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The first one-day international to be played as part of the European 1st Division Championships resulted in a victory for Ireland by 85 runs, reflecting a generally better-organised performance with both bat and ball.

Having won the toss and elected to field, Scotland began well, their opening bowlers Paul Hoffmann and Dougie Brown removing Jeremy Bray and William Porterfield with just 19 runs on the board. But the situation was rescued by county players Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) and Niall O’Brien (Kent), who came together in an 80-run partnership, made in eighteen overs, which swung the game in Ireland’s favour.

O’Brien was finally caught by Navdeep Poonia, making his debut for Scotland, off captain Craig Wright’s bowling, for 32, but Morgan seemed in complete control and continued to score freely despite a fine spell from Wright (who took three for 32 from his ten overs) and wickets falling steadily at the other end.

By the fortieth over the total was 164 for seven, and it seemed that Ireland might battle to get far beyond 200. But Kyle McCallan now joined Morgan, and they set about the Scottish bowling. Even Hoffmann, who had conceded only fourteen runs from his first seven-over spell, went for fifteen in his one over when he returned, and with Ross Lyons being hit for the same tally, the total leapt upwards.

Morgan was proceeding relentlessly towards his century, and was on 99 as the final over of the innings began. He pushed John Blain’s first ball into the off-side and set off for a run, but was sent back by McCallan and run out by a sharp return from Neil McCallum, becoming the fourth Irish batsman to be dismissed just one run short of a century. Just three more runs came from the over, and the innings closed on 240 for eight.

Scotland began their reply in sedate fashion, with Poonia looking confident and Neil MacRae careful, but the Irish achieved the breakthrough when the latter was well caught at second slip by Trent Johnston off David Langford-Smith’s bowling. Ryan Watson did not last long, and Poonia soon followed, leaving the Scots on 52 for three. Langford-Smith had all three wickets at this stage, at a cost of 29 runs.

Dougie Brown was next to go, caught behind off John Mooney, and by the time McCallum had been trapped leg before by Andre Botha, Omer Hussain was bowled by Kyle McCallan, and Colin Smith had been stumped the same bowler the score was 91 for seven.

Scotland were steadily falling further behind the required run-rate as Mooney, Botha and McCallan starved them of runs, and the only sign of aggression came from Hoffmann, who came in with the score on 119 for eight and promptly smote a succession of sixes. It was all too late, however, and having belted two successive balls from Andrew White over the boundary he tried it once too often and skied a catch to Jeremy Bray at midwicket. The Scottish innings closed on 155, and Ireland could celebrate another in their series of European successes this summer.