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Ireland International Matches
Denmark drew with Ireland
3 Day, Aalborg, 27-29 August 1971
Scorecard
Derek Scott

This match was scheduled for 17 hours and 40 minutes. Six hours and 45 minutes were lost to rain. Ireland were in desperate straits after being bowled out for 66 but recovered well and if the match had gone the full distance might well have won. Again the Danes, as in Cork last year, bowled and fielded very well. With Anderson and Monteith unable to travel Ireland included a new cap RD Daly and made WI Lewis 12th man (he scored 48 at Lord's without being dismissed). Thus only three bowlers played (O'Riordan, Goodwin and Duffy). On the matting wicket the absence of a third seam bowler could have been a disaster in fine weather. As it was Reith had to come on to bowl for Ireland at 25-0 in Denmark's first innings. Furthermore, O'Riordan did not feel well on the first day of the match. Eight of the Danish team played in Cork last year. The newcomers were Kristensen, Christofferson and Fausboll (wicket-keeper). The ground at Aalborg is a new one with a magnificent pavilion. Within it, in two bedded rooms, both teams were housed.

The match began on Friday at 2 PM. Ireland won the toss and were out in 43 overs for 66. Goodwin scored 18 at number 10 to improve the position from 42-8. The Danes put on a display of catching and fielding that it would be hard to beat. Their bowling was hostile and lively, the mat played some tricks and Ireland were out before they knew what had happened to them. Mortensen and Larsen (left-arm) opened the bowling. At 8 Pigot was caught by Morild off Mortensen diving to his left at short fine leg. 10 came up in 30 minutes but the outfield was long and wet and even the hardest hits were stopping quickly. Reith hit a four over cover's head off Larsen but at 16 he was caught at the wicket off Mortensen. At 19 O'Brien failed to get behind a rising ball from Mortensen and was caught low at slip. At 22 Harrison was caught behind pushing forward and Mortensen had 4-11 in 7.1 overs, the four wickets coming in 30 balls for four runs. At 26 Daly had his off stump removed pushing forward at Larsen. Dineen was hit three times and twice appealed against four LBW. Linehan mis-hooked Larsen just over short leg's head. Dineen got off the mark after 40 minutes. Morild came on for Larsen at 39 bowling off cutters. Then Linehan was caught shoulder high at mid-off driving at Mortensen. At 42 Morild bowled Duffy. Mortensen now took to bowling off cutters off a shorter run. He deceived Dineen with a slower ball which was pushed to short leg's hands. 42-8. The score at tea was 44-8 after two hours play. O'Riordan (who had gone in at number nine because he was unwell) and Goodwin now added 22 of which Goodwin made 18 by some lusty blows in front of the wicket. He was dropped behind the wicket when six at 50 off Morild. Eventually he played back and across to Morild and was bowled off stump. At 66 O'Riordan was caught at short fine leg by the substitute Terb while trying to drive Mortensen. The latter took 7-35 in 22 overs. The ground fielding was very good and many singles were cut off close to the wicket by diving fielders. The Irish batsmen did not get behind the ball and were too often on the back foot. Rain now fell and the last hour's play was lost.

Next day play began at 10 am The first run did not come onto the seventh over. After 40 minutes Reith dropped Sorensen (eight) left-handed at slip off Goodwin and the score was nine. After 50 minutes Reith came after Goodwin and bowled three overs. Rain at 10:55 AM delayed play for 30 minutes. At 38 Jannings was bowled by O'Riordan 45, scored in 70 minutes. It rained at 11:50 AM and lunch was taken early. A resumption could not be made until 12:45 PM. At 41 Sorensen was well held, knee-high and left-handed, by Colhoun off O'Riordan for 34. He hit four fours and mixed defence with aggression. Morild joined Luther. In 25 minutes 10 more were added. Morild was keen to pull and hook and at 51 he mistimed one and was caught at leg slip off O'Riordan. At 1 33 pm it rained again and there was no further play for the day. The score was now 54-3 with Luther (six) and Kristensen (one).

