Ireland fielding errors prove costly

As Sri Lanka accelerated, Ireland's catching deteriorated

Sixteen balls into their World Cup opener against hosts Sri Lanka, Ross Adair went to his left from midwicket to get his hands on a chance off Kamil Mishara's bat, and the ball danced away from his clutches. This was to become a theme.

All through the innings, as if enlivened by the papare flowing down from the stands, the ball shimmied away from Ireland hands, whirled away like a dervish just over their heads, hopped out of closing palms like an Australian breakdancer, and repeatedly Riverdanced its way over the boundary.

There were at least four official dropped catches, plus others that the fielders misjudged and didn't even quite get hands on. The worst of the drops came in a crucial period. Sri Lanka had scratched their way through the middle overs, and were 104 for 4 with four overs to go. As the hosts accelerated, Ireland's catching deteriorated.RelatedKamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, spinners script Sri Lanka's win

At the start of the 17th over, long-off made a mess of a Kusal Mendis catch that hung in the air for long enough to get under, if only Curtis Campher hadn't charged at the chance like a bull at a matador, and overran it completely. Two balls later, Barry McCarthy leapt to try and intercept a chance at short fine leg, but the ball leapt higher. Then, the delivery after that, Kamindu Mendis tonked one down the ground, and although George Dockrell got two hands to this mid-leap, the ball pirouetted spectacularly, leaping over the rope. Next over, Adair let another one slip away from him at deep backward square.

This wasn't much like the Irish team, said Harry Tector, and spin-bowling coach Chris Brown after the match. The catching wasn't quite an epidemic, Tector said. But it did feel contagious at one point.

"I'm not sure if guys losing focus is the reason for catches being dropped," Tector said. "I think they're isolated incidences. Sometimes it is a bit contagious when one gets dropped and the next one gets dropped. It's certainly disappointing, and I don't think it's down to a lack of focus. It happens in cricket sometimes, but we can't really afford to do it."

But surely there had to have been a reason. Did Ireland spend their week in Sri Lanka luxuriating their palms in some of the island's finest Ayurvedic oils? Or was it down to a lack of training under lights (the last week in Colombo has seen several teams cancel training sessions because of bad weather). Not at all, Tector said. Ireland came primed to catch.

"I really don't think we left stones unturned in terms of our preparation, our fielding," he said. "We're really well-drilled. We work a lot on it, so I think that's probably the disappointing aspect. If we weren't practicing for it and working hard and taking catches under lights, then maybe, I'd say so. I personally didn't feel like I was underprepared to catch under lights.

"The next catch is always the most difficult after dropping one, so you have to be quite resilient to want the ball after that. Sometimes when you drop it, you've just got to try and park it as much as you can."

Brown was especially irked that the drops ruined the figures of left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys, who had those three chances missed in the 17th over. That over ended up costing 21.

"If you convert the chances you create, you're not chasing so many, and Matthew has probably gone for 1 for 28," Brown said. "We were very good in the field in the two recent series we played in the UAE, and our outfield catching has been top drawer. It's been faultless. There have been some really good catches - it was just unfortunate today."