Ian Callender

WHEN Adrian Birrell arrived in Ireland three and a half months ago, he said his priority was to improve the running between the wickets, the fielding and the bowlers' discipline. It all came together, when it mattered, on Saturday. The National Coach modestly described his players' performance as 'very satisfying', no doubt worried that it could hardly get much better than this.

Ireland scored 281 for seven in their 50 overs against Denmark and then reduced the Danes to 111 for seven. They could not finish them off, failing to take a wicket in the last 14 overs but it would be churlish to cite that as a problem. The game was won and everyone - on both teams - knew it. The final margin of 98 runs was the minimum that Ireland deserved. The defeats for Holland and Scotland made it the almost perfect day but no-one was getting carried away. Ireland beat the Danes by 73 runs in Scotland at the last European Championships - and they finished fourth.

Birrell admitted that 'the opposition for the rest of the week will be stronger but I'm happy with the way the guys are coming on. It's still only one win out of four this year but it was a nice way to get a win on the board.' Ireland's target was 230 at the start of the day on a pitch which played much better than it looked. The Danes certainly weren't fooled and the only reason they inserted Ireland was because they wanted to chase. Their bowlers, however, let them down and when they started the chase, the total was almost out of sight.

They needed a fast start - just like the UAE in Toronto - but Gary Neely, left in the North West during the ICC Trophy, cut Denmark off in their prime. Three wickets in six overs with just 26 on the board rammed home Ireland's advantage and made the rest of the day a formality. Neely is in prime form and will, deservedly, make almost as many Ireland appearances this WEEK as he did in the first five YEARS of his international career. In Adrian McCoubrey's absence he is Ireland's strike bowler but Paul Mooney and Derek Heasley both give him wonderful support on Saturday. They may have taken only one wicket between them - and that from a full toss, albeit stunningly held at midwicket by Jason Molins - but they conceded only 38 runs from 15 overs, bowling an impeccable line and length and allowing Neely to bowl with attacking fields.

Andrew White, revelling in the responsibility of No 2 slow bowler, took his second successive three-wicket haul, and Kyle McCallan kept it quiet at the other end although even Kyle would admit the game was as good as over when he came on, in the 32nd over.

Thomas Hansen enjoyed himself with 44 not out, at exactly a run a ball, but apart from Aftab Ahmed it was hard going for the Denmark batsmen. Ahmed had scored 86 against Ireland in Toronto last year and while he was at the wicket, nothing was ruled out. But White, in only his third over, got his man, the catch brilliantly held by debutant Niall O'Brien behind the stumps and Ireland were home and dry and, unlike the good number of spectators around the boundary, probably did not even feel the cold.

The Ireland batting was expected to do well but, as the coach said afterwards, they managed to exceed every target along the way. The captain, whose 10th run brought up his 1,000 for Ireland in his 40th match, gave Ireland the perfect start. He survived a life on 27 and with a couple of other false strokes it was hardly vintage Molins but his seventh half century, from 72 balls with seven fours, was just what the coach ordered. He dominated the first wicket stand of 82 but White looked good from early on and there was a touch of inevitability about his 50, a very welcome landmark after going a dozen innings when he bettered 30 only once.

He obviously enjoys playing Denmark - after scoring 111 against them in his previous game his top two scores are off their bowling - but Ireland were at their lowest point when he was caught behind, flashing outside the off stump. Dom Joyce, with some magnificent running, made 31 from just 34 balls, Peter Davy, who hit the first six of the day, scored 16 from 17 and McCallan also nudged the ball around, scoring 12 off 15 and just as importantly fed the strike to Peter Gillespie.

'It was a great team effort but, If I had to single anyone out it would be Gillespie for his impetus in the middle of the innings,' said Birrell afterwards. The Strabane batsman scored 40 off 26 balls and if he had stayed Ireland would have crashed through the 300 barrier with some comfort. However, even after he was out, the second dismissal for Henrik Hansen in the 44th over, Ireland showed they could bat all the way down and added 41 more off the last 32 balls, typified by O'Brien breezy, unbeaten seven. He didn't get in until the 47th over but failed to score off only two balls. His appearance at No 10 was not so much because he was making his debut but rather the strength in depth of this Ireland batting line-up, probably as strong as anything in the last four years.