After scoring a record 216 for 3 wickets Ireland bowled out the USA for 141 with the third ball of the final over. After being put into bat by the USA, the Ireland opening batsmen William Porterfield and Paul Stirling stunned their opponents with an all-out assault which propelled Ireland to 94 by the end of the 8th over. William Porterfield rocketed to his half century of just 23 balls including 5 fours and 4 sixes and for once left Stirling in the shade. He smashed the bowling to all parts of the stadium and left a demoralised USA bowling attack bereft of any idea of where to bowl to him. When Stirling was bowled for 25 having faced just 17 balls which included 3 fours, Porterfield was joined by Kevin O’Brien and they added 44 runs in 38 balls. O’Brien fell to a magnificent diving catch at long off after contributing 18 off 16 balls with a solitary four. Trent Johnston was promoted to four in the order to maintain the run rate but didn’t last long before being bowled for seven.
The arrival of John Mooney to the wicket ensured that the blistering start was not wasted. Porterfield scoring pace had slowed somewhat as the heat and running between wickets sapped his energy but Mooney’s arrival gave him a second wind. Together they blasted an unbeaten 65 of the final 27 balls of the innings, with Mooney racing to 32 of just 13 balls. He hit 2 fours and 2 sixes the second of which was an audacious switch hit that sailed 20 metres over the rope.
However nothing could detract from Porterfield’s day as he compiled a superb unbeaten 127, which is the highest score by an Ireland batsman in this format. His 12 fours and 5 sixes are also individual Ireland records. What will live in the memory was his aggression and determination to keep on pressing the accelerator Usually he accumulates and allows others to bat round him but today he proved that Ireland can add one more big hitter to their ranks.
Amid the carnage two USA bowlers deserve praise. Ganesh took 1 for 26 of his four overs while his colleague Ahmed collected 2 wickets conceding 30 runs. The bowlers cause was not helped by some appalling fielding which included dropped catches that a schoolboy would be embarrassed by, including one offered by Porterfield when he was on 93.
USA made an initial attempt to chase down the target and the openers had the best partnership of the innings with 30 runs off the first three overs. Trent Johnston and Tim Murtagh got a brief taste of the medicine that the Ireland batsmen had dished out but once George Dockrell held a catch on the boundary off Murtagh the slide began. The two spinners Dockrell and Stirling operated in tandem and choked the life out of the USA innings taking 5 for 44 between them in their eight overs. Stirling, who got two wickets in his first over, finished with 3 for 25 while Dockrell ended with 2 for 19. John Mooney got his first bowl of the tournament and took 2 for 18, while Max Sorensen finished with 2 for 24.
Although there were a couple of slips in the field and one catchable chance grassed, the Ireland fielders held everything else with Alex Cusack taking two magnificent diving catches on the boundary. George Dockrell has become something of a magnet in the field as he added three more catches to his tally today giving him seven for the tournament already after just four games.
Qualification for next year’s finals in Bangladesh is now very much in Ireland’s hands. The complex format of this competition means that only the group winners are ensured of getting to Bangladesh with the others four places determined by a series of cross over matches. Ireland will be keen to avoid these and Phil Simmons will no doubt be insisting that there is no let-up in the intensity of Ireland’s performance.
This mission continues tomorrow against Italy at 6am Irish time.
Main image: Kevin O'Brien by ©2013 IDI/Getty Images
