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ALMERIA, Spain – Ireland’s Under-19s men’s side is competing in the ICC Under-19s Men’s World Cup Qualifier Europe – with a place at the 2022 Under-19s World Cup in the West Indies on the line.
The ICC Men’s Under-19s European World Cup Qualifier features Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands and Jersey competing for one World Cup spot.
The schedule for Ireland is:
• 19 September: Ireland v Netherlands (Group Stage)
• 20 September: Rest day
• 22 September: Ireland v Jersey (Group Stage)
• 23 September: Ireland v Scotland (Group Stage)
• 24 September: Rest day
• 25 September: Final (1st Place v 2nd Place)
The winner of the final goes directly to the ICC Under-19s World Cup in 2022.
Match Reports
Match 1: Defeat to Netherlands
The Ireland Under-19smen’s side was beaten today by the Netherlands, falling 33 runs short in their opening game. The Irish side had won the toss and elected to bowl first in warm conditions, and they started well with Muzamil Sherzad and Nathan McGuire bowling economical spells early. It was McGuire that made the initial breakthrough, and the Netherlands were seemingly struggling at 26-1 after their first ten overs.
The Dutch side continued to bat cautiously and were 85-2 at the half-way mark in the innings, with Shirase Rasool registering a half-century off 71 balls. However, soon after reaching this milestone, Rasool was dismissed and a middle-order collapse ensued with five wickets falling for just 39 runs. Jamie Forbes (2-29) and Liam Doherty (3-27) both bowled well through the middle overs, but a final push by the Netherlands lower-order led by Dietmar Hennop (26 off 29 balls) meant the Dutch finished on 179-8.
The Irish response seemed composed early on, being 36-0 after the 8th over, but both openers Jack Dickson (15) and McGuire (16) were dismissed by Shariz Ahmad in the ninth over and the side in green began to look nervous.
Joshua Cox joined skipper Tim Tector set about stabilising the innings with a solid partnership of 47, before Cox’s dismissal for 31 precipitated – like the Dutch innings before it – a collapse. The last eight wickets fell for just 62 runs and the men in orange had defeated their more fancied rivals by 33 runs.
MATCH SUMMARY
Ireland U19s v Netherlands U19s, ICC U19 World Cup Qualifier Group Game 1, Desert Springs Cricket Ground, 19 September 2021
Netherlands U19s 179-8 (50 overs; R Rasool 56; N McGuire 3-27, L Doherty 3-27, J Forbes 2-29.)
Ireland U19s 146 (43.4 overs; T Tector 37, J Cox 31; S Ahmad 3-19, U Nashier 3-24)
Netherlands U19s won by 33 runs
Match 2: Dickson century in victory over Jersey
Instonians’ Jack Dickson hit an unbeaten century as Ireland Under-19s men’s team bounced back from Sunday’s defeat to beat Jersey today at the ICC Under-19s World Cup European Qualifier.
Jersey won the toss and elected to bowl first, but Ireland opener Nathan McGuire sought to take the initiative early playing a range of aggressive shots – his quickfire 25 off 21 balls helped to settle any nerves in the team and laid a positive platform for the innings ahead.
Dickson settled in to anchor the innings, and despite the loss of captain Tim Tector for 25, the Irish batting appeared to look far more solid than during the loss to Netherlands two days ago. Philippe le Roux joined Dickson and the pair put on 85-runs for the fourth wicket, before le Roux fell in the 43rd over for a well-made 43 off 68 balls.
Opener Dickson pushed on to his century off 124 balls with the support of Scott Macbeth (22) and Ireland finished their innings on 246-5.
In response, Jersey began tentatively, and were soon on the backfoot losing two wickets in the 4th over off the bowling of Liam Doherty (2-34).
Jersey recovered well through the middle overs with Patrick Gouge (55) and Asa Tribe (62) combining for a 111-run stand, until a great piece of work by Joshua Cox in the field managed to run out Gouge. Needing 8 runs-per-over from the last 15 overs to win, Jersey was stymied by the dismissal of Tribe, trapped LBW by McGuire – the dismissal sparking a middle-order collapse with Jersey losing 5-23 over the next seven overs. McGuire impressed with the ball, claiming 3-34, while North Kildare’s Muzamil Sherzad helped to stem the run flow with 1-34.
