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Ireland 229 for 9 (Joyce 116*, Rehman 4-48) v Pakistan
Ed Joyce became only the second man to make an ODI century for two countries © AFP
Ed Joyce walked to the wicket in Clontarf after just five balls of Ireland's innings, and left it unbeaten 49.1 overs later. His highest score of 116 was an innings of high quality from a player who became only the second man to make an ODI century for two countries. The first was also an Irishman, Eoin Morgan, who is still playing for England, albeit only in the shorter forms of the game.
Pakistan made three changes to their bowling attack, bringing in debutant Asad Ali, Wahab Riaz and Abdur Rehman for Mohammed Irfan, Saeed Ajmal and Ehsan Adil. Ireland, too, called upon a newbie in James Shannon, who came in for club-mate Andrew White.
And Ali quickly showed his great promise, finding extravagant seam movement as he reeled off three maidens to open his international career. Ireland were quickly 4 for 2, but the experienced southpaws Joyce and Niall O'Brien stitched the ideal partnership for the situation and battled their way through to see off Ali and Junaid Khan, with the debutant's opening spell reading 6-4-4-1.
When he reached 33, Joyce passed 1000 runs in ODIs, 471 of which he made for England. The pair was batting with increasing confidence when Riaz found the edge of O'Brien's bat. Gary Wilson perished soon after when he ballooned an attempted reverse sweep to slip, but Joyce found a steady partner in Kevin O'Brien.
Kevin has often been accused of inconsistency, but he continued here as he finished Thursday's tie. He played several powerful drives and was looking set to make back-to-back ODI fifties for the first time since the 2007 World Cup when he holed out on the midwicket boundary.
Joyce rode his luck - an entertaining juggling act from Mohammed Hafeez spilled to earth after five attempts when he was on 61 - and moved serenely towards his century. Kevin's departure seemed to cause panic in the Irish lower order and four wickets fell for 11 as Rehman found some turn. Trent Johnston fell to the first leg-before decision of the series but Tim Murtagh hung around long enough to see his former Middlesex colleague into three figures, which Joyce raised with his only six, over midwicket.
"If we get 230 we'll win this," said Niall O'Brien at the half-way stage of the innings. The crowd, packed to the rafters on a glorious sunny day, will cheer every Pakistani run and every Irish wicket.
Ed Joyce became only the second man to make an ODI century for two countries © AFP
Ed Joyce walked to the wicket in Clontarf after just five balls of Ireland's innings, and left it unbeaten 49.1 overs later. His highest score of 116 was an innings of high quality from a player who became only the second man to make an ODI century for two countries. The first was also an Irishman, Eoin Morgan, who is still playing for England, albeit only in the shorter forms of the game.
Pakistan made three changes to their bowling attack, bringing in debutant Asad Ali, Wahab Riaz and Abdur Rehman for Mohammed Irfan, Saeed Ajmal and Ehsan Adil. Ireland, too, called upon a newbie in James Shannon, who came in for club-mate Andrew White.
And Ali quickly showed his great promise, finding extravagant seam movement as he reeled off three maidens to open his international career. Ireland were quickly 4 for 2, but the experienced southpaws Joyce and Niall O'Brien stitched the ideal partnership for the situation and battled their way through to see off Ali and Junaid Khan, with the debutant's opening spell reading 6-4-4-1.
When he reached 33, Joyce passed 1000 runs in ODIs, 471 of which he made for England. The pair was batting with increasing confidence when Riaz found the edge of O'Brien's bat. Gary Wilson perished soon after when he ballooned an attempted reverse sweep to slip, but Joyce found a steady partner in Kevin O'Brien.
Kevin has often been accused of inconsistency, but he continued here as he finished Thursday's tie. He played several powerful drives and was looking set to make back-to-back ODI fifties for the first time since the 2007 World Cup when he holed out on the midwicket boundary.
Joyce rode his luck - an entertaining juggling act from Mohammed Hafeez spilled to earth after five attempts when he was on 61 - and moved serenely towards his century. Kevin's departure seemed to cause panic in the Irish lower order and four wickets fell for 11 as Rehman found some turn. Trent Johnston fell to the first leg-before decision of the series but Tim Murtagh hung around long enough to see his former Middlesex colleague into three figures, which Joyce raised with his only six, over midwicket.
"If we get 230 we'll win this," said Niall O'Brien at the half-way stage of the innings. The crowd, packed to the rafters on a glorious sunny day, will cheer every Pakistani run and every Irish wicket.