Ireland win Intercontinental Cup

Ireland comprehensively defeated Canada in the Intercontinental Cup final at Grace Road, Leicester, winning by an innings and 115 runs inside two days. Captain Trent Johnstone led the way with match figures of 7-59, while Jeremy Bray slammed a near run-a-ball century, the fourth First-Class ton of his career.

Johnstone had won the toss on Tuesday and chosen to take advantage of seam-friendly conditions. After David Langford-Smith trapped fellow Australian John Davison lbw with an inswinger first ball, Johnstone tore through the rest of the Canadian top-order, using sharp seam-movement and prodigious swing to expose the limitations of his ill-prepared opponents (the Canadians had suffered in the build-up from lost baggage, missed air-flights, rain and a lack of warm-up games). New Zealander Geoff Barnett fell in exactly the same way as his opening partner, and the right-handed Ashish Bagai left a ball which jagged back sharply to take his off bail. Thinus Fourie replaced Langford-Smith and immediately had Qaiser Ali held, superbly, at point by William Porterfield, and Johnstone finally removed Abdool Samad, who had launched a counter-attack of sorts, lbw for a 48-ball 29. Thereafter, there was little resistance other than from Umar Bhatti (22* off 36 balls) and Fourie cashed-in with 3-31. Kevin O’Brien took 2-4 and the Canadians were skittled for 92 in less than 32 overs.

Bray and Porterfield, an ageing Australian and a 22-year-old from Londonderry, then put on 202 for the first wicket in contrasting styles. After seeing-off the new ball, Bray’s strokeplay verged on the brutal, as the Canadians repeatedly fed his strong areas on the off-side. In the session before tea he scored 71 out of 97. Porterfield eventually began to open up as well, but Bray powered unstoppably on – he brought-up his century from 112 balls, and 82 of them had come in boundaries.

Canadian wicketkeeper-skipper Bagai was virtually powerless to stop the onslaught, and while he tried everything available to him, Henry Osinde, Austin Codrington, Umar Bhatti and Davison were as ineffectual as each other. Davison finally broke the stand when Bray was caught by Ashif Mulla at slip, and Porterfield immediately followed, nicking Samad to the wicketkeeper. Peter Gillespie stroked his way to 18 but Samad pinned him lbw shortly before the first day close. Nonetheless, Ireland went to bed in a commanding position.

Eoin Morgan, yet to appear for Middlesex in this season’s County Championship, took the opportunity on the Wednesday to help himself to a well-paced 84, with Kevin O’Brien providing sedate support. Bhatti, however, provided the Canadians with some consolation as he tore through the Irish middle-order, winning four consecutive lbws, including a hat-trick, and was perhaps unfortunate to miss a fifth. Ireland crashed from 297-3 to 352 all out, with Morgan the last man to go, giving Bhatti five-wicket bag. Despite the collapse, however, they earned a 260-run first-innings advantage.

The Irish bowlers then duly tore through the Canadian batting once more, requiring just 5.1 more overs than they had in the first-innings. Johnstone again decimated the top-order despite a 36-ball 28 from Davison, and Mulla counter-attacked with more success than anyone in the first-innings, racing to 48 off 55 balls. But fingerspinner Kyle McCallan had him caught-and-bowled and then mopped-up the tail to finish with 5-34 off just 8.5 overs. One concern for the Irish was Langford-Smith’s inability to complete his 7th over, but everything else in this game has followed a near-perfect script for them. Bray was awarded Player of the Match for his innings.

Canada 92
Trent Johnstone 4-12

Ireland 352
Jeremy Bray 146, Eoin Morgan 84, Umar Bhatti 5-85

Canada 145
Ashif Mulla 48, Kyle McCallan 5-34

Ireland won by an innings and 115 runs