15th Match: England Women v Ireland Women at Lincoln, 7 Dec 2000 CricInfo Live Report

15th Match: England Women v Ireland Women at Lincoln, 7 Dec 2000
Chris Rosie

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

ENGLAND PREVAIL COMFORTABLY

O'Neill returned in the 16th over and Saibh Young replaced Joyce at the southern end but they were not able to contain the England batsmen. Daniels in particular was trying to end it early, catching Thompson as they moved through the 20s.

After the drinks break at the end of the 19th over, Ireland turned to the slow medum pace of the second of their New Zealand imports, Karen Young (O'Neill is the other). The Young duo cut back the four balls but the England pair continued their accumulation with quick singles and turning ones into twos.

The Ireland fielding effort never faltered but there was no stopping the batsmen, the big question being whether Thompson would collect enough to reach her 50.

However, the Irish were not finished. In the 23rd over, with the score at 91 Daniels tried to pull and succeeded only in getting it as far as Caitriona Beggs, who took a very good catch at ground level at a short mid wicket.

Clare Taylor joined Thompson but neither found the Young duo easy to get away or the Ireland field easy to penetrate. A couple of ugly shots signalled Taylor's frustration as she tried to lift the rate. Four runs came from five overs as England struggled through the nervous nineties.

However, England could not be denied. McDonald replaced Saibh Young, her return coinciding with the arrival of the 100 in the 29th over. One over later Thompson appropriately hit the winning runs, a square drive for four. She ended with an impressive 44 while Taylor ended five not out.

The Ireland bowlers plugged away, the Youngs tying the batsmen down during the last 10 overs, England going from 84 at the beginning of the 21st to 105 in the 30th. However, they had too little to defend and England ended up with a comfortable victory. Claire Taylor, with four wickets for 25 off her 10 overs, was player of the match.

Result: Ireland 103; England 105 for two. A win to England by eight wickets.

ENGLAND DOING IT COMFORTABLY

Arran Thompson and Kathryn Leng began England's chase for 104 with the Ireland attack in the hands of Barbara McDonald's pace and Catherine O'Neill's off spin. Early tight bowling kept the England openers in check, just nine coming from the first five overs.

They also had lives, Thompson dropped at first slip off McDonald and Leng offering Linehan a stumping chance off O'Neill. And they set about making the most of their luck.

Both batsmen picked up fours, Thompson producing a beautiful back-foot cover drive, as they moved through to 28 at the end of the nineth over. Just when the pair looked as though they would do it without any help from their teammates, Ireland replaced O'Neill with another off spinner in Ciara Metcalfe at the city end.

Success was immediate. Linehan made up for her earlier blemish, a very smart stumping removing Leng for 16 with the score at 28.

Barbara Daniels joined Thompson, who was, in racing parlance, making every post a winning post. Metcalfe suffered after her early success, Thompson dealing to her over mid off and through the covers as the score raced to 41 by the end of the 12th over.

Isobel Joyce, with her left arm medium pace, replaced McDonald at the southern end, the opening bowler's opening six overs conceding 16 runs.

However, the England pair looked in no trouble, taking the score past 50 in the 14th, the drive through the covers the faovurite shot as the Ireland bowlers kept the ball full. Fifteen overs produced 53 runs for England for the loss of the one wicket.

ENGLAND WRAP IT UP

Saibh Young joined Squire and they saw the departure of Reynard, the left arm pace bowler's 10 overs going for 29 runs. However, at the other end, Connor brought Squire's stay to an end in the 34th over, Kathryn Leng taking a smart catch at short cover. Squire contributed 10 to a score of 72.

Isobel Joyce joined Young and the pair attempted to keep the score ticking over but the return of C.E. Taylor, this time from the southern end, brought about the demise of Young, pushing forward and getting a touch to Cassar for the keeper's second catch of the innings. Ireland 78 for eight.

Caira Metcalfe was the new arrival and with Joyce was held scoreless for a couple of overs during which Taylor competed her fine spell, taking four for 25 off her 10 overs. However, the return of Holden and Pearson to the bowling crease saw an acceleration in the scoring, three fours taking the score through to 92 at the end of the 41st over.

