Ireland beat Canada to keep title

Ireland opener Jeremy Bray scored 146 runs off 112 balls

Defending champions Ireland beat Canada by an innings and 115 runs within two days to retain the ICC Intercontinental Cup at Grace Road on Wednesday.

Canada were 92 all out in their first innings with Trent Johnston taking four wickets and Thinus Fourie three.

Ireland replied with 352 all out, Jeremy Bray hitting 146 off 152 balls, Eoin Morgan scoring 84 and Umar Bhatti claiming five wickets for Canada.

Kyle McCallan took five wickets as the Canadians then stumbled to 145 all out.

Skipper Johnston's bowling figures in the first Canada innings were 4-12 while Fourie recorded 3-31.

Eglinton player Bray and William Porterfield then set an Intercontinental Cup record for the first wicket, sharing a stand of 202.

Opener Bray thumped his 146 off 112 balls, an innings which included 19 fours and a six.

Ashif Mulla was top scorer with 48 in the Canadians' second innings in which McCallan finished with figures of 5-38 and Johnston, 3-48.

"This is a fabulous result for us and a first innings lead of 260 ended up being plenty," said McCallan afterwards.

"We won the toss and then bowled well to put ourselves in a dominant position in helpful conditions.

"We wanted to bat longer than we did but the Canadians bowled well on Wednesday morning and we did not bat so well.

"The 200 opening partnership at the start of our innings broke the spirit of the Canadians and I was pretty pleased to go on and get five wickets. That is a big thing for me."