Date-stamped : 25 Apr95 - 22:38 Benson and Hedges Round 2: Sussex v Ireland Hove, 25 April 1995 Rea keeps Ireland in touch - Doug Ibbotson Sussex (261-8) bt Ireland (198-9) by 63 runs AS G K Chesterton said of the great Gales of Ireland: "All their wars are merry and all their songs are sad." He might have added that all the cricketers of this noble fraternity are possessed of boundless optimism and inextinguishable humour. This was evident as Ireland cantered in, not too desperate a dis- tance behind Sussex at Hove having achieved their highest limited-overs score against an English county. A total of 198 for nine in reply to Sussex`s 261 for eight represented a deficit of 63, which might have been considerably less had not opener Stephen Warke been dismissed bat, pad and dribble on to stumps while going well on 29. Instead there were worthy contributions from fellow opener and Gold Award winner Mike Rea - a gritty 73 to celebrate his 50th cap - and a brisk 20 from Desmond Curry before Franklyn Stephen- son gnawed away the lower middle order. A welter of wides at the onset of the Sussex innings - a dozen in the first five overs - indicated that Mike Hendrick, Ireland`s newly-appointed coach, must concentrate on tempering the enthusiasm of youthful seamers Owen Butler, 19, and his 21-year- old partner, Mark Patterson. The raw material, however, has much potential, not least in the pace of Butler, who is being courted by Worcestershire, whom he expects to join from university later in the season. Indeed when the pair resumed in harness after lunch, noticeably more relaxed, Butler removed Jamie Hall (59), Stephenson and Car- los Remy. Patterson then dismissed Ian Salisbury and Paul Jarvis - courtesy of smart catches by Rea and Justin Benson - to capitalise on some steady bowling from Garfield Harrison (two for 34 off 11 overs) and Uel Graham. In the event the Sussex innings - given a total of 26 wides in all - would have looked distinctly modest without an unbeaten 49 from Neil Lenham. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)