A morning batting collapse that saw them lose their last seven wickets for just 72 runs proved just a temporary aberration as Ireland's bowlers reduced the United Arab Emirates to 207 for eight by stumps on the second day of their Intercontinental Cup game at Malahide.
It left the visiting side still 136 runs short of the follow-on total after Ireland finished on 492, well short of what had looked possible when Ed Joyce – unbeaten overnight on 229 – and Andrew Balbirnie strode to the wicket just before 11am with conditions far more agreeable than the opening day.
Having passed his personal best in setting a new Irish highest score, Joyce had talked of pushing on to a triple century by continuing to attack. Cricket, the great leveller, wasn’t on message as the 36-year-old added just two runs before he was yorked by Amjad Javed, Joyce limping off after being hit on the foot by the delivery.
Javed looked a different bowler from the opening day and he would go on to also trap Balbirnie leg before for 10 and have Gary Wilson caught behind for two as he took three wickets for two runs in seven deliveries.
Kevin O'Brien (29) and George Dockrell (22 not out) brought Ireland towards 500 before Javed wrapped up things just before lunch when taking his fourth wicket.
Taking 20 wickets on a good batting surface was always going to be the harder task for Ireland, who found out at the World Cup that the UAE possess plenty of batting talent.
They started off tightly as Tim Murtagh gave away just one run in a five-over opening spell, with John Mooney then capitalising as Amjad Ali mistimed a short ball to Murtagh at short midwicket where he held on to a fine catch.
Partnership
A partnership of 57 between Asif Iqbal (43) and Saqib Ali (27) was ended when Craig Young changed to the Dublin Road end for his second spell, taking both wickets just before tea to leave the UAE on 82 for three.
Bowling from the same end, Mooney took the key wickets of Khurram Khan (24) and Swapnil Patil (30), while spinner George Dockrell got back among the first-class wickets with two, and Young a third.
