— Photo: AP

CLUELESS: Ireland's Jeremy Bray is bowled by Glenn McGrath.

Bridgetown: Australia overwhelmed Ireland by nine wickets in Friday's Super Eight match at the Kensington Oval here.

Irish captain Trent Johnston ended Adam Gilchrist's spry 34 with a beauty from around the wicket, but Michael Hussey and Andrew Symonds — both promoted — ensured the chase of 92 was completed in 12.2 overs.

Precursor

Earlier, Ponting's luck with the toss was a precursor to his fast bowlers assaulting Ireland's batsmen with pace, precision, length, lift and angle. Shaun Tait and Man of the Match Glenn McGrath scalped three each.

The first stroke of authority arrived in the third over. Eoin Morgan, in earlier than he'd have fancied, drove a surprising half-volley from McGrath. But, Andrew Symonds, dreadlocks flying, stopped it dead. It was the first instance of bat hitting ball; all that had gone before it and much that followed featured ball startling bat or plain eluding it.

Jeremy Bray's bat hadn't even been in the same parish as the McGrath delivery that hinted in and bowled him. Tait's pace and bounce had set Adam Gilchrist and the slip cordon a fair distance back: yet, almost at the edge of the 30-yard circle, Gilchrist was stretching his six-foot frame to pull down bouncers.

William Potterfield, one of four left-handers in the top five, was late on several of Tait's shoulder-slung deliveries. One was straight, and umpire Rudi Koertzen did his slow-finger-of-fate act.

Niall O'Brien, Ireland's best batsman, skipped down the steps of the Garfield Sobers pavilion only to drag his feet back up a ball later.

Full, ridiculously quick, an inside edge and Tait was on a hat-trick in the third over.

Kevin O'Brien, right-handed and Niall's younger brother, was fortunate not to be part of a sibling package for Tait: movement at pace saved him — it defeated him a touch too comprehensively — and soon, Kevin was flicking Tait off his boots to mid-wicket as if it were a club game in Dublin. He wore one on the arm, but didn't flinch.

McGrath had Morgan caught at slip like he's had so many left-handers. The angle across the left-hander from close to the stumps is too tight, too unremitting to successfully keep out.

McGrath softened Andrew White with a bouncer, nailing him on the noggin. A slower ball of the highest craftsmanship then persuaded White to give up his wicket. Brad Hogg ran from mid-off to catch the aborted push-drive as leprechauns in the crowd ran ruminating fingers through their excellent beards.

With half his side dismissed inside the 11th over, Johnston joined Kevin O'Brien. A spot of freckles and a bob of red hair was all Kevin's helmet and visor let on, but his concentration seeped through.

Stuart Clark — in for Nathan Bracken — was driven through cover: the stroke was Celtic in its rough-hewn simplicity.

Hostilities resumed

But, Kevin couldn't keep a flick off Clark to ground — thus ended a fiercely stubborn innings that promised much after Ponting dropped him at second slip. Johnston resumed hostilities with his old country, cutting McGrath, an opponent in grade-cricket battles and very nearly a mate at New South Wales.

A drive past mid on and an upper cut brought Johnston boundaries, before Tait roughed him up. A ball on middle preceded one just outside off: a set-up if ever there was one. So fast was Tait that those watching from side-on — a crowd of green, yellow, checked top hats, and rude banners — had to tell cause from gory effect. Johnston was out, for the stumps had parted; but, the Tait delivery that caused it, via another inside edge, wasn't seen.

John Mooney resisted as Symonds and Hogg took a wicket each. He was eventually run out for 23, the highest score. Johnston's 17, Kevin O'Brien's 16 and a Tait-heavy extras column of 16 were the other contributions that made double figures.

SCOREBOARD

Ireland: J. Bray b McGrath 1, W. Potterfield lbw b Tait 1, E. Morgan c Hayden b McGrath 0, N. O'Brien b Tait 0, K. O'Brien c Hodge b Clark 16, A. White c Hogg b McGrath 6, T. Johnston b Tait 17, K. McCallan c Tait b Symonds 5, J. Mooney (run out) 23, D. Langford-Smith c Ponting b Hogg 2, B. Rankin (not out) 4, Extras (nb-1, w-15) 16; Total (in 30 overs) 91.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-2,4-12, 5-32, 6-42, 7-54, 8-72, 9-80.

Australia bowling: McGrath 7-1-17-3, Tait 6-1-39-3, Clark 8-1-19-1, Hogg 6-2-9-1, Symonds 3- 1-7-1.

Australia: A. Gilchrist b Johnston 34, M. Hussey (not out) 30, A. Symonds (not out) 15; Extras (lb-4, w-8, nb-1) 13; Total (for one wkt. in 12.2 overs) 92.

Fall of wicket: 1-62.

Ireland bowling: Langford Smith 3-0-27-0, Rankin 4.2-0-24-0, Johnston 3-0-18-1, Mooney 1-0-14-0, McCallan 1-0-5-0.

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