Ireland v Wales
Triple Crown
Wolverhampton: 23rd July 1994
Wales won by 19 runs
Man of the Match: J Sylvester (Wales)WALES S Evans c Nelson b Harrison 41 BOWLING: IRELAND AW Harris c Warke b P McCrum 0 P McCrum 8 1 28 1 JPJ Sylvester run out 68 Nelson 9 1 22 1 J Derrick c Rutherford b Lewis 1 Hoey 9 1 26 0 K Bell run out 7 C McCrum 3 0 18 0 *A Puddle lbw b Nelson 11 Harrison 9 1 32 1 MJ Newbold not out 27 Lewis 3 0 21 1 %P Richards st Rutherford b Curry 3 Curry 4 0 23 2 AD Griffiths st Rutherford b Curry 4 A Smyth FALL OF WICKETS BJ Lloyd 6, 98, 105, 121, 135, Extras (lb 10, w 6, nb 2) 18 149, 160, 180 Total (8 wickets, 45 overs) 180 IRELAND MP Rea c Richards b Newbold 7 BOWLING: WALES C McCrum lbw b Derrick 6 Derrick 8 2 23 2 SJS Warke c Evans b Lloyd 39 Newbold 4 1 17 1 SG Smyth st Richards b Lloyd 46 Smyth 7 0 36 0 DA Lewis run out 1 Lloyd 9 0 27 2 DJ Curry c Derrick b Griffiths 3 Griffiths 8 2 30 2 GD Harrison c & b Sylvester 0 Sylvester 6.3 0 22 2 %A Rutherford lbw b Griffiths 6 CJ Hoey b Derrick 20 FALL OF WICKETS P McCrum c & b Sylvester 15 14, 14, 94, 102, 104, AN Nelson not out 7 108, 108, 118, 153, 161 Extras (lb 6, w 4, nb 1) 11 Total (42.3 overs) 161 Umpires: J Bloodworth & B Harrison Toss: Ireland * captain % wicketkeeper
Dramatic collapse ends Triple Crown hopes
The excitement of the first two days of the Triple Crown series was just too much for Ireland to bear as they crashed to a 19 runs defeat by Wales in the final match at Wolverhampton. With Ireland capturing only eight wickets, it allowed England to lift the trophy by capturing eight Scottish wickets in their victory over Scotland at Moseley-England needed to take exactly eight and Scotland lost four wickets in their final four overs!Ireland's final performance was as disappointing as the first two days of the competition had been memorable. Although Wales had been improving in each match after their hammering by England in their opening encounter, the Irish squad felt confident that they were capable of finishing the job in style. Warke won his seventh toss out of seven to date and Ireland seemed to have put themselves well on course for success. A dramatic batting collapse ended any hope of that.
Chasing 181 for victory in a game reduced to 45 overs after rain delayed the start for two hours, Ireland were coasting at 94 for two with Stephen Warke, defying his back problems, unbeaten on 39 and Stephen Smyth continuing his fine form. But Warke drove Stuart Evans into the hands of long on and in Barry Lloyd's next over Smyth was stumped for 46. The collapse was under way.
Alan Lewis completed a miserable week with the bat during which he scored one off 15 balls. He was run out in farcical circumstances for which Decker Curry was responsible-Curry added just three runs before he holed out to mid wicket. When Garfield Harrison gave a simple return catch to off spinner Sylvester Ireland had lost six wickets for 14 runs just when they wanted to be accelerating. Alan Rutherford, given his first chance of the tournament with the gloves, joined the demise after facing 13 balls, trapped in front by Griffiths. From 118 for eight Ireland had little prospect of winning but they kept everyone on tenterhooks until the third ball of the 43rd over after a ninth wicket stand of 36 between Conor Hoey and Paul McCrum.
The Irish bowling on this occasion was tidy rather than spectacular with Charlie McCrum unable to repeat his heroics of the previous day. Only Curry took more than one wicket and even those were in the last three overs of the Welsh innings. The feature of the Welsh innings was a classy 68 off 106 deliveries by Jamie Sylvester-easily the most impressive batting the Irish encountered in the entire competition. Added to his two late wickets he had no contender for the Man of the Match award.
Ireland's suffering did not even end with the fall of the final wicket. The NCA Trophy was sitting on the presentation table but, when the result arrived from Moseley, it had to be removed quickly and taken away for presentation to a surprised but delighted England squad.