WI - Ireland match abandoned; WI through to super 8

T20 WC match of today assumed undue importance as this was an eliminator – WI after scoring so much against Australia, lost the match partially due to rain when they fancied their chances of winning so much.

Today at  10.30pm, the match between West Indies and Ireland stands abandoned – with both the matches curtailed due to rain, WI could well have been sent back home by the monsoon weather.  Today the match was at  Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium named after Former Lankan President [earlier known as Khettarama Stadium], Colombo.

Today, when play was possible, WI placed themselves in an excellent position restricting Ireland to 129 for 6- Gayle took 2 wickets and celebrated them with calypso dance.  Darren Sammy won the toss and  and inserted Ireland, West Indies enjoyed the perfect start. Fidel Edwards struck with the first ball of the match, a swift, inswinging yorker that proved too much for the Ireland Captain. 

Funny are the rules, WI scored 192 and restricted Ireland to 129.  The record book would reveal : Australia 2 points; WI 1 point qualified with a better NRR than Ireland.  They conceded scored 83 in 9.1 [actually they scored 192] and conceded 100 in 9.1 – not to take cognizance of the 129 in 19 overs today……… they may not complain, as this has taken them over Ireland. 

Getting back to today’s match,  the Irish Captain William Porterfield is a veteran of 60 One dayers having scored 1752 runs with 5 centuries and 8 50s.  he has played 29 T20 Internationals making 475 runs with 56 as his highest.  If you can recall in the ICC WC 2011 in match no. 3121 on 6th Mar 2011 against India at Bangalore,  he top scored with 75.

Sri Lanka he would sure like to forget – not only his team got eliminated, he had the ignominy of not scoring a single run and not surviving the first ball.  Today he took strike to Fidel Edwards – the ball pitched up, swung back, went through the gate, via the toe of the boot and disturbed the stumps.  Porterfield out for a duck, failing to disturb the scorers.

Against Australia in their earlier match, the very first ball of the match, Shane Watson dropped it short, Porterfield hooked it, got a top edge and was taken in the long – out first ball without scoring. 

That is - William Thomas Stuart Porterfield, opening batsman and Ireland Captain.  Now he has been dismissed first ball 7 times – 5 in T20s and 2 in ODIs.

Australia and West Indies go to the next round from Group B, joining India, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and possibly -  New Zealand, Pakistan from Group D

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

24th Sept. 2012 @ 10.45 pm.  

Photos courtesy : www.cricinfo.com