How to cure a case of the drops?
Leah Paul's career-best knock sees Ireland cling on to win the first T20 despite a fielding collapse for the ages
Whoever concocted the phrase, ‘Fool me once, shame on me,’ clearly had never been fooled 11 times.
That’s the number of serious fielding errors which nearly cost Ireland a much-needed victory over Bangladesh in the first T20 of their tour. After the 3-0 drubbing in the ODI series - the format which matters most to Ireland in a World Cup year - this short format win should restore confidence. Provided the scars from the fielding display are not long lasting.
11 fielding lapses. Six dropped catches, two fumbled run outs, two missed stumpings, one misfield leading to a boundary. And a partridge in a pear tree.
Ireland are indebted to the batting efforts of Gaby Lewis (60) and Leah Paul (79 not out) that they had enough runs on the board, 169, to survive such a fielding meltdown. Once catches started being held - Ireland ultimately clung onto five chances - pressure mounted on Bangladesh. Aimee Maguire bowled cleverly, taking all the pace off the ball and limiting boundary options. Her efforts left the hosts needing 10+ runs per over in the final set of six.
Orla Prendergast shut the door, sending down a double wicket maiden in the 19th. Bangladesh mismanaged the end game as their last remaining batter, Sharmin Shupta, faced just one of the final 12 deliveries. Ireland survived, the final 12-run margin not coming close to illustrating how fraught this victory was.
Career day for Paul
Lewis started well atop the order for Ireland after deciding to bat first at the toss. One particular drive through cover was probably the best shot played by any batter so far across Ireland’s four games in Bangladesh.
But it was the innings of Paul, a T20 career-high effort of 79* off 45 balls, which deservedly takes the plaudits. The player of the match award duly went to the Merrion batter. A $500 cheque makes for a nice change to the box of Butlers chocolates presented at Ireland home matches.
Whatever about the total number of runs, she impressed with the manner in which they came, the speed at which Paul scored. After 16 balls, she was on 26. After 19, it was 31. She then reached 40 off 23 before the half-century came after just 28 deliveries. Paul hit 12 boundaries in total, 10 fours and two sixes, the pick of which being a beautiful straight drive towards the sight screen.
After the dismal ODI series, the concern surrounding this Irish batting line-up was twofold. They were still overly reliant on the Lewis, Amy Hunter, Orla Prendergast trio, and not enough players showed bravery when taking on the spinners down the ground. Paul dealt with both of those concerns today.
The near disaster which followed in the field threatened to hand Ireland a defeat which would have detracted from Paul’s efforts. Ultimately, her knock was enough to drag Ireland over the line. She deserves all the plaudits she will get.
Drops, so many drops
Whatever the volume of the Irish missed chances in the field, the rapid spread of this fielding malaise was quite something to behold. Once one catch went down, the wheels came off.
Una Raymond-Hoey was the first culprit, putting down a high, steepling effort at mid-wicket off the bowling of Prendergast. The very next over, Maguire followed suit, albeit it was a difficult chance running back from point. Sarah Forbes then came charging in to a ball hit along the ground at mid-wicket. She fumbled, the ball went into the fence.
Ireland somewhat calmed down after that. Until the 10th over. Poor old Laura Delany was the unsuspecting bowler. First, Amy Hunter missed a stumping. In the same over, Rebeca Stokell put down a chance at cow corner. Arlene Kelly then dropped one at long on the VERY next ball. You could see the confidence sap out of the whole Irish team.
At the drinks break - mercifully at the conclusion of the over - Lewis, Delany and coach Ed Joyce all spoke in the huddle. Things looked calm enough given the circumstances, albeit Joyce did pull out a few stern hand gestures.
The chat didn’t work, initially. Forbes put down Dilara Akter at deep cover, bringing the Bangladeshi opener close to cat status with the amount of lives she was offered. Eventually, Hunter held onto a sharp nick off the bowling of Prendergast.
There were still errors. Delany misjudged a chance at mid-off as the ball fell short. Had she charged forward immediately, it could have been a chance.
Mercifully for Ireland’s chances of winning, but more importantly their sanity, that was the end of the drops. Maguire took a sharp chance at point. She had no time to think, such was the speed of the ball, a change from the series of high catches which gave fielders underneath too much time to panic.
Lewis, arguably Ireland’s best fielder, then took what was potentially the most difficult chance of them all at mid-off, the ball hanging in the air for an age. There was time for Delany and Hunter to fumble run outs close to the stumps, while the ‘keeper missed a harmless stumping when the game was up in the 20th over. The rot was never truly stopped. It was stemmed, just about enough to secure the win.
Where to even begin when attempting to explain such a performance in the field?
The ‘this is a young side’ excuse can only be used so many times. At some point, be it for batting collapses or dropped catches which are an all too regular feature of the Irish game, responsibility needs to be taken. Accountability in the strictest sense isn’t really there, given Ireland don’t have the depth to swap players in and out of the XI.
Ireland probably don’t take all their catches in training, but they won’t have been this bad. There are some players who struggle in the field more than others, but the issue must still predominantly be mental, rather than technical. Perhaps these players don’t play enough games where there is the kind of pressure which creates such a contagious case of the drops. The Super Series, for all its merits, is more a stretch of practice games than a source of hard, competitive cricket.
Such lapses are a coach-killer. Ireland doubtless spent hours working on their fielding once they got to Bangladesh - the indoor centre at North County doesn’t allow for high catches, perhaps a factor in all this. Yet once the pressure came, the malaise spread faster than Leah Paul’s strike rate.
The answer isn’t the hairdryer treatment. Joyce was right not to lose his rag on camera during the drinks break huddle. That would have just been a case of kicking the side while they’re down. The greater accountability required probably needs to be player led. Lewis, as captain, is in a good position as someone who more often than not holds her catches.
Will we ever see such a bizarre display again? It’s statistically unlikely. Yet Ireland do always have a drop or two in them. Until that goes, a degree of nervous energy, stemming from the risk of such a widespread case of the drops, will always be there.
What was said
Player of the match, Leah Paul: “[We said we’d] continue to play our positive brand of cricket in the T20 format. That’s all I was trying to do.
“It was a good batting surface, very true. I was disappointed with the ODI series so I was looking to hit the ground running today.”
What’s next
The second T20 is on Saturday, 8am Irish time. Another YouTube steam will do the job for you.