IRELAND INNINGS 50th over: 243-7Andre Botha is the new man, and he's off the mark with a single to get the big-hitting DLS back on strike. Two balls left. DLS attempts an agricultural heave which he doesn't hit cleanly but it bisects the short fine leg and deep square leg fieldsmen for four. He and Botha then scramble a bye off the final ball.
49.3 overs: WICKET - Johnston c Nafees b Mortaza 30 - IRE 237-7Mortaza to bowl the last over. DLS gets Johnston on strike with a single, and he takes two off the second ball after some good running from DLS. Cap'n Bashar waves his arms around like an air traffic controller to move the field. Johnston then drives into the off-side where he's comfortably caught at cover.
49th over: WICKET - White run out (sub/Rahim) 4 - IRE 233-6As 10cc's "Dreadlock Holiday" (aka "I don't like cricket - I love it") blares out around the ground, Johnston chances his arm and hoists Shahadat over cow corner for six. White then pushes the ball into the on-side and calls for two, which was never there - and becomes the fourth run-out victim of the innings, without even any recourse to the third umpire. New batsman is Dave Langford-Smith (hereafter referred to DLS), promoted up the order to give it some tap.
48th over: WICKET - K O'Brien run out (sub/Rahim) 48 - IRE 223-5Mortaza's back with a full toss which O'Brien clubs back over his head. However, he turns for a second run, and the third umpire adjudges that he fails to make his ground at the striker's end. Another run-out! 48 off 44 balls for O'Brien Junior. Andrew White joins his skipper, who off-drives Mortaza for a handsome four.
47th over: 214-4Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar will have to turn to spin for at least one of the last four overs - and Abdur Razzak returns. It's good running from Johnston as he calls O'Brien for two and comfortably makes his ground at the striker's end just as Rahim demolishes the stumps. Five from the over.
46th over: 209-4Let's not forget - a win today and Ireland will receive an official ICC ODI ranking. O'Brien top-edges Shahadat over the wicket-keeper's head for four - and off the next ball, the Tigers finally hit the stumps when Ireland run a quick single but Johnston makes his ground. Ireland then bring up the 200 off 285 balls - with only eight fours and one six in that total. O'Brien then makes up for lost time by walloping one over long-on into the first few rows of the stand - and pinches the strike with a single off the last ball. Great over for Ireland.
45th over: 193-4Johnston strides down the wicket to the first ball of Rafique's final over but can only take a single. Off the next ball, while Rafique appeals for lbw against O'Brien, there is another run-out chance as Ahmed has a fairly comfortable chance to throw down the stumps at the non-striker's end. He misses - and they eventually take two. Maybe those suggested Paul Collingwood fielding drills (see earlier) might help the Tigers. Shahadat is warming up in the outfield for another bowl.
44th over: 186-4Better running from Ireland as they take a rapid two to deep cover but make their ground comfortably. A no-ball boosts the total, but another decent over from Mortaza. Six overs to go.
43rd over: 182-4O'Brien tried to cut loose but Rafique ties him down well and rattles through an over which costs only three runs, including a wide.
42nd over: WICKET - Porterfield c Rafique b Mortaza 85 - IRE 179-4Pace spearhead Mortaza returns to the attack - and makes an important breakthrough as Porterfield attemps a slightly unorthodox paddle to short fine leg where Rafique gives Razzak a lesson and comfortably takes the catch. In comes Cap'n Trent Johnston - there could be some fireworks here.
41st over: 176-3Rafique replaces Razzak after the punishment he took from O'Brien last over. Porterfield advances down the track to drive and Tamim Iqbal makes a good sprawling stop on the boundary to prevent a four. O'Brien then hoists Rafique to Razzak at cow corner - but another catch is put down, and the ball goes for four for good measure. Quite similar to Shahadat's miss in the 26th over - if you're fielding on the boundary, the ball shouldn't bounce through your hands and then only go for four. It means you're standing too far in!
40th over: 166-3As Hasan's little scampering run-up takes him into his last over, Porterfield seems happy to take the singles so O'Brien can attack. He wipes the sweat out of his eyes as six runs are taken from the over.
