SCOTLAND were left to rue a missed opportunity to rekindle their hopes of success in the ICC Associate Tri-Series when they let Ireland off the hook under the lights at the Dubai International Stadium last night.
Defending a modest 216, Scotland had their old rivals in trouble on 7-2, only for a couple of spilled catches to cost them dear. In truth, the Scottish total was at least 20 runs light but, when Iain Wardlaw had Ireland skipper Will Porterfield caught by Hamish Gardiner in the first over and Rob Taylor trapped Ed Joyce seven balls later, a fight-back looked on.
It could have been even better when Taylor immediately found the edge of Niall O'Brien's bat but his Leicestershire team-mate was given a life when Matthew Cross just failed to pouch a difficult diving catch. O'Brien was still in single figures when he was given a second reprieve by Calum MacLeod who put down a regulation catch at mid-off.
The left-hander made the most of his good fortune by going on to play a match-winning innings of 80no while Scotland's hopes of a morale-boosting win ahead of next month's World Cup disappeared. O'Brien initially played second fiddle to Paul Stirling who hit consecutive Taylor deliveries for six and four. Stirling looked in the mood to hasten Ireland to victory but he took one liberty too many and found his stumps scattered by Wardlaw.
His departure was the signal for O'Brien to take control and, while Scotland continued to pick up wickets, the damage had been done. O'Brien went on to crack three boundaries and two maximums while John Mooney lent support with a hard-hitting 36. Richie Berrington matched Wardlaw in claiming two scalps while Majid Haq's single took him level at the top of Scotland's all-time wicket-taking charts.
Earlier, having been sent in to bat, Scotland suffered the worst possible start when, for the second game running, MacLeod was out in the first over for a duck. The Durham batsman was completely deceived by a delivery from Craig Young which swung through his defences. MacLeod's untimely departure sparked a top order collapse which saw Scotland slump to 17-3, Young striking again in his next over to have Kyle Coetzer caught in the slips by Joyce. Mooney also got in on the act as Gardiner in trying to get the board moving succeeded only in edging behind.
Skipper Preston Mommsen finally scored his side's first boundary in the eighth over when he drove an over-pitched Mooney delivery to long-off before pulling Young to mid-wicket. However, it was a temporary respite as Mommsen, having been dropped by Joyce, failed to take advantage of the reprieve and presented Young with a third wicket when he edged behind like his Carlton team-mate Gardiner. At 45-4 Scotland were in desperate need of a partnership and it was provided by Matt Machan and Berrington who brought a measure of control to the innings, accumulating runs through ones and twos and the occasional boundary.
The pair took the total into three figures and had added 65 useful runs when Berrington, having reached 28 with three boundaries, got the faintest of edges to an Alex Cusack delivery and Wilson took a fine catch. Cross last just two deliveries before being run out by Mooney's direct hit as the Scots stalled again.
Taylor looked in the mood to kick-start the scoring with a couple of quick-fire boundaries but the all-rounder, like Cross, went for a risky run and was caught short by George Dockrell's throw. Michael Leask hit the first maximum of the day, a huge hit over mid-wicket off Dockrell before being caught on the boundary as he attempted a repeat off Cusack as Scotland's innings continued in a frustrating stop-start mode.
With twelve overs remaining and just two wickets in hand, the Scots were in danger of failing to use their full allocation while Machan's hopes of reaching a century were in the balance. Stout defence from Haq assisted in the former goal but Machan, the Sussex batsman, was to fall short of a second three-figure score in ODIs.
He had reached 86 from 120 deliveries with four boundaries when a miscue was held on the boundary by Niall O'Brien to give Mooney his second wicket. Haq and Wardlaw were able to see out the innings but Scotland's total of 216-9 looked short of par and would have been lower still but for 30 Extras contributed by the Irish bowlers - the second highest scorer!
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