BELFAST, Ireland (CMC) – Cricket West Indies Academy endured a hard toil after consistent batting down the order, led by Emerging Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie, enabled the hosts to pile up a sizeable first innings lead in their four-day match on Wednesday.
The Caribbean side were made to work hard with the ball on the second day of the first-class match at Stormont, and Balbirnie hit 88 to lead the strong batting display from the Irish, and they reached 397 for seven at the close for a first innings lead so far of 197.
The CWI Academy bowlers met strong resistance from the hosts, whose line-up has been reinforced with the addition of several players that attended the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States, or played international Tests previously, or both.
Replying to the visitors’ first innings total of exactly 200, the Emerging Ireland batsmen cashed in – Andy McBrine scored 65, Fionn Hand was not out on 61, opener James McCollum made 40, T20 World Cup captain Paul Stirling got 32, and Curtis Campher added 25.
CWI Academy captain Teddy Bishop bagged two for 35 from eight overs, while left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop was the pick of the Caribbean team’s bowlers with two for 72 from 31 overs.
The visitors got a rough baptism, and they were only able to poach a single wicket before Emerging Ireland reached 147 for one at lunch after rain delayed the start by half-hour, and the home team resumed from their overnight total of 18 without loss.
Barbadian left-arm pacer Ramon Simmonds made the breakthrough for the Caribbean side when he trapped McCollum lbw in the final half-hour before the interval after the opening batsman shared 119 with Balbirnie for the first wicket.
After lunch, the visitors had far more success, but the Irish continued to score freely, and they reached 264 for six at tea with international Test batsmen, Balbirnie, Harry Tector, Campher, Lorcan Tucker, and Stirling gifting their wickets in an attempt beef up the total.
Joshua Bishop trapped Balbirnie lbw after he put on 54 with Campher for the second wicket, and pacer Johann Layne, the CWI Academy bowling hero from the first match, got Tector a few overs later for eight.
The two Bishops combined to remove Campher, and Antiguan pacer Kelvin Pitman got Tucker caught behind for one three overs later before Teddy Bishop trapped Stirling lbw in the last half-hour to the break.
After tea, the CWI Academy bowlers wilted while conditions improved drastically, and McBrine and Hand made hay while the sun shone to gather resolute half-centuries and put on a back-breaking 109 or the seventh wicket.
Teddy Bishop broke the stand in the final hour of play when he trapped McBrine lbw, but Liam McCarthy, not out on 18, came to the crease and batted through the final 20 minutes to ensure the visitors spent the entire day in the field.
CWI Academy trail 1-0 in the two-match series after Emerging Ireland won by 72 runs in the first match, which ended last Friday at the Green.
The series is part of a reciprocal agreement between Cricket Ireland and CWI after the Emerging Ireland squad visited the Caribbean in November-December last year.
