Sada-e-Watan
Sydney ™
sadaewatan@gmail.com
Pakistan vs Ireland, ICC World Cup 2015, Pool B, Match 42, Adelaide
Ireland 10/237 Pakistan 3/241
Sarfraz Ahmed, the Man of the Match against Ireland
ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Pakistan defeat Ireland by seven wickets, reaches quarter-final
ADELAIDE: Pakistan buried the
much talked about Irish ghost – the upset loss to this same opponent in 2007
World Cup – to rest with a clinical seven-wicket win over Ireland in Adelaide
on Sunday to take their deserved place in the World Cup quarterfinals. The
Green shirts will now face Australia at Adelaide on March 20.
Having
lost the toss with Ireland batting first in a plan to target Pakistan’s
weakness against the chase, the green shirts bowled with purpose to bowl out
the dangerous opponents for 237 in 50 overs, despite the Irish skipper William
Porterfield’s fighting 107.
Sarfraz Ahmed then became the first
Pakistani batsman to notch a hundred in a World Cup game since their crashing
out of the 2007 edition as Pakistan chased down the target in 46.1 overs for
their fourth straight win in Group B.
Pakistan finished third in their
group with eight points, equal with South Africa but a better net run-rate
placed the Proteas a spot ahead of them on the table.
With this 42nd and
last group stage match the quarter-finals lineup was finalized.
Sri
Lanka will face South Africa in the first quarterfinal in Sydney on March 18.
Defending champions India take on Bangladesh in Melbourne on March 19 while
Pakistan stay on in Adelaide to take on co-hosts Australia on March 20 while
New Zealand lock horns with the West Indies in the fourth and last quarterfinal
in Wellington on March 21.
Pakistan’s bowling effort was quite
significant as Ireland were cruising along well with the score at 188-5 in 40
overs but as soon as they lost centurion William Porterfield, their innings
fell apart, with Pakistani pacers taking six wickets for 55 runs.
Ireland had looked to Kevin O’Brien to give the innings the much needed impetus
but Pakistan did not allow the hard-hitting batsman to take strike as he
managed just eight off 16 balls.
Left-handed Porterfield hit 11
boundaries and a six to boost Ireland’s total after four wickets had fallen for
134 runs by the 30th over.
But none of the other top five managed to
reach 20 on a slow pitch and wicket-keeper Gary Wilson was the next highest
scorer with 29 before the Irish lost their final wicket off the last ball of
the innings.
Left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz took three wickets for 54 runs,
with Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali chipping in with two apiece. The trio took the
responsibility upon themselves in the absence of pace spearhead Mohammad Irfan
– ruled out of the game with a hip injury.
Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq was all
praise for the team effort.
“It was a pressure game,” said Misbah after
the win. “We wouldn’t even have this sort of pressure in the quarterfinal. The
credit must go to the bowlers because it was a slow track and they generated
appreciable pace to restrict Ireland to 237.”
Pakistan then handled the
tricky chase with aplomb and calm. Ahmed Shehzad hit an aggressive 71-ball 63
with seven boundaries while Sarfraz rotated the strike with consummate ease,
frustrating the Irish bowlers.
Misbah showed delight at Sarfraz’s
hundred.
“I am happy the way Sarfraz got this hundred and showed that he
can go on and score a hundred,” said Misbah, confident of Pakistan’s good
showing against title favourites Australia.
“We have got the momentum
going and our bowling is doing very well. We have quite a few batsmen who can
deliver and on the day, we can do anything and surprise anyone,” said
Misbah.
Haris Sohail was run out for three but then Misbah and Sarfraz
added an invaluable 82 for the third wicket before Misbah (39) was dismissed
hit wicket.
Umar Akmal knocked four boundaries in his 20, his fourth off
Paul Stirling sealing the win.
Pakistan seamer Ehsan Adil, who replaced
the injured Mohammad Irfan for the key match, found early success in his second
over when he had Paul Stirling leg before for three.
Ed Joyce, who hit a
century against Zimbabwe earlier in the tournament, fell for just 11 when a
top-edge off Wahab was well-caught by Umar Akmal close to the wicket.
Akmal then snatched a sharp chance at short cover to dismiss Niall O’Brien for
12 before Andrew Balbirnie fell to left-arm spinner Haris Sohail for 18 to open
up the lower order.
Porterfield batted till the 39th over, when he
mistimed an on-drive off Sohail as Shahid Afridi took a low diving catch
running in from the edge of the circle.
Pakistan made two changes from
the side that upset South Africa, bringing in right-arm seamer Adil and
all-rounder Haris in place of the injured Irfan and senior Younis
Khan.
PM Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Congratulates Pak Cricket Team
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz
Sharif has congratulated the Pakistan cricket team on winning today’s important
match which secured their position in Quarter Finals.
He lauded the
all-round performance of the team and particularly felicitated Sarfraz on
making first century for the country in this ICC World Cup.
Wishing the
team best of luck in coming fixtures he asked the boys to gear up efforts and
perform their best in a disciplined manner.
Pakistan
Team: Sarfraz Ahmed,
Ahmed Shehzad, Haris Sohail, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal,
Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil.
Ireland Team: William Porterfield (capt), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O'Brien, Andy Balbirnie, Kevin O'Brien, Gary Wilson, Stuart Thompson, John Mooney, George Dockrell, Alex Cusack.
WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINALS
Wed 18 Mar: South
Africa vs Sri Lanka, Sydney.
Thu 19 Mar: India vs Bangladesh, Melbourne.
Fri 20 Mar: Australia vs Pakistan, Adelaide.
Sat 21 Mar: New Zealand vs West
Indies, Wellington.
