O'Briens shine in Ireland success
Wed 3 Feb 2016
Leicestershire CCC duo Niall and Kevin O’Brien played important roles as Ireland won a third ICC Intercontinental Cup match in succession, this time by a 145-run margin against Papua New Guinea at Townsville.
Niall O’Brien scored a gritty 68 in the first innings as Ireland battled their way up to 289 and PNG replied with 188 as Assad Vala hit a terrific 120.
Ireland recorded 244-5 declared in their second innings as Kevin O’Brien smashed a typically aggressive 75 not out off 95 deliveries.
PNG were bowled out for 200 in pursuit of 344, Kevin O’Brien taking an important wicket and Niall O’Brien claiming five victims behind the stumps to become the first wicket-keeper to take 50 ICC Intercontinental Cup dismissals.
Ireland now switch their attention to T20 cricket, playing three T20 internationals against PNG starting on Saturday as their preparations begin for the ICC T20 World Cup in India in March. The next ICC Intercontinental Cup challenge is against Hong Kong later this summer.
* Rob Taylor has been away in Hong Kong with Scotland for an ICC Intercontinental Cup four-day fixture as well as one-day and T20 matches but the tour was very badly affected by the weather.
The ICC Intercontinental Cup game was washed out and the teams were only able to play one of the scheduled two ODIs. Taylor claimed 2-38 from eight overs and scored 18 but it was not enough to prevent the hosts from landing a 109-run victory.
Hong Kong and Scotland then fought out a 1-1 draw in the T20 series – but even one of those fixtures was reduced to a 10-over match.
