BELFAST: Steven Smith’s first match as full-time Australia captain ended with a rain-affected 23-run One-day International win over Ireland here at the Stormont ground on Thursday, but it needed the speed of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc to put the hosts in their place (partly reported in Friday’s edition).

A third-wicket partnership of 86 between Ed Joyce (44) and Niall O’Brien (45) put Ireland on course for their first ever victory over the world champions.

But after Glenn Maxwell ended the stand, the middle-lower order could not maintain the scoring rate against the express pace of Cummins and Starc, the world’s top-ranked ODI bowler.

Cummins (2-19) actually broke the bat of Stuart Thompson, who had just hit off-spinner Maxwell for two sixes as Ireland, cricket’s leading non-Test nation, chased a revised target of 181 in 24 overs on a frustrating day of four rain interruptions.

Left-armer Starc (2-34) ended Thompson’s late rally to give wicket-keeper Matthew Wade his third catch of the innings.

Nathan Coulter-Nile, with the final two wickets in the last over, ended as the most successful bowler and also the most economical (3-13 in 4.4 overs) as Australia, in their first match in this format since beating New Zealand in the World Cup final in Melbourne in March, ultimately won with something to spare.

Earlier, Australia, with Smith leading the team for the first time following the retirement of Michael Clarke, had chosen to bat on what he described as a slow but good pitch and they made 222-6 before the second rain interruption ended their innings in the 41st over.

The Australians’ tour continues with a lone Twenty20 and five-match ODI series against England.—AFP

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA: J. Burns c O’Brien b Young69 D. Warner c Joyce b Murtagh84 S. Smith c O’Brien b Thompson21 G. Bailey bowled Murtagh1 G. Maxwell c O’Brien b McBrine2 S. Watson not out26 M. Marsh c Murtagh b Mooney11 M. Wade not out2 EXTRAS (B-1, LB-3, W-1, NB-1)6 TOTAL (for six wkts, 40.2 overs)222 FALL OF WKTS: 1-139, 2-165, 3-167, 4-170, 5-190, 6-214. DID NOT BAT: M. Starc, N. Coulter-Nile, P. Cummins. BOWLING: Young 6-0-49-1 (1nb, 1w); Murtagh 10-1-45-2; Mooney 6-0-33-1; Thompson 6-1-37-1; McBrine 9-0-40-1, Stirling 3.2-0-14-0. IRELAND: W. Porterfield b Starc4 P. Stirling c Wade b Coulter-Nile0 E. Joyce b Maxwell44 N. O’Brien c Burns b Maxwell45 A. Balbirnie c Coulter-Nile b Cummins12 G. Wilson c Wade b Cummins1 S. Thompson c Wade b Starc24 J. Mooney run out (Bailey)0 A. McBrine c Cummins b Coulter-Nile7 T. Murtagh not out2 C. Young b Coulter-Nile0 EXTRAS (B-6, LB-1, W-5, NB-1, PEN-5)18 TOTAL (all out, 23.4 overs)157 FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-7, 3-93, 4-106, 5-115, 6-137, 7-137, 8-155, 9-157. BOWLING: Starc 5-0-34-2 (1nb, 1w); Coulter-Nile 4.4-0-13-3 (2w); Cummins 5-0-19-2 (1w); Marsh 3-0-26-0; Maxwell 4-0-41-2; Watson 2-0-12-0 (1w). RESULT: Australia won by 23 runs (D/L method). MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: David Warner (Australia) UMPIRES: Joel Wilson (West Indies), Mark Hawthorne (Ireland) TV UMPIRE: S. Ravi (India) MATCH REFEREE: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand).

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2015

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