39th over: 160-3As if to prove my point from the previous over, Bangladesh gift Ireland a couple of extra runs with some overthrows from the first ball of the over. O'Brien goes down the wicket with the first boundary for a while, smashing Razzak back over his head for four. He then cuts into the off-side to bring up the 150. A great over for Ireland is completed as O'Brien hoists the final ball into the Garfield Sobers pavilion for six over long-on.
38th over: 145-3John Kenny on TMS thinks "Bangladesh have fielded well" - but surely if they had really fielded well, they might have had even more run-outs?
37th over: 140-3Razzak's back from the Joel Garner end, and a sharp throw from him back to the striker's end nearly runs Porterfield out. He's unbeaten on 74.
36th over: 137-3Hasan still spearing them in - and off the final ball, Ahmed's quick throw from backward point is a little wayward and O'Brien just escapes being the third run-out victim of the innings.
35th over: 133-3Major field changes as the younger O'Brien is the first right-hander of the innings. He wisely keeps a foot in his crease as Ahmed trots in, Kev plays and misses and Rahim whips off the bails. Kev and Porterfield (now on 70) add more singles while Ahmed helps the score along by bowling a wide.
34th over: WICKET - N O'Brien c sub (Reza) b Hasan 10 - IRE 128-3O'Brien reverse-sweeps to backward point where sub fielder Reza takes a low, but comfortable catch. O'Brien is furious with himself, and smashes his bat against the banister of the stairs up to the dressing-room as he stalks off. An impromptu drinks break is taken as the little blue drinks cart comes out, accompanied by some ground staff. O'Brien is replaced by his brother Kevin, and he and Porterfield see off the rest of the over safely.
33rd over 127-2:A break from the spin triumverate as Aftab Ahmed (the "Lesser-Seen-Bangladesh-Third-Seamer") comes on for some medium-pace trundlers. It makes little difference to proceedings as three more comfortable singles are taken.
32nd over: 124-2More singles, and a misfield in the deep allows Porterfield to run two off one delivery - he has 65 off 108 balls, and Ireland's current run rate is 3.88 runs per over. The cameraman repeatedly films a female Irish fan from a very low angle, for reasons best known to himself.
31st over: 118-2Still Rafique, and O'Brien forsakes his helmet for a dark blue cap as the spinners continue to rattle through their overs and Ireland take singles at will. No over-rate fines today, methinks.
30th over: 113-2Porterfield gets away with a sweep which lofts over the head of Aftab Ahmed at short fine leg - and then takes another quick single to the same fielder where a direct hit would surely have run out O'Brien. What is Porterfield doing, trying to run the rest of the team out? Is he somehow channeling Geoff Boycott? Six runs off the over.
29th over: 107-2After two run-outs, Porterfield and wicket-keeper O'Brien take no risks, working it around for singles while more fans pour through the turnstiles.
28th over: WICKET - Morgan run out (Shahadat/Rahim) 5 - IRE 101-2Porterfield takes two off the first ball, while the hundred is brought up with a scampered leg bye. Morgan then calls for two while chasing Shahadat's throw from the bounday - and despite a despairing dive, he is run out. The new man is yet another leftie, Niall O'Brien. The potential is here for more run-outs, considering O'Brien even managed to get involved in a run-out mix-up with his brother the other day. Reza is still on as a substitute fielder for hand injury victim Ashraful - will he (Ashraful) bat?
27th over: 97-1Porterfield reaches his fifty with a single off Rafique but is a little sheepish about celebrating it, having just run out his opening partner.
26th over: WICKET - Bray run out (Hasan) 31 - IRE 96-1Porterfield calls for a quick single which would have brought up his fifty. Bray, running to the danger end, fatally hesitates and is run out by bowler Hasan's throw without any reference to the third umpire being necessary. The new man is Middlesex's Eoin Morgan - he's nearly caught as he attempts an ambitious loft to leg from his second ball. The boundary fielder, Shahadat, is a few paces in from the rope - did he misjudge the flight? - but it bounces through his hands and over his head, bouncing once for four.
25th over: 91-0Another rapid over from Rafique. The repeated "Ireland push three or four singles against Bangladesh's left-arm spin" cut'n'paste could be used here.
24th over: 88-0More scampered runs added. Give these two credit, they're not afraid to dive headlong for the crease if there's any chance of them being run out. I really despair when I occasionally see batsmen (for other countries) at this level not even bothering to run their bats in - but no run-outs so far.
