IRISH INSPIRATION

When David is up against Goliath and is 111 for 5, do you really expect David to get to 328? Ireland haven’t just beaten England and caused an upset but have been a part of one of the greatest one day matches you will ever see. If we felt the Natwest series final of 2002 was fantastic, this one in my opinion is a notch above it simply because it was a contest between the weak and the strong. England and Ireland have always had a healthy rivalry in football and rugby but it was seen on the cricket field in Bangalore.

Firstly, the team Ireland represents the whole island of Ireland not just the Republic of Ireland. Thus, it includes Northern Ireland as well, which is a part of the United Kingdom. The game against England to the Irish is what a game against Pakistan is to Indian fans. They view it as a must win contest and more than the points pride is at stake.

At 111 for 5, people would have said “The same old minnow story” but who would have expected Kevin O’Brien to blaze his way to the fastest hundred in World Cup History. The best part about his innings was his clean hitting. When he hit they stayed hit. It was amazing to see the distance of his shots. The biggest of them was 102 metres and as Harsha Bhogle would say “Send the Javelin Throwers in.” He was hitting the sixes at will. If you have a close look at the way he played you will see that he played very sensibly. When a guy gets 100 in just 50 balls one would feel that there was a lot of crazy hitting but O’Brien was actually hitting all the length deliveries. Anything that was bowled in the right areas he was sensible to push it for the singles.

The thing that impressed me the most about the Irish was their attitude. At 111 for 5 chasing 327 even the biggest teams feel undone and only miraculously get there. Ireland winning was a miracle no doubt but miracles in sport don’t just happen but are made possible by some great performances. The fact that they are a minnows did not hold them back. Kevin O’Brien’s statement at the post match summed it up. He said that Ireland could have easily gone in a shell and ended at 220 or 230 and everybody would have been happy but people watching on TV looked for entertainment and they had to provide it. Another thing that was impressive was the support he got from the lower order. Cussack and Mooney got crucial runs to ease pressure. They took singles to give O Brien strike but also got the boundaries when needed. It was show of strength and it should help Ireland push their case forward in international cricket.

As I have written in a previous post that the ICC have to give the minnows more games. They now have to ensure that a Kenya like situation doesn’t happen with Ireland. Hosting a touring team for an ODI a year is not enough for them to develop. Niall O’Brien said in an interview that Ireland need to get more games against the big sides. They may not achieve test status soon but they can be helped to develop their domestic structure and an even stronger ODI side. If they can get more games against the test playing nations they would certainly improve and develop into a much stronger unit. However, they need the support of the ICC as they have to ensure that they don’t become another Kenya.

Ireland is the Australia of the minnow world mainly because most of their players play county cricket. Exposure at the county level gives them an opportunity to play with some quality cricketers. It is not just that a few of their players play for the counties but Ireland as a team also competes against the counties in their limited overs tournaments. Netherlands is the other team that plays in the same competitions but Ireland has improved much more than them. Cricket Ireland has to ensure that they don’t lose too many players to England. Ed Joyce played for England but is now back and Eoin Morgan is a regular feature in the English setup. If Ireland are made to play against the big sides regularly, not only will they improve but will also retain their good players.

England on the other hand have problems aplenty. Their bowling and fielding which was very good during the Ashes and the English summer somehow seems to have lost touch. James Anderson hasn’t found his rhythm and is struggling to find his line. He was better than what he was in the previous games but given the situation he could have done better. Bresnan and Broad too didn’t bowl well. They bowled too many length deliveries which were put away by O’Brien. There was no attempt on their part to bowl even one Yorker. One thing i noticed in the final overs was that they were successful in keeping O'Brien off strike but somehow conceded boundaries of the final balls of three consecutive overs. Two of them were edges but still they weren't the best deliveries. Their fielding was equally disappointing as they dropped a few catches which could have won them the match. I wouldn’t make the mistake of writing them off as this is a very strong unit. Who knows they may come up with their best against South Africa on Sunday?

Canada gave Pakistan a scare and it looked like we may have two consecutive upsets but Shahid Afridi saved Pakistan the blushes. Pakistan however have to see the shots they played. The pitch wasn't bad but it was poor shot selection at times that got them out. South Africa beat Netherlands with ease and as usual it was a complete team effort from them. It was interesting to see that they chose to play Morne Van Wyk in place of Johan Botha. It gives them the extra batsman and also allows de Villiers to fully concentrate on his batting but nevertheless his inclusion was a surprise.

Tomorrow we have two games as New Zealand take on Zimbabwe at Ahmedabad and Bangladesh take on the West Indies at Mirpur. New Zealand should win comfortably but they will have to play the Zimbabwean spinners really well. For the game in Mirpur, people call it the crucial match which will decide the two teams progress but I think West Indies should win comfortably as most of their batsmen have struck form and Kemar Roach is breaking the speed barrier. Bangladesh may win but mainly if their openers perform and their spinners dent the West Indies batting.