Andy Balbirnie, Eire’s captain, praised the character that his group had proven in digging deep on the third and last day of the Lord’s Check, and forcing England to bat once more when an innings defeat had gave the impression to be on the playing cards in a single day.
However, he added, Eire’s eventual ten-wicket loss had “not been preparation” for the problem that awaits subsequent week on the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
The good cash had been on a swift denouement on Saturday morning, after Eire had resumed their second innings on 97 for 3 – successfully four-down, following James McCollum’s match-ending ankle damage – and nonetheless 255 runs from asking England to bat once more, following their formidable whole of 524 for 4 in simply 82.4 overs.
However, after Harry Tector had recovered from his first-day duck to set the tone with a horny 51, the seventh-wicket pairing of Mark Adair and Andy McBrine mixed for a 163-run stand – Eire’s highest in seven males’s Assessments – that took each batters to the brink of a deserved place on the Lord’s honours boards.
Ultimately, neither fairly made it. Adair feathered an tried ramp shot via to Jonny Bairstow for 88, whereas McBrine, who had insisted that McCollum did not threat exacerbating his damage by trying to assist him to a few figures, was ultimately left excessive and dry on 86 not out when the No. 11 Graham Hume was bowled by Stuart Broad shortly after tea.
“He had the pads on, he had the boot on, it was all a bit chaotic in there,” Balbirnie mentioned of McCollum’s potential late involvement within the innings, when it appeared he would possibly emulate the likes of Graeme Smith and Colin Cowdrey of yesteryear, and are available out to bat at nine-down regardless of his critical damage.
“Andy truly got here in at tea and mentioned he would not need him to bat. They’re good mates and he [McCollum] is actually sore. He actually did not need him to hobble out on the boot, but it surely was ultimately agreed that if it was one hit away, that he would exit, and simply maintain up an finish.
“And so it was chaos. He got here out on the balcony with the crutches at tea-time and a few members regarded over and could not actually imagine what they have been seeing. It was fairly entertaining.
“If the shoe was on the opposite…
..