23rd over: 84-0Rafique has swapped ends. I fear that if I write a sentence saying "Ireland push three or four singles against Bangladesh's left-arm spin", I may be able to cut'n'paste it several times over the next few overs. Rafique has a big lbw shout against Bray as he comes across in front of his stumps, but Billy B is unmoved.
22nd over: 81-0Saqib Al Hasan (SLA #3) comes on as Rafique is withdrawn after just two overs. Ireland pass their "best ever opening stand" record, as there are already worn footmark patches forming at one end for the three left-arm tweakers to aim at.
21st over: 77-0A strange instance where umpire Bowden sticks his arm out horizontally to stop Razzak as Bray isn't ready. I don't think Bowden is happy with the way they keep moving the field. Just a couple more singles taken.
20th over: 75-0Bray and Porterfield add a few more inoffensive singles as Rafique tosses it up for his second over.
19th over: 71-0As there is a brief blip in the TMS radio coverage, another rapid over from Razzak sees just a couple of wides added to the score.
18th over: 69-0Mohammad Rafique (SLA #2) replaces Shahadat, and Bray clips him for an ill-judged two to deep square leg. Only a wild throw prevents him from being run out at the striker's end. Porterfield then has a life when Rafique then drops
17th over: 65-0Porterfield, still fluent off his legs, glances Razzak for two to fine leg. He then gives Razzak the charge and straight-drives for four. Considering Ireland's previous best opening stand in this tournament was only seven, this is a Jayasuriya-esque improvement!
16th over: 59-0Steve Bucknor smiles as he signals the third powerplay. Shahadat continues for his eighth over, and is still getting bounce as Bray slashes at a couple of rising deliveries which are taken by keeper Rahim. Bray also seems to have a habit of taking one hand off his bat as he completes a stroke (or a play and miss). However, he eventually dinks one over the off-side for his first boundary, and Shahadat responds by giving him some chin music off the final delivery.
15th over: 55-0Bray and Porterfield add a single apiece as Razzak rattles through his second over. A more substantial drinks break (that one after the 10th over was very rapid).
14th over: 53-0Fifty up for Ireland off just 86 balls - with Porterfield providing 35 of them. Shahadat is still getting some bounce, and Bray is hit on the hand with a high defensive stroke.
13th over: 49-0Mortaza's off - and it's Abdur Razzak, the first of the left-arm spin triumverate, into the attack. Bray finally reaches double figures with a three, and Porterfield looks fairly comfortable (touch wood) with a couple more singles.
12th over: 44-0Porterfield races on to 30 with a three to midwicket, while Bray is still languishing in single figures after adding just a single to his score.
11th over: 40-0A better over for Ireland as the first powerplay is taken - Bray's still not timing at well but Porterfield cracks the second boundary of the innings when he pulls a long-hop to leg.
10th over: 32-0Shahadat's getting some swing here, but another tame decision as drinks are taken. Can anyone get me a cold lemonade? The Kolpak ruling, of course, has meant that not just EU passport holders but those from countries with associate agreements with the EU - such as South Africa - can qualify as non-overseas players. Such as Yorkshire's controversial signing of SA's Jacques Rudolph.
9th over: 31-0Another no-ball from Mortaza, while Porterfield moves on to 20 with another edge past second slip. Bray looks slightly less comfortable.
8th over: 29-0 7th over: 24-0 6th over: 23-0 5th over: 23-0 4th over: 20-0 3rd over: 9-0Porterfield flicks another one off his legs (I have the feeling I may be saying that a lot early doors) for a single, and Bray, now in the heady heights of 2 not out, sees off the rest of the over. Multiple toy tigers in the stand - these have bandanas in Bangladesh colours.
2nd over: 8-0Shahadat Hossain gets his first taste of the World Cup - although the absence of left-armer Rasel means it's right-arm fast-medium from both ends against Ireland's left-handed top order. Bray gets the scoring under way with a flick off his legs for a scrambled single, and Porterfield carefully glances one off his legs for four. Bray then escapes another early shower when he nearly edges Shahadat onto his stumps.
1st over: 0-0
Mortaza takes the new ball, with two slips in, and he opens with a maiden to Porterfield. Doesn't Bray normally take the first ball?
Edited by anon - 18 years ago
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