Debutant Das hits dashing hundred as Ireland toil in Essex warm-up

Paul Stirling will join up with Ireland after playing for Birmingham Bears in the Blast on Friday night

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2023Robin Das, a 21-year-old British-Bangladeshi batter, hit 132 off 118 balls in his maiden first-class innings as Essex had the better of the first day against Ireland in their warm-up match at Chelmsford.Ireland play England at Lord’s in a four-day Test on June 1 and this game represents their only match practice before that fixture. They arrived in England on Wednesday evening, though a delay in the arrival of their luggage forced them to cancel a planned training session the following day.With most of Essex’s first team unavailable due to T20 Blast preparations and injuries, four Ireland squad members featured for their opposition — including George Dockrell and Mark Adair, who both made half-centuries from the middle order.George Dockrell played for Essex against his Ireland team-mates•Ray Lawrence

But it was Das, a product of Brentwood School who has already fielded as a substitute for England in Test cricket, who underpinned Essex’s total of 343, reaching a 101-ball hundred before eventually falling to Andy McBrine’s offspin.Thomas Mayes, a 22-year-old seamer, was the pick of the attack on first-class debut, taking 4 for 68 including the big scalp of stand-in Essex captain Nick Browne with his second ball.McBrine came in for some rough treatment, conceding 98 runs in his 14 overs, as Essex scored at a run rate of nearly five an over across their first innings.