8th Match: Australia Women v Ireland Women at Christchurch, 3 Dec 2000 CricInfo Live Report

8th Match: Australia Women v Ireland Women at Christchurch, 3 Dec 2000
Chris Rosie

Australia Women innings: 15 overs, End of match,
Ireland Women innings: 15 overs, 30 overs, End of innings,
Pre-game: Toss,

AUSTRALIA UNTROUBLED

O'Neill returned in the 16th over and McDonald from the south in the 19th. They slowed the run rate but there was no stopping the Australians. Keightley was left one short of her half century, and the Australians went to their victory in the 21st over.

Clark ended with 40, a welcome return to form after the meagre return from the first two matches.

Of the Irish bowlers, McDonald and O'Neill worked well together, on occasions containing the Australians without penetrating. Their ground fielding was good but they were never able to put pressure on the world champions.

Ireland 90; Australia 91 with out loss. The expected win to Australia by 10 wickets.

AUSTRALIA IN TOTAL CONTROL

The regular opening pair of captain Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley opened the Australian chase for the modest 91-run target. Their intentions to achieve it in quick time were made clear early as the mixed Ireland opening attack of Barbara McDonald's pace and Catherine O'Neill's off spin went for nearly five an over off the first five.

However, a tighter line and some impressive ground fielding brought the rate back, the first eight overs going for 26.

Saibh Young took over from McDonald with the wind - which had dropped a little - behind her and promptly conceded a powerfully pulled four through mid wicket off a very short ball. Isobel Joyce completed the double change, replacing O'Neill at the pavilion end of Hagley Park in the 10th over. The changes took the brakes off, the Australians moving through to 44 at the end of the 10th.

The 50 came up in the 12th over as the Australian opening pair looked for runs around the ground.

Karen Young's medium pace was introduced in the 15th over but the Australians marched comfortably on, ending the 15th over at 68 without loss, needing just 23 for the win.

IRELAND CRUMBLE AT THE END

Beggs and O'Neill continued on, if not blossoming at least not offering anything to the Australians. In the 36th over, leg spin replaced leg spin at the pavilion end in the form of Louise Broadfoot. But it was at the other end that the breakthrough finally came. Beggs on 18, trying to pull a short ball from Rolton, was undone by the low bounce and the stumps were shattered. Ireland 60 for five, the partnership having contributed 40.

Claire Shillington, not originally in the team, replaced Beggs and immediately signalled her intentions, helping Rolton over gully for four.

Joanne Broadbent became the seventh bowler used, her left arm medium pace being introduced from the southern end in the 39th over. Batting continued to be difficult, Ireland entering the last 10 overs at 71 for five. Efforts to take the long handle did not provide early dividends and in fact brought about the demise of Shillington, trying to pull a bad ball from Broadfoot in the 44th over and succeeding only in putting it high to mid on for Clark to take the catch. Ireland 80 for six.

After her departure, Ireland made little progress. The new bat, Barbara McDonald, did not last long, being dropped at square leg before being adjudged lbw to Broadbent in the next over without scoring. 80 for seven.

Goss took over from the pavilion end in the 46th over and had almost immediate success, removing the new bat, Saibh Young, lbw with a very polite successful appeal to umpire Billy Bowden. Ireland 81 for eight.

Lara Molins came in for her first appearance of the tournament and her partner, O'Nell, immediately took the helmet with the reintroduction of Fitzpatrick from the southern end. Some of the Australian misfields surprised the Irish pair as they failed to take runs on offer. However, Molins had only a short stay, bowled by Goss through a defensive prod. Ireland 83 for nine.

Isobel Joyce, looking anything but a number 11 bat, joined the long-staying O'Neill and the pair took the score to 90 in the 50th over before the attempt to pick up a final few runs resulted in O'Neill being run out for a most patient 28 courtesy of a fine throw from Broadfoot at mid-wicket.

Of the Australian bowlers, Goss produced the standout performance taking four for 10 off her 9.3 overs. McGregor, Rolton, Hayes, Broadfoot and Broadbent shared the rest of the wickets while Fitzpatrick had a day she would want to forget, her nine overs conceeding 31 runs with no reward.

