Moynihan is last Irish hope

GOLF

DUBLINER Gavin Moynihan faces Frenchman Alexandere Daydou at Carnoustie as he targets a place in the quarter-finals of the Amateur Championship.

The Walker Cup star, who plays out of The Island, got through his first match-play round by defeating Tom Gandy of Rowany 2&1 – although now carries Irish hopes on his shoulders after Jack Hume and Dermot McElroy crashed out.

A birdie on the par-four third hole was the standout of Moynihan’s outward half as he took a one-hole lead into the turn.

Gandy levelled on the 10th, and then went one-up with a birdie on the 12th, but Moynihan was not going to be denied. He levelled immediately, and then produced a magnificent eagle on the par-five 508-yard 14th hole to edge back in front.

A Gandy bogey on the 15th gave Moynihan a two-hole lead, and, despite the Isle of Man player taking the 16th, another bogey from Gandy on the 17 th allowed the Dubliner to close it out with a straightforward par.

Naas man Hume surrendered a two-hole lead at the turn to crash out 3&1 to Finland’s Miki Kuronen.

Kuronen turned the tie on its head with four consecutive birdies between 11 and 14 before bogeys on 15 and 17 saw Hume bow out.

It was also the end of the road for Ballymena’s McElroy, beaten 5& 3 by Englishman Jack Yule.

McElroy took an early lead after the Middleton Hall player conceded on the second, but was that as good as it got for the Irishman.

CRICKET

EOIN MORGAN was centre stage as England breezed to a national record run chase of 350 to level the series at 2-2 and set up a weekend decider against New Zealand.

The Dubliner is the architect-in- chief of England’s new-found commitment to all- out attack. Passing 50 for the fourth successive time, the skipper was the driving force with his 73-ball hundred – in a record third-wicket stand of 198 with Joe Root (106no) – as they made light of a target of 349-7 at Trent Bridge. He was eventually out for 113 off just 82 balls,

England exceeded by 45 runs, and with six overs and seven wickets to spare, their previous highest chase.

Alex Hales launched the innings with a with a wonderful 67 from 38 balls after Kane Williamson (90) had helped set what looked a testing target.