Match Report: Ireland Under-19s vs Australia U-19s

Ireland sadly slumped to their second defeat at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. The result was a resounding 209 run defeat to Australia. Australia are one of the favourites for the tournament, and on this evidence, they are surely contenders to go all the way to the final.

Ireland won the toss and chose to field first. We made two changes to the team which lost to South Africa, with middle-order bastman Adrian D'Arcy and bowler Jordan Coghlan coming into the side. Coghlan was quite impressive with the ball, taking out opener Nic Maddinson after 9.4 overs. However, the partnership of Tom Beaton and Alex Keath put Australia in the driving seat. Beaton scored his second half-century in a row, and Keath took a wonderful 88 in 111 balls before being bowled by Coghlan.

George Dockrell also took two wickets, his first ball stumping Beaton, and taking captain Mitchell Marsh for a duck. Jason Floros was run out, but Tim Armstrong and Kane Richardson could not be beaten, scoring 73 and 24 respectively.

Ireland were always chasing the result, but with Kane Richardson and Nick Buchanan bowling out of their skin, we never stood a chance. Balbirnie was lbwed in the second over, and his replacement, Paul Stirling was bowled on his first ball by Richardson. Ben Ackland and Stuart Thompson began to forge a partnership but Buchanand ended this in the thirteenth over. After Thompson was bowled by Richardson, the match steamrolled to its inevitable conclusion - no other Irishman got into double figures.

We finished with a score of 65 all out after 24.2 overs, and slumped to our second defeat of the competition. There is no chance of us making the final 8, and the third group game against USA will be a mere consolation match.