Result possible today in Port Elizabeth as Ireland’s bowlers turn the screw

Ireland have continued on the 3rd morning of the ICC Intercontinental Cup Final where they left off yesterday evening. Rankin and Botha have accounted for one of 4 Burgers and Williams to reduce Namibia to 43-4 but perhaps more significantly, Gerrie Snyman (who decimated Ireland’s 1st innings with the ball) has retired hurt – no details on what happened to him yet. The Africans are finding hard to get the ball off the square and have trudged along to 62-4 (effectively 62-5) at lunch after 37 overs, a lead of 117. As a correspondent commented on a previous thread, chasing anything over 200 in the 4th innnings is usually fraught with difficulty. However, this is still only a day 3 pitch prepared for 5 and Namibia may be a bowler down. Prepare for nails to be chomped down to the quick again (mine have only just recovered after the last Namibia game!).
Update It appears rumours of Snyman’s demise were exaggerated as he has resumed his innings after the fall of the 5th wicket. Current score 91-6 (Rankin 3-25) – lead is 148.
Update 2 Namibia dismissed for 145 losing their last 3 wickets for 14 including an unforgivable run out. Ireland require 201 to lift the cup; with 36 overs left in the day it seems likely that the teams will be back tomorrow. It could be very tight indeed… but Ireland are off to a flyer: 20-0 off 3 overs. Maybe they have an early flight…
Update 3 – Day 3, Stumps: Namibia 250 & 145; Ireland 195 & 134-1 (N O’Brien 77*). Ireland require 67 runs to win with 9 wickets in hand and 2 days left. A fantastic innings under pressure from the Northants keeper has left Ireland with one hand on the trophy. Peter Connell has match figures of 8-89; both he and Boyd Rankin profited after Botha and Johnston had strangled the Namibian scoring rate. This Irish side do like doing things the hard way it seems but with only a 30% chance of rain in the Eastern Cape tomorrow and barring a disaster of stupendous proportions, Ireland should wrap this up before lunch tomorrow.

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