A day after William Porterfield took aim at the ICC over their plans to reduce the number of teams at a World Cup to 10 from 2019, his Ireland side gave weight to his argument with a thrilling win over UAE.
Ireland, along with the other Associate Nations, are desperate for more competitive cricket to grow the game. The ICC’s plans look set to deny them that, but Porterfield is banging the drum and his side did their cause no harm by making it two wins from as many games in Group B.
UAE also enhanced their reputation by batting with swagger and bowling with craft and guile, but they bumped into a Kevin O'Brien masterclass as he blasted 50 off 25 balls to help his side to a two-wicket victory with four balls to spare.
Porterfield won the toss in Brisbane and asked UAE to have first hit. From the moment the skipper took a catch off Paul Stirling to remove Andri Berenger, his side looked confident.
Stirling claimed a second wicket in his following over, with Kevin O’Brien taking a juggling catch at slip to prise out Krishna Chandran for a duck.
WATCH: Paul Stirling strikes with Kevin O'Brien taking a smart catch #fireitup #cwc15 http://t.co/TIdDym9ADk
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 25, 2015 Amjad Ali looked at ease in the conditions, but he fell five short of his fifty—with Kevin O’Brien showing his all-round skills with the wicket.
Further wickets fell to leave UAE in real trouble at 131 for 6, but Shaiman Anwar and Amjad Javed took advantage of the excellent batting conditions.
The pair went on the attack in the final 15 overs and put on a record partnership for the seventh wicket at a World Cup of 107.
100 partnership for UAE - a record 7th wicket partnership in World Cups! 238-6 http://t.co/GKDeAqZVeF #cwc15 #IREvUAE http://ift.tt/17xPojA
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) February 25, 2015 The partnership was broken when Ed Joyce took an excellent running catch at deep square leg to remove Javed.
Anwar was not deterred and continued his assault on the Ireland bowlers. He got under the skin of Kevin O’Brien, with his movement at the crease infuriating the bowler. The batsman won the battle to become the first UAE player to reach three figures at a World Cup.
CENTURY! Anwar is the first UAE batsman to score a World Cup ton- http://t.co/GKDeAqZVeF #cwc15 #IREvUAE http://ift.tt/1GsiFsf
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) February 25, 2015 Max Sorensen returned to finally prise out Anwar, but his 106 took UAE to a respectable 278 for 9—a score which did not look likely when they were six down for 131 with 15 overs remaining.
Chris Gayle's 200 will be called the innings of the World Cup but this one from Shaiman Anwar is very very important #CWC15 #IREvUAE
— Josh (@joshrobbo44) February 25, 2015
Ireland’s chase began in disappointing fashion as Stirling feathered the ball behind to Swapnil Patil off Manjula Guruge.
Porterfield and Joyce set about a rebuilding process, but the latter received a huge slice of fortune.
Having battled his way to 16 in the face of some tight UAE bowling, Joyce missed a swinging ball from Javed. The ball hit the off stump and sent the bail into the air, and lights flashing. But as the UAE players celebrated, the bail dropped back into its groove and Joyce survived.
Ed Joyce getting a tad lucky this morning for Ireland in the World Cup https://t.co/vIb7G9XVxz
— Mission Sports (@_MissionSports) February 25, 2015 Joyce was dropped a few overs later by Mohammad Tauqir, but his luck finally ran out on 42 when he edged Javed behind to the gleeful figure of Patil.
The miserly UAE bowling increased the pressure on Ireland, and the spin of Tauqir ripped the heart out of the middle order.
Tauqir’s catching may not be great, but his bowling is pretty useful and he cleaned up Porterfield with a ball that beat the batsman in the flight and trapped Niall O’Brien lbw.
Ireland were in real trouble at the point of Niall O’Brien’s departure, but Gary Wilson and Andy Balbirnie steadied the ship with a 74-run partnership in 13 overs.
The partnership provided stability and, crucially, a platform for Kevin O’Brien to spring from.
Kevin O’Brien is as dangerous as any batsman in world cricket in the later overs—just ask England's players from four years ago—and he flayed the ball round the ground from the moment he arrived at the crease.
The assault shifted the momentum, while Kevin O’Brien also received a slice of luck in the 43rd over when he was dropped on the boundary by substitute fielder Nasir Aziz.
O'Brien seized on his chance and smashed his way to a 25-ball 50, only to give his wicket away with a tame dismissal.
The departure of O'Brien left Ireland requiring 36 off 32 balls. Wilson took up the baton and his 80 moved Ireland to the brink of victory and Alex Cusack and George Dockrell saw them over the line with four balls to spare.
With two wins from as many games, Ireland are still on course to book a slot in the knockout stages of the tournament.
They won't have designs on winning the competition, but they are furthering their cause for more appearances at cricket's top table.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1wcL0g5
via IFTTT February 25, 2015 at 03:43AM
0 comments:
Post a Comment