Ton-up McBrine leads from front as Wolves show their teeth to level up
IRELAND Wolves stormed back from Tuesday’s defeat to level the series against Scotland A with a 54 runs victory in Dundee.
Batting first this time, a century from North West Warriors skipper Andy McBrine led the Wolves to 319-9 and, once a fifth wicket stand 84 between the experienced Michael Leask and Craig Wallace was broken, the visitors held an impressive control.
It was Pembroke leg spinner JJ Garth, in only his second game at this level, who turned the game when he had the free-scoring Leask lbw for 64 from just 43 balls.
Captain Harry Tector followed up with the wicket of the dangerous Mark Watt, and Tyrone Kane then took two wickets in four balls before he completed a runout to leave the Scots down and almost out at 249-9.
Shane Getkate, after going for nine runs an over in the first game, came back well yesterday and was rewarded with the final wicket (1-51) from the first ball of the last over.
The first half of the day be-
Century maker: Andy McBrine
longed to McBrine, who scored his first century in Irish colours, and then, after being given the new ball, found himself on a hattrick after dismissing both Scottish openers in his third over.
Dylan Budge kept out the next ball but, job done, he wasn’t used again as Garth was given the chance to bowl his full quota and Tector (1-52) also bowled 10 overs.
David Delany, one of two changes from Tuesday’s lineup, was the only bowler not to take a wicket (0-44) while Craig Young and Fionn Hand sat out the match.
Gareth Delany was brought in to open the batting with James McCollum, the century- maker from the first match, but after scoring the first 10 runs of the day, it was the Waringstown batsman who was the first wicket to fall.
Stephen Doheny followed two overs later and that let McBrine to the middle in the fifth over.
He lost Delany (18) early but then dominated a fourth wicket stand of 109 with his Warriors’ team-mate Aaron Gillespie, who scored just 29.
McBrine was dismissed almost immediately after raising his bat, for 103 from 92 balls with 10 fours and two sixes, but the Wolves added 130 in the 16 overs after his dismissal, with Tector going to his own half century and Getkate finishing the innings superbly with 70 from 44 balls, including five fours and four sixes.
The series ends with a T20 match today.
Ireland Wolves 319-9 (50 overs, A McBrine 103, S Getkate 70, H Tector 56, A Gillespie 29; H Tahir 3-29, G Main 3-84) Scotland A 265 (49.1 overs, M Leask 64, C Wallace 56, M Jones 49, D Budge 31; JJ Garth 3-69, A McBrine 2-3, T Kane 2-34).