One of the advantages smaller teams participating in world cup is that they know all their major opponents who in turn don't have much idea about them. Resultant? one upset is easy but when expectations mount, inexperience starts to show and that's exactly what happened with Ireland today as they fell to 131 run defeat at the hands of South Africa. It's no mystry that Ireland are a team on the rise and certainly have a future but having beaten England, cricket fans around the world demand performance from them everytime they take field now and today just wasn't their day..
Electing to bowl first, Irish side dropped could of easy catches which cost them dearly as despite taking first four wickets for less than a hundred on board and Francois du Plessis departed at 117th run, Ireland allowed JP Duminy and young Collin Ingram to put together a match winning 87 run partnership for the 6th wicket. Duminy, in perticular, played a wonderful innings in which he found gaps at ease and guided Ingram as he took his team past 250 run mark.
Chasing the target, Ireland had no answers to Proteas pace attack of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. Captain William Porterfield in second over, Paul Stirling by the 4th over and Niall O'Brien in 9th ~ start was horrible and then spinners spelled their magic. Robin Petersen, having spent good part of his career without selectors faith, is certainly enjoying himself in this world cup as he bowled very well and claimed 3 wickets.
This win now puts South Africa in quarterfinals.
| South Africa innings (invited in to bat) |
| Batsman |
Runs |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
| Hashim Amla |
c Dockrell |
b Rankin |
18 |
17 |
1 |
1 |
| Graeme Smith |
run out |
(Mooney) |
7 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
| Morne van Wyk |
|
b Dockrell |
42 |
41 |
7 |
1 |
| Jacques Kallis |
run our |
(Porterfield) |
19 |
31 |
3 |
0 |
| JP Duminy |
c K O'Brien |
b Mooney |
99 |
103 |
6 |
1 |
| Francois du Plessis |
c Johnston |
b Mooney |
11 |
19 |
0 |
0 |
| Colin Ingram |
|
b Johnston |
46 |
43 |
7 |
0 |
| Johan Botha |
not out |
|
21 |
28 |
1 |
0 |
| Robin Petersen |
not out |
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Morne Morkel |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dale Steyn |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Extras (9) |
byes=2, lbyes=3, wides=4, noballs=0 |
|
|
|
|
| Total = 272 for 7 wickets from 50 overs. |
| Bowlers :- |
Overs |
Mdns |
Runs |
Wickets |
Extras |
| Boyd Rankin |
10 |
0 |
59 |
1 |
1 wide |
| Trent Johnston |
10 |
0 |
76 |
1 |
1 wide |
| John Mooney |
8 |
0 |
36 |
1 |
|
| George Dockrell |
10 |
0 |
37 |
1 |
|
| Paul Stirling |
10 |
0 |
45 |
1 |
1 wide |
| Alex Cusack |
2 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
1 wide |
| Ireland innings (target = 273 from 50 overs) |
| Batsman |
Runs |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
| William Porterfield |
c Smith |
b Morkel |
6 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
| Paul Stirling |
c Kallis |
b Morkel |
10 |
11 |
2 |
0 |
| Ed Joyce |
lbw |
b Botha |
12 |
24 |
2 |
0 |
| Niall O'Brien |
c van Wyk |
b Kallis |
10 |
16 |
0 |
1 |
| Gary Wilson |
lbw |
b Petersen |
31 |
48 |
4 |
1 |
| Kevin O'Brien |
c Amla |
b Petersen |
19 |
23 |
2 |
0 |
| Alex Cusack |
c Smith |
b Petersen |
7 |
11 |
1 |
0 |
| John Mooney |
c van Wyk |
b Kallis |
14 |
28 |
1 |
0 |
| Trent Johnston |
c van Wyk |
b Duminy |
12 |
16 |
0 |
1 |
| George Dockrell |
c van Wyk |
b Morkel |
16 |
12 |
3 |
0 |
| Boyd Rankin |
not out |
|
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Extras (4) |
byes=0, lbyes=0, wides=4, noballs=0 |
|
|
|
|
| Total = 141 all out in 33.2 overs.. lost by 131 runs. |
| Bowlers :- |
Overs |
Mdns |
Runs |
Wickets |
Extras |
| Dale Steyn |
4 |
1 |
13 |
0 |
|
| Morne Morkel |
5.2 |
0 |
33 |
3 |
2 wides |
| Jacques Kallis |
6 |
0 |
20 |
2 |
|
| Johan Botha |
8 |
0 |
32 |
1 |
1 wide |
| Robin Petersen |
8 |
0 |
32 |
3 |
|
| JP Duminy |
2 |
0 |
11 |
1 |
|