The third day was also scheduled for seven hours cricket. It, too, began at 10 AM. At 55 Kristensen was caught low at the wicket off O'Riordan who had now taken all 4 wickets for 21 in 24 overs. Mortensen came in and was clearly stumped off Goodwin but given not out. At 60 Colhoun caught him standing up off Goodwin - the ball lodging in the wicket-keeper's pads and legs! Buus, who had pulled a muscle fielding, was next. Duffy replaced O'Riordan at 68 in order to have the correct end as the wind was very strong. O'Riordan came on into the wind for Goodwin and at 75 bowled Luther who had made 14 batting at number three. Luther played no shot. Larsen was caught at the wicket dabbing at the first ball he faced from Duffy. 77-7 and the end of the Irish success. A vital catch was dropped with the score on 80. Fausball swept Duffy high to the mid-wicket boundary. Daly was under the ball but dropped the catch. Goodwin replaced O'Riordan at 91. In 233 minutes 100 came up. Orders now seen to be given to hit out. At 101 Buus hit one to square leg. O'Brien swooped and threw it to Duffy who broke the wicket. It was a close decision but the umpire signalled "out". Buus running had shouted "not out, not out" as he passed the wicket. The umpire apologised and changed his decision! O'Riordan replaced Duffy for the last over before lunch. Off the first ball Reith, at first slip, dropped a straightforward catch offered by Buus. Denmark declared at lunch at 113-7, a lead of 47. O'Riordan had taken 5-31 in 31 overs. 71 overs in all had been bowled.

Five hours remained and Ireland had to concentrate firstly on saving the match. They were very determined to keep the scoreboard moving. Mortensen conceded eight in the first over, including a snick for four by Reith. At 16, Reith got a full-blooded pull off Larsen and Morild caught it at short square leg - an astonishing catch! Morild replaced Larsen at 35 with Pigot scoring well with neat strokes. At 47, Christofferson, a slow left-armer, replaced Morild. Off his second ball Harrison was dropped wide to his right by second slip. This was a vital miss by Denmark with the score on 46 and Harrison on eight. Morild came on for Mortensen at the other end. 51 came up in 82 minutes with Pigot 32 and Ireland were now in the lead by four. Larsen replaced Christofferson at 64. Scoring became more rapid. Pigot moved to 50 out of 83 in 110 minutes. 10 minutes later he was out bowled by Larsen with one that came with his arm. Pigot's 58 out of 94 was most probably his most valuable innings for Ireland. Linehan came in and 101 came up - the last 50 in 50 minutes. At tea the score was 104-2, Harrison 29 and Linehan three. Allowing for a change of innings there were now 150 minutes left and Ireland led by 57 runs. Neither side gave anything away. The Danish field placings became defensive with three men deep in front of the wicket. Linehan, a big hitter, was not given his "head" until an hour after tea.

Mortensen and Larsen resumed bowling. At 123 Linehan swung Mortensen high to square leg but the difficult catch went astray. At 126 Morild replaced Larsen. At 129 Harrison was LBW on the front foot to Morild for 45 scored in 151 minutes. 20 minutes and four runs later O'Riordan was LBW to Morild for two. Next over Dineen was out for nought. He drove at Morild and Kristensen at gully held a good low catch at the second attempt. O'Brien came in and scoring remained sluggish, in one half-hour period only 10 being scored. Then Linehan let go at Morild hitting him for 4-6 (over mid-wicket)-2-1 off successive balls. Next ball from Morild Linehan hit a six which struck the screen and another high over square leg. Linehan moved from 27 to 61 in four overs and in all batted 118 minutes for his maiden 50 in his second match. O'Brien made a neat 11 not out and the pair added 57 in 30 minutes. Mortensen, in this innings, bowled 28 overs and failing to take a wicket. Ireland declared as 190-5.

Denmark needed 144 to win in 21 overs! O'Riordan and Goodwin bowled two overs each. Of the first ball of O'Riordan's next over Sorensen was caught at slip by O'Brien and rain at that point ended the match. So Ireland ended a six match season with three wins and three draws. But in three home matches nobody came to watch them.