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Ireland International Matches
Ireland lost to Gloucestershire by 171 runs
NatWest Trophy, Clontarf, 11 July 1981
Scorecard
Derek Scott

The first ever competitive match played by Ireland in Ireland - and another bad batting collapse. The National Westminster Bank took over from Gillette and Ireland drew Gloucs in the first round. The day was overcast, cold with a little light rain in the morning. These factors, and a bus strike, restricted the gate to £1203 despite no other cricket in Dublin and the fact that almost everyone had to pay at the gate. The wicket was slow, seamed and took spin but the bounce was even and satisfactory. The TCCB Umpires (B Meyer and CT Spencer) were pleased with it but not with the absence of covering of run ups and side covering.

Ireland dropped Johnston for Anderson but, for one reason or another, only five of the 11 who had played at Lords in the Gillette Cup, in 1980 - Short, O'Brien, Anderson, Corlett and Halliday played. The absence of Elder and Monteith to bowl was badly felt after a start of 25-3. This included Zaheer Abbas, the Pakistan test cricketer, who had just made seven centuries in 10 first class innings. Gloucester's South African Captain, MJ Proctor, was unable to play due to injury. Sadiq Mohammed was another Pakistan Test player, a younger brother of Hanif. Aer Lingus sponsored the travel of Gloucester and the Umpires. The Ulster Bank, the National Westminster's Bank agents in Ireland, subscribed £400 towards catering.

Light rain caused a 75 minutes delay. Broad and Sadiq opened at 11:45 AM to Corlett and Torrens. In Corlett's second over, Broad, a tall left-hander, drove at a full-length ball which Corlett held two-handed at knee height. 8-1-7. Better was to follow. Zaheer faced 28 balls and had scored seven when Corlett moved the first ball of his sixth over off the seam to win an LBW decision. 24-2-7. Then Duddleston, ex Leicestershire and not a Gloucester regular, came in and faced 7 balls. He then flashed at a wide ball from Torrens to be caught at the wicket. 25-3-0 and Ireland's highpoint. Corlett bowled one more over and Torrens bowled 8 in the first spell. Should they have been bowled out for 12 overs each - or one of them, we shall never know? Anderson and Kane came on. Anderson bowled six overs before lunch for only 10 runs but Kane's five overs conceded 33, mostly to Sadiq.

At 26 overs lunch came, with the total 77-3, Sadiq 46, Stovold 15. Halliday replaced Anderson and bowled his 12 overs in one spell. In his first over Sadiq hit him for 4 to reach 50. Next ball he went down the wicket. He missed as the ball turned and was stumped. 81-4-50. Hignell came in and Anderson replaced Kane to bowl three overs from the city end. After bowling nine overs he had only 15 off him. Kane came back for the 34th over and bowled four overs which cost 21. In his first, with the score at 95, Hignell sliced him to wide third man where Warke was unable to hold on to a diving two-handed catch to his left. This was to prove Ireland's last chance. 100 came up in the 36th over. Anderson came back in place of Kane to bowl his last three overs. 18 were hit from these but he had only 33 in all from his 12. Meanwhile Hignell mis hit Halliday to short fine leg. 125-5-23. Stovold went to 50 in the 49th over. He and Bainbridge added 74 from over 42 to over 54, Kane conceding 22 in his last three.

After 50 overs the score was 179. Torrens came back for over 54 (his first eight had cost only 15). He bowled Stovold at once for 70 off 107 deliveries. Graveney was run out by Warke's throw at 202. 44 came off the last six overs bowled by Corlett and Torrens during which Bainbridge reached 50 in 59 minutes. The batsmen were too experienced in the art of hitting and running. The final tally was 246-8, Bainbridge 61. Corlett bowled Wilkins for 16 at 233 in the 59th over. Corlett ended with figures of 3-43. The fielding was excellent with Corlett and Jackson outstanding.

Ireland began with Short and Warke to Brain (aged 40) and Wilkins. They were never in the hunt. Warke was LBW to the first ball he got from Brain. Harte came in and there was a 9 minutes hold up for bad light. In the 12th over, with the score at 23, Harte was LBW to Wilkins for 8. Childs, slow left arm, replaced Wilkins. In his second over Short mis hit him to mid-on. 32-3-40. Short was trying to increase the tempo bearing in mind that, somehow, 247 had to be scored. Brain bowled out his 12 overs. After 25 overs tea was taken with only 39 on the board. Two slow left armers, Graveney (who turned the ball a lot) and Childs now bowled in tandem. They ripped through the Irish batting. The batsmen afterwards said they might have been able to stay in but scoring was very difficult.

In his second over Graveney got O'Brien who mis hit to square leg. 41-4-1. In his third over he had Harpur LBW. 44-5-1. Childs bowled the next over in which Corlett was stumped. 45-6-0. In his fifth over Graveney bowled Jackson. 56-7-4. Anderson was still there and when Jackson was out he was 20 off 68 deliveries. Graveney went off after six overs (3-7). Bainbridge replaced him for the 37th over. When Childs completed his 12 (2-15) Graveney came back. The score was nudged up to 70 when Graveney had Anderson caught for 26, scored in 102 minutes off 96 deliveries. He had played well but was never able to get on top. He scored only one boundary. Bainbridge bowled Torrens at 75 and Halliday fell to Graveney in the next over. Halliday had battled for 37 minutes and 47 deliveries. Graveney had figures of 5-11 in 9.5 overs. Gloucester were out for 85 in the next round against Essex!