IRELAND LOSE HEAVILY TO SCOTLAND IN WORLD CUP WARM-UP Ireland's official World Cup warm-up programme got off to the worst possible start in Blacktown, Sydney on Tuesday as William Porterfield's men were on the wrong end of a comprehensive defeat by old adversaries Scotland.
Ireland named a 13-man team with Niall O'Brien and Ed Joyce deployed as just batsmen with Andy McBrine and George Dockrell coming in to bowl. The Scots had no hesitation in batting first on winning the toss but any hopes of a whirlwind start were kept in check as Max Sorensen did for both Kyle Coetzer (0) and Hamish Gardiner (12) early in the innings.
Callum McLeod and Matt Machan steadied the ship however; these two taking the score to 86 before Dockerell picked up opener McLeod for 41, well caught down the leg side by Keeper Gary Wilson.
That brought Preston Mommsen to the middle and he and Machan then gave the innings a real lift with a 96-run stand for the 4th wicket. The first ball of Sorensen's second spell saw Paul Stirling pick up a sharp catch at point to dismiss Mommsen for 56 but the respite would only be temporary.
Richie Berrington was soon in the thick of the action as he benefitted from several let offs as and Machan added 98 more for the fifth as Ireland's bowlers toiled on a humid afternoon. Machan finally went soon after reaching his century, playing on to Craig Young for 103 (6 fours and 4 sixes, 108 balls) and the same bowler ended Berrington's stay for a well made 52.
The damage had been done however as the Scots closed on 296 for 6 from their 50 overs - 106 of which came in the final ten. Sorensen (3-55) fared best of the wicket-takers while Young (2-30 from 6) continued his run of good form as well. Dockrell (1-40 from 8) was the other successful bowler although McBrine (0-36 from 10) was as tidy as any of them.
Ireland's reply started with a solid partnership between William Porterfield and Paul Stirling that gave no indication of what was to come. This pair put on 57 before the latter was well caught on the long leg boundary for a typically breezy 37, Alisdair Evans the successful bowler, and after that the deck folded spectacularly.
Evans did for both Ed Joyce and Niall O'Brien almost immediately and then topped it off with the wicket of Porterfield for 23. The Scots' bowler had figures of 4-3 at that point as Ireland lost their top order for the addition of 16 runs.
Unfortunately it go no better for Ireland as Majid Haq (3-9), Josh Davey (2-36) and Ian Wardlaw (1-36) got among the middle and lower order with little fuss- only Gary Wilson (15) making it into double figures after the opening pair.
In the end the Irish resistance, such as it was, closed on 117 all out after just 27 overs, a 179-run verdict for the Scots. Without doubt it will be seen as best to get this sort of effort out of the system before the real business starts at the weekend, but it is also difficult to completely play down such an emphatic reverse.
Ireland have an opportunity for almost instant redemption as they take on Bangladesh in their second warm-up game at the same venue on Thursday (9:30am local).