AUSTRALIA *M Clarke b McGonigle 23 McGerrigle 8 1 55 1 L Buchanan b Armstrong 58 Gardiner 9.4 1 46 3 A O'Brien c Shields b Armstrong 27 McGonigle 10 0 64 0 G Batticiotto b Armstrong 0 White 5 0 20 0 T Welsford c & b Spelman 5 Spelman 10 0 31 1 N Hauritz run out 29 Armstrong 7 1 23 3 S Marsh c Shields b Gardiner 58 A McDonald c McGerrigle b Gardiner 4 +C Hartley c Joyce b Gardiner 1 M Baker c Shields b McGonigle 22 M Johnson not out 2 FOW: 45 108 108 118 128 Extras (lb 1, w 8, nb 2) 11 163 185 195 223 240 Total (49.4 overs) 240 IRELAND A O'Prey b Hauritz 12 Johnson 8 0 31 0 A White b Baker 1 Baker 6 1 17 2 N O'Brien lbw b Baker 0 McDonald 5 0 26 0 C Armstrong c O'Brien b Hauritz 19 Hauritz 10 1 32 2 D Joyce c Buchanan b Clarke 22 Clarke 9 0 16 3 J Mooney b O'Brien 17 O'Brien 9 1 38 2 K Spelman c McDonald b Clarke 34 Buchanan 3 0 13 0 *+IP Shields c McDonald b O'Brien 17 RD McGerrigle c Hauritz b Clarke 29 J Gardiner not out 1 J McGonigle not out 0 FOW: 4 5 37 55 87 Extras (lb 3, w 17, nb 5) 25 89 119 175 177 Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 177 Toss: Ireland Umpires: B Cooray & P Mendis
Ireland elected to field and the opening bowlers were much tighter then against Sri Lanka on a damp pitch which provided some help. Australia were 62-1 after 15 overs with McGonigle taking a wicket in his second over. Conor Armstrong took 2 wickets in 2 balls in his first over and this put the brakes on the innings for a while at least. Gradually the Australian batsmen took control although a good comeback from the Irish reduced Australia to 196-8 at one stage 196-8. However, the pace bowlers bowled too short at the death and allowed the last Australian batsmen to hit up through the ball for sixes!
The Australian opening bowlers' pace was something new for the Irish batsmen - the first three all out offering no shot! The middle order performed well with Mooney and Spelman showing good application and late in the innings McGerrigle hit another 3 sixes to raise cheers from the travelling supporters - one straight back over the sightscreen which was a 3 storey building with the press box on top!