For Ireland they would be pleased again to reach the 50th over. As with the New Zealand match, one partnership helped their cause, O'Neill the prime contributor with her 28, ably assisted by Beggs. The third best offering came from 15 wides.

Australia require just 91 to win - expect an early finish.

IRELAND FIGHT BACK

Eighteen for three was quickly 20 for four in the 16th over as Hayes enticed O'Leary, who had not scored, with a wide ball and Julia Price completed the stumping down the leg side.

Life was not made any easier for the Irish by the ball on occasions keeping very low. However, Beggs and the new bat, Catherine O'Neill, used quick singles to keep the score ticking over, albeit slowly. Sharp fielding from the Australians made scoring exceptionally difficult.

Belinda Clark brought back Fitzpatrick in the 23rd over, bringing immediate reward for Ireland, O'Neill making good use of the extra space to guide the ball past the slip cordon for four and Beggs doing the same down the leg side twice. By the end of the 25th over, the Irish pair had taken the score through to 42 for four.

McGregor returned to the bowling crease at the pavilion end in the 26th over, this time bowling her leg spin. The pitch continued its two-faced tendency, Fitzpatrick finding a mixture of bounce and low balls.

O'Neill brought up the 50 with a fine back foot drive through the covers when one from McGregor sat up outside off. Karen Rolton with her left-arm medium pace replaced Fitzpatrick at the southern end.

By the end of the 30th over, Ireland were 51 for two with the Irish pair looking reasonably comfortable.

IRELAND STRUGGLE

Anne Linehan and Karen Young initially rewarded the Irish strategy of batting first, negotiating the early overs of pace from Cathryn Fitzpatrick and Therese McGregor. McGregor bowling into the southerly from the pavilion end gained considerable swing into the left-handed Linehan with a field of two slips, a gully and one under the helmet looking more suitable to a first-class match.

Without troubling the score board too much, the Irish pair were showing effective defence. However, in McGregor's fourth over of the morning, Young went on the attack only to see her drive plucked out of the air by a fine reflex catch by Karen Rolton at silly mid off. Ireland 9 for one, Young gone for five.

That was soon 10 for two, Linehan guiding Fitzpatrick's replacement at the southern end, Zoe Goss, directly to Fitzpatrick in the gully.

With both openers gone, the new pair of Caitriona Beggs, top scorer with 31 against New Zealand, and Miriam Grearley had a recovery job. However, after Goss in her second over bowled a rank bad ball that Grearley duly despatched to the square leg bloundary, she produced one that went straight through Grearley's defences for the Irish captain to hear that fatal sound. Ireland 15 for three, Grearley contributing five.

Clare O'Leary joined Beggs while Julie Hayes' medium pace replaced McGregor at the pavilion end. At the end of the 15th over, the Irish pair had taken the score to 18 for three.

LUCK OF THE IRISH CONTINUES

Ireland won the toss and, as they did in their first match against New Zealand, decided to take on the might of the Australian bowling attack in their match at Hagley Park on the fifth day of the CricInfo Women's World Cup.

Ireland went in with one change from the team that lost to New Zealand, Lara Molins in for Clare Shillington. In another change within the team, Anne Linehan will shoulder the keeping duties.

The full team are Miriam Grearley, Caitriona Beggs, Isobel Joyce, Linehan, Barbara McDonald, Molins, Clare O'Leary, Catherine O'Neill, Nikki Squire, Karen Young and Saibh Young with Clara Metcalfe 12th.

The starting line-up for the Australians is Belinda Clark, Karen Rolton, Cherie Bambury, Joanne Broadbent, Louis Broadfoot, Cathryn Fitzpatrick, Zoe Goss, Julie Hayes, Lisa Keightley, Therese McGregor and Julia Price with Olivia Magno 12th.

Interest will focus on the performance of the young pace bowler McGregor, who is expected to divide her contribution between pace and leg spin.

The pitch, green enough to have the Irish feeling right at home, is having its first use in the tournament. Overnight rain was blown away by a stiff, cold southerly that tempered what would otherwise by ideal conditions.