However, over-enthusiastic backing up and a direct hit at the bowler's end by Arran Thompson saw Metcalfe stranded, departing for one with the score 92 for nine.

With the last batsman, Barbara McDonald, at the wicket Joyce went on the attack, collecting two fours behind point off Pearson. In the process she brought up the 100 in the 43rd over.

Both Holden and Pearson bowled out their 10. It was Connor who wrapped it up, catching the aggressive Joyce in front in the 45th over.

Joyce ended with 26, McDonald one not out and Ireland closed at 103.

Taylor's four for 25 off her 10 and Connor two for one off her 4.2 overs were the pick of the bowlers.

England will resume after lunch needing 104 to win, with considerable interest in doing it quickly to boost their run rate.

IRELAND FIGHT BACK

Left armers in the form of Melissa Reynard (pace) and Dawn Holden (spin) took over at the bowling crease and the Irish pair prospered. First O'Neill and Squire dealt with the most important priority: survival. The first 20 overs brought just 31 runs but the Irish wickets had remained intact since the traumas of the 14th.

Having managed to retain their wickets, the Irish batsmen, O'Neill in particular, started to pick up their pace. They brought the 50 up in the 27th over. England started to demonstrate signs of frustration, their appeals for leg before loosing their early ferocity and some sloppy fielding appearing.

Clare Connor replaced Holden with similar left arm spin. But it was fielding that brought about the breakthrough, O'Neill failing to beat a throw from the covers. O'Neill out for 25 with the score at 61 in the 30th over and the partnership worth 38.

IRELAND IN TATTERS

Karen Young and Anne Linehan took up the challenge for Ireland on the pitch used for the Australia-India game yesterday that produced plenty of runs. Lucy Pearson and C.E. Taylor opened the England attack.

Young and Linehan looked comfortable enough, moving through to 12 in the sixth over before Taylor got one past Linehan's attempt to deflect down the off side and bowled the Irish opener for eight.

Worst was to come for Ireland but not before a delay in play to sort out the status of the England all-rounder Laura Harper, injured during the England warm-up and taken from the line-up after the declaration of the teams. The outcome of much toing and froing was the playing of the designated 12th man, Nicky Shaw, during the Irish innings and Harper being batting if necessary but no higher than number seven.

That settled, England got amongst the Irish. In the 11th over, with the score at 17, Pearson had first Young caught behind by Jane Cassar and then the new batsman, Miriam Grearley, caught at short leg by Clare Taylor.

Then C.E. Taylor got in the act, extracting lbw decisions from Steve Dunne at the city end as she removed Caitriona Beggs and Clare O'Leary in quick succession with the score at 23. Nikki Squire joined Catherine O'Neill and the pair took the total through to 27 for five at the end of the 15th over.

ANOTHER TOSS WIN FOR THE IRISH

The England players should feel right at home surrounded by names like that but, to be sure, Irish eyes are glistening at the chance to take on the lionesses from across the Irish Sea. So England will have to be right on their game today to ensure the comfortable win they will be expecting. And there have been times when they have not been on their game, which is why they have to win the supposed comfortable games well and pull off a surprise against the tournament favourites, Australia and New Zealand, in order to have a chance of making the semi-finals.

Ireland have gone in with Grearley, Beggs, Joyce, Linehan, McDonald, Metcalfe, O'Leary, O'Neill, Squire and Karen and Saibh Young with Shillington 12th man as they try to lift themselves after their loss to Sri Lanka in the battle at the bottom of the table for the sixth spot and a guaranteed place in the next World Cup. Ireland's effort to boost their batting means their specialist keeper, Sandra Dawson has yet to play a match.

England are depending on Cassar, Connor, Daniels, Holden, Leng, Pearson, Reynard, Shaw, Thompson and Clare and Claire Taylor with Collyer 12th man to produce a good win after their successive defeats by South Africa and India.

Ireland won the toss and elected to bat on another well-prepared pitch at the BIL Oval. Simon Taufel from South Africa and New Zealand's Steve Dunne will be the umpires.