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Rapid-fire half-century from Gareth Delany guides the Ireland Wolves to victory

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WINDHOEK, Namibia – A rapid-fire 72 from Irish international Gareth Delany has led the Ireland Wolves to victory and level the series 1-1 against Namibia at the Wanderers Cricket Ground today.
Player of the Match Delany hit what is his highest List A score from just 55 balls, featuring six sixes and three fours, and contributed to a match-deciding 105-run stand with Stephen Doheny (37). The pair came together at a precarious moment, with a target to win of just 162, the Wolves top-order had collapsed from 39-0 to lose three wickets in six balls without adding to the score.

Doheny and Delany settled quickly and found their rhythm soon after. Initially the pair displayed a patient approach to their batting, but then unleashed a more aggressive style as the innings progressed. In the 24th over, Delany brought up his half-century with a maximum, passing the milestone from 50 balls.

He then began to stamp his authority on the game with all-out attack, striking a further three sixes as he moved from 53 to 72 in just five balls. However, on 72 Delany was caught on the long-on boundary trying to finish the game quickly. Doheny fell shortly after, but it mattered little as captain Neil Rock came in and finished off the scoring with a boundary and a six to give the Wolves the win.

Earlier in the day, Rock won the toss and chose to bowl first, with the Wolves seeking to make amends for the loss in Game One. Graham Hume started with a good line and length, getting some movement off the seam, and he took the wicket of Davin La Cock (15) with a lovely bouncer, which he nicked to Delany at first slip in the 7th over.

Nicol Loftie-Eaton, who had scored 74* in the deciding T20 last week, came in and tried to steady the Namibian innings, but he struggled to sustain any sort of early partnership, as both Stephan Baard (21) and Gerhard Erasmus (2) fell to Mike Frost (2-27), who was making his tour debut, inside the first 17 overs.

Despite struggling, Loftie-Eaton eventually found some rhythm and sought to anchor the innings. He was almost run out on 30, with Doheny just missing with a direct hit attempt. Malan Kruger (21) came and went with the home side on 93-4 in the 26th over. It was then that leg-spinner Ben White was introduced. White conceded 10 from his first over, but bounced back with the next four dismissals – he caught and bowled both JJ Smit (4) and Dylan Leicher (6), trapped Reuben Trumplemann in front (6), then ended Loftie-Eaton’s innings (67) inducing a mis-timed shot to deep square leg.

Between the three spinners – White, Frost and Delany – the Wolves captured 8 wickets, with Namibia eventually finished off for 161 from 43.1 overs.

Following the match, Wolves captain Neil Rock said:

“We’re delighted. We managed to put a lot of things right today that we were a bit off with the other day, particularly with the ball. I was really pleased the way the guys bowled throughout the innings. A lot of our guys have spent the winter indoors, so this has been our first matches outdoors for a while – and our squad is a little bit light at the minute, but we’ve made use of what we have.”

Player of the match Gareth Delany said:

“We started off really well with the ball. Mike Frost and Ben White bowled really well so it gave us a good chance to chase a low score. We were unhappy the other day with how we batted so we just made sure of it today. You have a little bit more time in 50-over cricket, and we just seemed to get better as the day went on and it became easier to bat.”