Andrew Poynter arrived in Dubai to restore Ireland to a full complement of available players but the odds on him taking any part in the World Twenty20 Qualifiers remain long.
Poynter was the surprise call-up for the injured John Mooney but National Coach Phil Simmons said that unless Alex Cusack fails to recover from his injury then Ireland will likely choose from the same 12 for the play-offs which played in the first five matches in the tournament.
Trent Johnston took two early wickets
When Mooney tore a hamstring diving for a boundary catch during Sunday's win against Scotland, the obvious like for like replacement from the four named reserves was the uncapped newly qualified Middlesex bowling all-rounder Tim Murtagh. But Simmons and captain William Porterfield, instead, chose the extra batsman.
"We still have seven-eight bowlers and if Cusi doesn't come through in the next few days we will be short of a batsman. So far he is doing well and should be able to at least bat and field from Thursday onwards, so that's why we haven't done anything about him. If he doesn't make it we will look at it again and maybe fly someone else out," said Simmons last night.
Andrew White bowling for Ireland
The coach was speaking after watching Ireland destroy Uganda by 82 runs at the Global Academy Ground in Dubai, their biggest T20 win since the identical margin in their very first, against Bangladesh A at Eglinton in 2008.
First choice pace bowlers Trent Johnston, Boyd Rankin and Kevin O'Brien bowled only five overs between them as captain William Porterfield, in his 100th game as Ireland captain, with the luxury of 179 runs in the bank, took the opportunity to give a full four overs quota to Max Sorensen and Nigel Jones.
The Civil Service North captain was particularly impressive and as Simmons agreed only highlighted how unlucky Jones has been in an international career which started three years ago but who has played in only 28 of Ireland's 87 matches since.
"He has never failed when he has come in and he is unlucky in that there are so many all-rounders in the team. When he came in for the England game (at Clontarf last August, and took two for 32) he showed what he can do," added Simmons.
George Dockrell took a bit of stick at the end as Uganda literally threw the bat - the last man out was stumped with his bat 30 yards away at square leg - and Andrew White was given Paul Stirling's overs with victory a formality on the back of an impressive batting performance.
The key yesterday was the opening stand of 78 in just 44 balls, the perfect launching pad, as Stirling finally came good. He hit four fours and two sixes in his innings of 41, a boundary total matched by his captain.
But after nine fours and three sixes in the first seven overs, Ireland scored only two fours in the next 10 overs as Gary Wilson was content to score at a run-a-ball and it needed a 28 runs feast in a nine-ball 18th over, including two fours and a six by man of the match Kevin O'Brien, to get Ireland to a total they rightly deserved.
Simmons said that with second place in the group assured - due to Ireland's superior run rate - it was likely that Ireland's senior bowlers will again take a back seat in their final group match against Oman and Rory McCann, the reserve wicket-keeper, was likely to get his first game, with in-form Gary Wilson playing as a specialist batsman.