IRELAND have set themselves a target of winning four out of nine C & G Trophy matches this summer and blarney it is not. Just ask Gloucestershire.

The county who, from 1999, won this competition four times in six years and were seemingly unbeatable on home turf at Bristol, were yesterday swept aside by an Ireland team that may have a couple of Australian and South African accents in it but is essentially a home-grown unit.

Add to that, though, the explosive talent of Shahid Afridi, who flew in from Pakistan on Saturday to join his compatriot, Saqlain Mushtaq, as Ireland’s overseas players for this campaign, and you have a mix potent enough to concern any county opposition.

Afridi first rallied Ireland’s faltering innings with 36 in an eye-catching partnership with Eoin Morgan, the impressive 19-year-old who struck a six and five sparkling fours in his 40. Then, in alliance with Kyle McCallan, the off spinner, Afridi employed his fizzing leg breaks and googlies to startling effect to strangle a Gloucestershire reply that, at 124 for four, had been progressing well enough on a pitch never straightforward for batting.

“Afridi’s a great player to be able to bring into our team because he has the ability to scare a few people,” Jeremy Bray, the wicketkeeper- batsman, said. “We were all very disappointed with our performance against Hampshire in Dublin in our first match a week ago, but this was the best way to bounce back. We fought hard to get to 194 and then bowled and fielded well to put the pressure back on them. It’s a great boost for us, and for Irish cricket.”

Roy Torrens, the Ireland team manager, said that being able to compete in this revamped C & G Trophy — plus having the one-day international against England on June 13 to look forward to — is increasing the profile of Irish cricket at just the right time before their involvement in next year’s World Cup.

“We have always had talented cricketers, but it is difficult for mainly part-time players against full-time professionals,” Torrens said. “But there has been a huge commitment in recent years from this group of players and victories like this can only do a great deal more good. The good this will do Irish cricket far outweighs the harm it will do Gloucestershire.”

To judge from the way Afridi was joining in the team dressing-room rendition of Ireland’s Call afterwards, moreover, it has not taken him long to bond with his new team-mates.

Afridi took the catch that sealed Gloucestershire’s fate after he and McCallan had rendered the lower order almost strokeless. Ian Harvey’s dismissal, spearing a drive to extra cover, was the start of Gloucestershire’s woes because the Australian had looked in prime touch with two beautiful cover drives and a pick-up for six off Andre Botha.

Alex Gidman fell cutting before Chris Taylor and Mark Hardinges went to successive balls and Matthew Windows fatally played back to Afridi’s quicker ball. Suddenly, the match was Ireland’s — their first away win against a county after victories in Dublin against Middlesex in 1997 and Surrey in 2004.