round off a superb day for the home side.

 

Day 2 Ireland 99 for 1 (Stirling 50*) trail Scotland 138 by 39 runs

Just 21 overs were possible on day two in Dublin as Ireland were robbed of the chance to build a solid first innings lead over Scotland.

They are in an excellent place to do so with Paul Stirling unbeaten on fifty and John Anderson combining to share an unbroken partnership of 50. Stirling went to his half-century in 73 balls with a single in what proved to be the final over of the day.

 

Rain arrived just after lunch and came and went throughout the afternoon. The umpires gave the ground every chance to dry up but the showers proved too persistent and play was eventually called off at 5pm.

 

Day 3 Scotland 138 and 143 for 8 (Sharif 60, Sorensen 4-32) trail Ireland 350 (Stirling 65, Anderson 56, Iqbal 4-68) by 69 runs

A strong batting display from Ireland, followed by an incisive spell of 4 for 32 from right-arm seamer Max Sorensen left the hosts on the cusp of a comprehensive victory against Scotland in their Intercontinental Cup match in Dublin.
 

Sorensen, who picked up three wickets against Scotland in a World Cricket League Championship game last Sunday, dismissed Hamish Gardiner and Freddie Coleman in the third over. Preston Mommsen and Calum MacLeod also fell victim to Sorensen's first spell as Scotland slumped to 27 for 4 in the 11th over.

 

It became 64 for 7 before No. 9 Safyaan Sharif manned a rearguard action for the second time in the match. He added 79 runs with Majid Haq during an eighth-wicket stand that lasted 26 overs. Sharif recorded his maiden first-class half-century but lost his wicket off what became the last ball of the day, leaving Scotland at 143 for 8, and needing another 69 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

 

Despite rain wiping out most of day two, Ireland's batsmen put up a solid performance as Paul Stirling composed a 101-ball 65 that included 11 fours, and together with John Anderson, added 92 for the second wicket to take Ireland beyond Scotland's first-innings score of 139. Anderson played the ideal foil for Stirling, picking up a fifty himself, which included five fours.

 

But Stirling threw his wicket away, pulling straight to deep mid wicket off seamer Alasdair Evans and Legspinner Moneeb Iqbal dismissed Anderson for 56 off just his second delivery.

 

With two new batsmen at the crease, Scotland might have sensed the tide changing, but Andrew White and Kevin O'Brien put up a 52-run stand for the fourth wicket and then, when Iqbal and Haq removed the pair in quick succession, Andrew Balbirnie and Stuart Poynter contributed 62 runs for the sixth wicket to increase Ireland's lead.

 

Iqbal and Haq took four wickets each, but were unable to curtail the flow of runs from the Ireland batsmen, who together struck a total of 43 fours and four sixes in the innings to build a lead of 212.

Day 4: Ireland 350 (Stirling 65, Anderson 56, Iqbal 4-68) beat Scotland 138 (Sharif 41, Young 4-53) and 168 (Sharif 60, Sorensen 5-37) by an innings and 44 runs

Ireland needed less than 10 overs on day four to bowl Scotland out for 168 and thump the visitors by an innings and 44 runs in Dublin. 
 

Scotland had been put on the back foot for large parts of day three, owing to a devastating and incisive spell from pacer Max Sorensen, who finished with figures of 5 for 37. But a 79-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Safyaan Sharif and Majid Haq appeared to give the visitors some mild hope heading into the final day.

 

However, John Anderson removed Sharif off what ended being the final delivery of the day to dent any chance of a Scotland recovery. Only three overs were bowled on the final day before Iain Wardlaw edged Craig Young to Kevin O'Brien at second slip, as Scotland slumped to 148 for 9. The final pair Haq and Alasdair Evans survived 40 deliveries, but Sorensen eventually induced an edge off Haq's bat for O'Brien's second catch of the innings, to seal the win for the hosts.

 

The win increased Ireland's lead at the top of the Intercontinental Table to 22 points, and marked a very successful summer for the hosts after they also sealed the World Club Championship in Belfast last week, again by defeating Scotland. The result also ensured that Ireland will play Afghanistan in the final of the competition, where even a draw will be enough for them to take home the trophy since they topped the table.