Ireland v England in World Cup Cricket
Update: It’s over - Ireland all out for 218, England win by 48 runs
Ireland were chasing 267 to win. In theory.
And England finally bowled a couple of decent balls at the end, and it was really the last few overs for both teams that was the difference between them. ireland got out, England’s middle order upped their runs - well, Collingwood did.
Ireland really struggled to do anything against England’s spinners, but once they finished Ireland finally hit some boundaries and a couple of 6’s even - not that England were really in danger of losing but Ireland were long way from being disgraced.
Earlier:
England have taken the fourth wicket just after Niall O’Brien brings up his half-century. Ireland are struggling against the spin bowling of Panesar and Vaughan, and their required run rate is creeping up and up to an impossible rate. Plenty of singles but practically no boundaries.
It’s all very pedestrian now from both teams, which means England will win. Ireland need to risk a couple of wickets and start swinging the bat.
Earlier England’s middle order produced the goods with Collingwood being the big hitter with 90, and before that Pietersen turned it on quickly, smacking boundaries all over the place, as befitting the number-one batsman in the world.
Earlier again there was a sensational start for Ireland against England in Guyana in their first Super-8 game. For some reason England having won the toss opted to bat first. Ireland had taken two wickets for 23 runs with some very solid bowling from Boyd Rankin.
Strictly speaking though a great start for Ireland just means that the Irish minnows are still in the game.
Latest Score:
Ireland 215 for 9 after 47 overs
Ireland 190 for 6 after 44
Ireland 174 for 6 after 42
Ireland 133 for 4 after 34
Ireland 117 for 4 after 30
Ireland 100 for 3 after 25 (England were 104 for 3 @ 25 mark)
Ireland 89 for 3 after 22
Ireland 77 for 3 after 20
England finish at 266-7
England 69 for 2 after 14 overs
England 26 for 2 after 7 overs
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
How in the of the chocolate deity do you know so much about cricket?
One day in 1981 I turned on the telly, BBC2 probably, and the announcer said something about cricket coming up next. Like everybody else in Ireland I groaned and went to turn it over, but before I reached the telly that theme music started so I sat down again.
I guess if it was in the days of remote controls I never would have watched it any further but instead I saw things happen in the game that I’d never seen before - as in action was taking place - so I kept giving it another minute, and then another minute, until hours out of my day had vanished and I was thinking for the first time that you know that wasn’t too bad, it was watchable.
This was what is now referred to as “Botham’s Ashes”, and very shortly afterwards I found out that I had watched one of the all-time great performances. So naturally I dismissed cricket again.
However years later I was living in England and ended up at a game or two in much the same way I first ended up at an Indian restaurant. I was quickly hooked on both.
I move slowly. That’s why I have cycled across continents, but miss buses I can’t run for. So I love things that take a long time. Books, films, and sporting events. And test match cricket, a game that can go on for five days with huge amounts of great drama, and all the things that happen in sport yet very possibly end up in a draw, is such a magnificent concept I fell in love with it and my geeky English friends had heads full of statistics at the ready to bring me up to date.
So this World Cup one-day stuff is fun, but I much prefer test matches, and I rate the Ashes series as one of sports’ greatest competitions. The one before last, in late 2005, that England won, was tremendous stuff.
Em, what was your question again?
Eh, I forget now. Something about a chocolate cricketer or an Easter over. Maybe it was an Easter ovary. I’ve been up since 2am trying to finish off a night’s sleep which was due by 7. Very tired.