Australia vs. Ireland: Only ODI – Rain hampers match proceedings – Match Update
Australian seamers made a fine start to the only One Day International against Ireland in Belfast, claiming three early wickets, before rain stopped the match.
After putting the hosts into bat in overcast conditions, ace Australian pacer, Brett Lee, struck twice in the first over of the match, removing William Porterfield and Ed Joyce, before teenage pace sensation Pat Cummins had Paul Stirling
caught at slip, shortly before heavy showers forced the players off. Both Porterfield and Joyce were bowled out by Lee, without scoring a single run.
The hosts got off the mark with a big wide from Hilfenhaus, the only run scored in the first two overs of Ireland’s innings at the cost of two wickets. Porterfield’s opening partner Paul Stirling opened up in the third over with a flashy
cut for four, off Brett Lee, followed by two consecutive boundaries off Hilfenhaus.
Pat Cummins, returning to the international arena after an injury layoff of eight months, replaced Hilfenhaus in the sixth over and generated some good pace, but that did not intimidate Stirling, who plundered another boundary with a powerful
square drive in the 10th over. But the teenage pacer extracted revenge on the next ball, having the Irish opener caught by at slip by skipper Michael Clarke, who snared a superb one-handed catch.
The rain arrived shortly, to stop the game with Ireland 36 for 3 on the board, after 10.4 overs.
Earlier, the Aussies made four changes to their squad from the 102-run win over Leicestershire in a warm-up match, at Leicester, on Thursday. Brett Lee came in for James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus Mitchell Johnson, while Clint McKay made
way teenager Pat Cummins. Injured George Bailey has been replaced by batsman Peter Forrest.
On the other hand, the hosts handed an ODI debut to Middlesex seamer Tim Murtagh.
Squads:
Australia (Playing XI): 1. A Warner, 2. SR Watson, 3. MJ Clarke (Capt.), 4. MS Wade (wk), 5. XJ Doherty, 6. B Lee, 7. DJ Hussey, 8. PJ Forrest, 9. SPD Smith, 10. PJ Cummins, 11. BW Hilfenhaus
Ireland (Playing XI): 1. WTS Porterfield (Capt.) 2. PR Stirling 3. EC Joyce 4. NJ O'Brien 5. GC Wilson (wk) 6. KJ O'Brien, 7.
AR Cusack, 8. DT Johnston, 9. JF Mooney, 10. GH Dockrell, 11. TJ Murtagh
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