  Scotland v Ireland
Triple Crown
Greenock - 30th June 1998
Scotland won by 9 runs
SCOTLAND
B Patterson c & b Cooke 79 Bowling: IRELAND
B Lockie not out 10 Cooke 10 1 42 3
M Smith b Eagleson 7 Eagleson 10 2 25 2
*G Salmond c Carson b Cooke 0 McCallan 10 2 17 0
D Parsons b Heasley 9 Heasley 10 1 40 1
I Stanger c Cooke b Dwyer 23 Dwyer 10 1 29 3
J Brinkley c Dunlop b Dwyer 0
C Wright st Bushe b Dwyer 1
+A Davies c Smyth b Eagleson 13
Asim Butt lbw b Cooke 0
A Tennant not out 7
Extras (b 1 lb 6 w 4) 11
Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 160
FOW: 1-19 (Smith) 2-22 (Salmond) 3-48 (Parsons) 4-105 (Stanger)
5-106 (Brinkley) 6-108 (Wright) 7-141 (Patterson)
8-141 (Butt) 9-147 (Davies)
IRELAND
K McCallan lbw b Brinkley 9 Bowling: SCOTLAND
N Carson b Asim Butt 0 O M R W
S Smyth c Wright b Tennant 21 Asim Butt 10 3 14 1
E Joyce b Brinkley 0 Brinkley 10 2 24 3
P Gillespie c Davies b Wright 55 Wright 10 0 35 1
A Dunlop b Brinkley 38 Stanger 10 0 45 3
D Heasley c Davies b Stanger 3 Tennant 9.2 0 25 2
R Eagleson c Brinkley b Stanger 2
G Cooke lbw b Tennant 2
J Bushe c Parsons b Stanger 2
M Dwyer not out 0
Extras 19
Total (49.2 overs) 151
FOW: 1-5 (Carson) 2-17 (McCallan) 3-19 (Joyce) 4-79 (Smyth)
5-127 (Gillespie) 6-136 (Heasley) 7-144 (Eagleson)
8-147 (Dunlop) 9-150 (Bushe) 10-151 (Cooke)
Toss: Scotland
Umpires: W Smith & J Breslin
Match Report
Another day, another venue, but in Scotland it's the same old story. Defeat was again plucked from the jaws of victory as Ireland lost their last six wickets for 24 runs and were beaten by nine runs.
Ireland's bowling, on paper not nearly as strong as their batting, rose to the occasion and restricted Scotland to 160 for nine in the opening game of the Triple Crown. At the start of the 42nd over, Ireland were perfectly placed on 127 for four with Peter Gillespie 55 not out and Angus Dunlop looking impregnable.
The only reason Scotland chose to bat was because the wicket would deteriorate. They had only one spinner to take advantage of what proved to be a slow turner, but when Ireland meet Scotland, it doesn't seem to matter what pace they bowl, we find a way of getting out.
Gillespie's innings was of flashing cover drives and deft deflections behind point, but it was a straight drive which proved his downfall, Craig Wright finding the Outside edge. There is a vulnerable look about the Ireland lower order and when Heasley became the third batsman to play on, it was up to the captain. He confidently off-drove Essex bowler James Brinkley in the 48th over, but failed to make contact next ball and was bowled. Four runs later, the last two batsmen were also back in the pavilion, with Ireland's nemesis, the slow left-armer, taking the final wicket.
Ireland had surrendered the initiative at the start of their reply by choosing to restore the opening partnership of Kyle McCallan and Neil Carson. Ed Joyce, the hero of Edgbaston, was left in the pavilion, without his pads on. However, he was at the wicket in the eight over with Brinkley and his opening partner Asim Butt each boosted by an early wicket, Carson playing all round a straight one and McCallan trapped plumb in front.
The wait was no good for Joyce either and he failed to follow through the forward defensive prod to his eighth ball and played on. Stephen Smyth, apart from a straight six off Stanger, was subdued, his 21 runs coming off 59 balls but, with Gillespie scoring freely at the other end he was doing nothing wrong-until he went up the wicket to Andy Tennant and fell to a spectacular catch at long-on.
Earlier, McCallan and Matt Dwyer did all that was asked of them, conceding just 46 runs in the 20 overs of spin, Eagleson again found a nagging length and made the initial breakthrough in his third over and Cooke deserved his three wickets. However, the most encouraging aspect of the Irish fielding was Jonathan Bushe's debut behind the stumps. A quick stumping was the highlight of a very promising display and it does not deserve to be remembered for the chance he missed off Lockie on his return to the middle. The total then was 148. Four hours later what a difference it made.
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