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Ireland International Matches
Denmark lost to Ireland by 4 wickets
European Championships, Brondby, 16 July 1996
Scorecard
Derek Scott

The key match of Ireland's group was played the day after the Italian match at the very fine Broendby Stadium, the main centre of Danish cricket. It was also where the teams stayed in the nearby Sports Complex. Ireland retained the same team and a good match ensued in fine but windy weather. Sent in, Denmark reached 121 for one in over 30. In the remaining 20 overs Denmark scored only 97 more and lost eight wickets in all.

The off spinners, Doak 4 for 44 in 10 overs and Curry 2 for 28 in 7, were Ireland's bowling stars and they were the sixth and seventh bowlers used. There was some suggestion that a slow over rate might have encouraged the use of the spinners as 3½ hours were allowed for the 50 overs and only 27 overs were bowled after two hours.

In the 9th over Patterson bowled H.Hansen off the inside edge, one bail traveling 60 yards and hitting the sightscreen. Previously McCrum had dropped a low caught and bowled chance and a poor throw by Doak had muffed a run out chance. Nielsen was joined by J.Jensen and a long steady partnership began. Nielsen was the quickest scorer at first. In 15 overs 56 had been scored. McCrum bowled out his 10 overs (39 runs). Patterson bowled seven overs and left the field with an injured foot. J.Jensen now opened up going from 10 to 37 in four overs and hitting a six off Heasley. At 80 a jumping Benson failed to hold a chance by Jensen off Eagleson in the gully. 100 was up in over 23. In Heasley's 5th over Jensen gave McCrum a difficult chance a mid-off. Next ball, a slower one, had Jensen lbw 121-2-48. The stand of 96 had come in 21 overs.

P Jensen then came in and Doak came on to bowl the 32nd over. Nielsen reached 50 out of 126. There was a run out chance at 144 but Rutherford failed to hold the ball. Drinks came after 35 overs. Doak took his first wicket in the next over. P Jensen was caught at short extra cover. The Danish Captain, Henriksen, was next. Curry moved into bowling tandem with Doak. The 4th wicket added 30 and Doak struck again. Henriksen was caught at long-on. For four overs Nielsen got very little strike. At 183 Curry bowled him (trying to cut) in his 5th over for 82 scored off 120 balls with a six and eight fours. This was the first of three wickets to fall in 11 balls. Saddique skied a pull to mid-on off Doak. Curry took a return catch off Hedegaard in the next over. Vestergaard and T Hansen now hit 30 off only 21 balls. 200 came up in over 48 in which 10 were scored. Vestergard hit Doak for two sixes but was eventually caught and bowled by Doak off the penultimate ball of the innings.

Ireland lost both openers in the first eight overs. Vestergard, who had bowled well -v- Ireland in a practice match in Nairobi, took both wickets. Curry (10) skied to mid-on at 18. A Patterson was dropped at fine leg at 19 but caught at 22 by long leg running in. He had hooked upwards. When two Benson gave short leg a chance. This let off led to a 66 run stand with Dunlop. 50 came up in over 15. At 69, when 31, Benson gave left arm medium pace bowler T Hansen a return chance. It went down but was not too expensive. After hitting six fours im his 44 Benson was bowled around his legs sweeping at Klitgaard.

Doak came next and was still there at the finish. His stand of 61 with Dunlop began slowly and two successive maidens were bowled. 100 was up in over 26. Then the pace increased and 43 were put on in six overs. Five fours were hit. Then Dunlop hit P Jensen (off spin) for a six to bring up his 50 in 60 balls. Three balls later he advanced but could only push the ball back to the bowler. 149-4-51. During this innings Dunlop surpassed MA Masood's record of 546 runs for Ireland (aver. 42) in 1987. It was Dunlop's 13th innings of 1996, the same number as Masood played in 1987. With Heasley in 70 were required in 18 overs. This stand made 46 of them in just under 11 overs. Heasley, however, gave three chances at one, 13 and 19 before being yorked for 21.

The rate was still at four per over with 6.2 overs left. At 210 Graham pulled Hedegaard to deep square leg who took a good low catch. Eagleson got six of the last nine required. Doak got to face with scores level. He hit a boundary to both win the match and go to 51 off 85 balls with seven fours. Beyond doubt he was the Man-of-the-Match. It was his second 50 in seven 1996 innings, four of them not out. Vestergard was Denmark's outstanding bowler. In his 10 overs he took three for 24.