Jersey eventually finished on 206-9, falling short by 40 runs.
The victory moves Ireland to second place on the Qualifier group table, ahead of the Netherlands on net run rate. The Irish team is back in action tomorrow against leaders Scotland.
MATCH SUMMARY
Ireland U19’s v Jersey U19’s, ICC U19 World Cup Europe Qualifier, Desert Springs, 22 September 2021
Ireland Under-19s 246-5 (50 overs; J Dickson 103*, le Roux 43; T Britton 1-21, C Brennan 2-23)
Jersey Under-19s 206-9 (50 overs: P Gouge 55, A Tribe 62; N McGuire 3-34, L Doherty 2-34)
Ireland Under-19s won by 40 runs
Irish comeback to crush Scots
Lisburn all-rounder Matthew Humphreys starred for Ireland Under-19s with both bat and ball to lift Ireland to victory over Scotland, securing a finals place at the ICC Men’s Under-19s World Cup Europe Qualifier today.
After winning the toss, captain Tim Tector decided to bat first – however, big-hitting opener Nathan McGuire was dismissed early for 6, and combined with some accurate early Scottish bowling, Ireland was restricted to 28-1 after the first power-play.
Yesterday’s century-making hero Jack Dickson was bowled soon after for 15, with his dismissal triggering a middle-order collapse. The Irish batting line-up lost 4-21 in 11 overs to be precariously positioned at 58-5 in the 25th over – staring at a big defeat and missing out on the Final of the tournament.
Scott Macbeth and Liam Doherty stabilised the innings with a 6th wicket stand of 44 runs, however both fell within eight runs of each other and Ireland was once again looking at a well below par total, sitting on 100-7 with 14 overs still available.
The Irish team management was looking desperately for one of the lower-order to contribute in the latter overs, and up stepped Humphreys. The Lisburn-man struck two sixes and two fours in a run-a-ball innings of 32. He found some support from Jamie Forbes (2) who held up an end while Humphreys began to find the boundary, and the pair’s 28-run partnership for the 8th wicket gave their side the first glimpse of hope in setting a low, but possibly defendable target.
Scottish left-arm spinner Oliver Davidson eventually cleaned up the tail, claiming a five-wicket haul in the process, and Ireland ended on 139 from 44.4 overs – Humphreys being the last man to fall.
If they had any chance of defeating the table-topping Scots, the Irish bowlers needed a positive start, and it was that man Humphreys that struck in the first over – his wicket maiden opening over would then set the tone for the rest of the innings.
Captain Tector effected a run out in the 6th over to have Scotland at 7-2, but Tomas Mackintosh looked to counter-attack. He reeled off five boundaries in a quickfire 24, but man-of-the-moment Humphreys trapped him in front with Scotland looking adrift at 25-3.
Ireland sensed their chance and made it count. The Irish bowlers, backed up by good fielding, never let up the pressure and wickets tumbled as a result. In all, Scotland lost their last seven wickets for just 12 runs in 10 overs as the side in green pressed home their advantage in ruthless style.
Player of the Match Humphreys finished with 4-11 from 10 overs (including four maidens) and McGuire claimed 3-7 from his 4.2 overs – his final delivery which bowled Sean Fischer-Keogh sparked wild celebrations as the Irish camp knew they had booked a place in Saturday’s final, which determines the side that goes through to the Under-19s World Cup in 2022.
Scotland – currently in second place – can only watch on tomorrow as Netherlands meets Jersey in the last match of the round-robin part of this tournament. A big win tomorrow by the Dutch may see them leap over the Scots on net run rate. Meanwhile the Irish squad has a rest day, and can begin preparing for the big decider in two days.
MATCH SUMMARY
Ireland U19s v Scotland U19s, ICC U19 World Cup Qualifier Group Game 1, Desert Springs Cricket Ground, 23 September 2021
Ireland U19s 139 (44.4 overs; M Humphreys 32, S Macbeth 31; O Davidson 5-23)
Scotland U19s 44 (23.2 overs: T Mackintosh 24; M Humphreys 4-11, N McGuire 3-7, C Doak 1-2)
Ireland U19s won by 95 runs
Cricket Ireland
The World Cup Europe Qualifier has been a seesawing affair
No
Connaught
