Dubai , 9 July 2008
His 159-run partnership with O’Brien saves Ireland ’s blushes as Mudassar rips through top order
A classy century from Andre Botha has put defending champion Ireland into a strong position after day one of the ICC Intercontinental Cup against the Netherlands at Rotterdam .
Looking for a hat-trick of victories in this competition, the Ireland players will feel they need maximum points from this match if they are to keep the pressure on the two teams ahead of them, Namibia and Kenya .
And in Botha , Ireland has a proven performer with both bat and ball. Today, the North County all-rounder excelled with the blade in his hands smashing 15 boundaries on his way to an unbeaten 103, his fourth first-class century.
Ireland finished a rain-shortened first day on 226-4 after Botha and Kevin O’Brien put on 159 for the fourth wicket. That partnership could not have come at a better time as Ireland looked like it might struggle having been put into bat by Jeroen Smits.
When O’Brien joined Botha in the middle, the visiting side had stuttered to 25-3 as pace bowler Mudassar Bukhari tore through the top order. When O’Brien finally fell for 79 (114 balls, 12 fours, two sixes) the Irish were in a much healthier position on 184-4.
Andrew Poynter (19 not out) is still there to keep Botha company and with the likes of Gary Wilson, Kyle McCallan and Thinus Fourie to come, Ireland will be hopeful of building significantly on its overnight score, provided the Rotterdam rain can stay away.
Meanwhile, the Dutch will know that a couple of quick early wickets will get them right back into this nicely poised game.
ICC Intercontinental Cup
At: Rotterdam
Toss: Netherlands
Umpires: Paul Baldwin and Steve Davis
IRELAND (first innings)
R Strydom c Borren b Bukhari 1
P Stirling c Smits b Bukhari 11
A Cusack lbw b Bukhari 8
A Botha not out 103
K O’Brien c Jonkman b Seelaar 79
A Poynter not out 19
Extras (lb 4, w 1) 5
TOTAL (for 4, 58 overs) 226
Fall: 7, 20, 25, 184
To Bat: +G Wilson , *K McCallan, T Fourie, G Kidd, P Connell
Bowling: Schiferli 12-1-46-0, Bukhari 12-4-45-3, Mol 8-2-24-0, Seelaar 9-2-45-1, Borren 12-1-36-0
NETHERLANDS: T de Grooth, N Statham, E Szwarczynski, D van Bunge, P Borren, G Mol, Mudassar Bukhari, *+J Smits, M Jonkman, E Schiferli, P Seelaar
(Information provided by CricketEurope)
The ICC Intercontinental Cup has quickly grown in stature and profile since its inception three years ago and now the ICC’s premier first-class tournament is an integral part of the Associate Members’ cricket schedule.
Having previously been designed around a two-group, three-day format, the event has evolved into an eight-team, round-robin and truly global tournament featuring four-day cricket which gives those teams who do not play Test cricket the chance to experience the longer form of the game.
Scotland won the first ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004, beating Canada in the final, while Ireland has been victorious in both events since then, beating Kenya in the 2005 decider and Canada in the 2006-07 event.
The final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2007-08 will take place in November 2008 at a venue yet to be confirmed.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE