Ireland Pulls Off Sensational 3-Wicket Win Over England
Bangalore, March 2: Kevin O'Brien struck the fastest-ever World Cup hundred as Ireland pulled off a sensational three-wicket win over England on Wednesday. Ireland, chasing 328 for victory, won with five balls to spare as
Bangalore, March 2: Kevin O'Brien struck the fastest-ever World Cup hundred as Ireland pulled off a sensational three-wicket win over England on Wednesday.
Ireland, chasing 328 for victory, won with five balls to spare as they finished on 329 for seven.
It seemed as if England, who made 327 for eight, were cruising to victory when they reduced non-Test playing Ireland to 111 for five.
But in a brilliant burst of power-hitting O'Brien got to three figures in just 50 balls at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
That meant he'd obliterated former Australia opener Matthew Hayden's previous fastest World Cup century record off 66 balls against South Africa at St Kitts in 2007.
O'Brien's whirlwind innings of 113 off 63 balls, including six sixes and 13 fours, ended when he was run out going for a second run by Stuart Broad's throw to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Ireland's target was down to three off the last over but they won with five balls to spare when John Mooney struck a four off James Anderson.
It was the highest successful run chase in World Cup history.
"It's pretty amazing," said Ireland batsman Alex Cusack, who made 47 in a decisive sixth-wicket partnership of 162 with O'Brien.
"Words can't describe how I feel at the moment, just on top of the world.
"We decided if the ball was there that we'd have a go at it. I was just trying to knock it around for Kev. He's got the power. That was my job and he was playing the big shots."
Earlier, England looked to have posted a defendable target when Jonathan Trott claimed a notable place in cricket history, too, as England piled up 327 for eight in their 50 overs.
Trott (92) joined his team-mate Kevin Pietersen and West Indies great Viv Richards as one of three batsmen to reach 1,000 one-day international runs quicker than anyone else.
In his 21st innings, Trott – whose style of earnest accumulation is an obvious contrast to Pietersen and Richards' thrilling stroke play – nonetheless once again served his team well with an exact run-a-ball tempo. He shared a third-wicket stand of 167 with Ian Bell (81), after Pietersen (59) and Andrew Strauss had got England off to a blistering start.
Strauss, who won the toss, and Pietersen immediately set about the opposition's new-ball pair Boyd Rankin and Trent Johnston.
The captain, fresh from his career-best 158 in Sunday's tie against India at this same venue, was in a hurry again.
But he was first to go, after a stand of 91 in less than 14 overs, when he tried to paddle-pull slow left-armer George Dockrell off his stumps and was bowled round his legs.
Pietersen also went tamely – soon after reaching his first half-century as an ODI opener, from only 41 balls – when he attempted to reverse-sweep off-spinner Paul Stirling but gloved a simple catch to wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien.
Trott and Bell therefore had to start again, yet lost little noticeable momentum doing so.
Bell diced with long-off, hitting a six off Dockrell, and then wide long-on for another boundary off the same bowler.
But he did not give a chance, and neither did Trott, in an innings which began with two crunching off-side boundaries off John Mooney when Pietersen was still in attendance but soon reverted to type via characteristic deflections and placement mainly for ones and twos.
Trott is still without a six in his Test or ODI career but was largely risk-free as he helped to keep England above six an over almost throughout.
He survived Bell, who chipped a full toss low to a tumbling Stirling at straight midwicket off Mooney having hit six fours and a six from 86 balls.
However, after Trott also went short of his hundred, bowled aiming a big hit at Mooney (four for 63), England faltered and could manage only a below-par 70 in the last 10 overs.
Former Ireland captain Johnston kept tight lines to bowl Matt Prior and Mike Yardy and become the first bowler to take 50 ODI wickets for his country.
But that was to be only a footnote on a glorious day for O'Brien and Irish cricket.
Ireland, chasing 328 for victory, won with five balls to spare as they finished on 329 for seven.
It seemed as if England, who made 327 for eight, were cruising to victory when they reduced non-Test playing Ireland to 111 for five.
But in a brilliant burst of power-hitting O'Brien got to three figures in just 50 balls at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
That meant he'd obliterated former Australia opener Matthew Hayden's previous fastest World Cup century record off 66 balls against South Africa at St Kitts in 2007.
O'Brien's whirlwind innings of 113 off 63 balls, including six sixes and 13 fours, ended when he was run out going for a second run by Stuart Broad's throw to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Ireland's target was down to three off the last over but they won with five balls to spare when John Mooney struck a four off James Anderson.
It was the highest successful run chase in World Cup history.
"It's pretty amazing," said Ireland batsman Alex Cusack, who made 47 in a decisive sixth-wicket partnership of 162 with O'Brien.
"Words can't describe how I feel at the moment, just on top of the world.
"We decided if the ball was there that we'd have a go at it. I was just trying to knock it around for Kev. He's got the power. That was my job and he was playing the big shots."
Earlier, England looked to have posted a defendable target when Jonathan Trott claimed a notable place in cricket history, too, as England piled up 327 for eight in their 50 overs.
Trott (92) joined his team-mate Kevin Pietersen and West Indies great Viv Richards as one of three batsmen to reach 1,000 one-day international runs quicker than anyone else.
In his 21st innings, Trott – whose style of earnest accumulation is an obvious contrast to Pietersen and Richards' thrilling stroke play – nonetheless once again served his team well with an exact run-a-ball tempo. He shared a third-wicket stand of 167 with Ian Bell (81), after Pietersen (59) and Andrew Strauss had got England off to a blistering start.
Strauss, who won the toss, and Pietersen immediately set about the opposition's new-ball pair Boyd Rankin and Trent Johnston.
The captain, fresh from his career-best 158 in Sunday's tie against India at this same venue, was in a hurry again.
But he was first to go, after a stand of 91 in less than 14 overs, when he tried to paddle-pull slow left-armer George Dockrell off his stumps and was bowled round his legs.
Pietersen also went tamely – soon after reaching his first half-century as an ODI opener, from only 41 balls – when he attempted to reverse-sweep off-spinner Paul Stirling but gloved a simple catch to wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien.
Trott and Bell therefore had to start again, yet lost little noticeable momentum doing so.
Bell diced with long-off, hitting a six off Dockrell, and then wide long-on for another boundary off the same bowler.
But he did not give a chance, and neither did Trott, in an innings which began with two crunching off-side boundaries off John Mooney when Pietersen was still in attendance but soon reverted to type via characteristic deflections and placement mainly for ones and twos.
Trott is still without a six in his Test or ODI career but was largely risk-free as he helped to keep England above six an over almost throughout.
He survived Bell, who chipped a full toss low to a tumbling Stirling at straight midwicket off Mooney having hit six fours and a six from 86 balls.
However, after Trott also went short of his hundred, bowled aiming a big hit at Mooney (four for 63), England faltered and could manage only a below-par 70 in the last 10 overs.
Former Ireland captain Johnston kept tight lines to bowl Matt Prior and Mike Yardy and become the first bowler to take 50 ODI wickets for his country.
But that was to be only a footnote on a glorious day for O'Brien and Irish cricket.