After all, there are fitness doubts about Trent Johnston, Andre Botha is coming back after injury and big Boyd Rankin hasn’t really clicked in this tournament. Hendy goes as far as to suggest Ireland should open with a spin bowler and as someone who has a leg in both camps, he’s very rational about the approach;
“Ireland have been excellent to date and they pose a big threat to the West Indies. Both teams are light in bowling at the highest level and this match will be probably be decided by the batsmen who perform best on the day. Ireland need their top players to click and they can’t depend on another whirlwind Kevin O’Brien performance, while the West Indies have a number of potential match winners who can destroy any attack. I fear for big Boyd Rankin if Chris Gayle gets after him, which is why I feel they should concentrate on spin rather than pace. Make the batsmen play shots and don’t give them easy runs.”
Hendy may have a point, but it looks like the West Indies will go the other way as the pitch is expected to be hard and bouncy so his fellow Barbadian Kemar Roach might be the biggest danger to Irish success.
Either way this is an intriguing encounter and the biggest match in the history of Irish cricket because so much is at stake. A win for either team would give them a great chance to make the quarter-finals and although the West Indies has a tremendous record in both test and ODI cricket, the sport in the Caribbean needs a big morale boost to woe back thousands of supporters who have discarded West Indies cricket in the past decade. They have suffered a lot watching the demise of their once invincible team, and many have drifted away from the sport following disappointment after disappointment. However, success in India might launch a new era.
Ireland on the other hand are moving into unknown territory and on an upward curve that could reap rich benefits if the team can pull off another shock victory. It is asking a lot to replicate the England performance, but the respect being given to the Irish team by their opponents shows how much our team has risen in cricket status. Veteran cricket commentator Tony Cozier is not the only one who remembers Sion Mills in 1969 and Stormont in 2004, and he feels the Irish have the ability to rise to the occasion. Let’s hope the ICC feels the same as the Associate Members’ cause rides on every performance by the minnows, and they each has done extremely well to date. That’s a point big Hendy also highlights;
“I hope the ICC give Ireland credit for that amazing win over England and they have a serious rethink about their future proposals. The Associate counties and Ireland in particular, have given this tournament a huge boost and another win by the Irish tomorrow would throw the formbook up into the air. The buzz is with Ireland at present, but that could change if the West Indies win as they would move into the quarter finals and more interest will be taken by the fans at home.”
It promises to be a classic either way and no harm to Hendy or Tony, but we need the win more than the West Indies. Associate members get nothing set on a plate and if they have to beat the big boys to show their worth then they are up for the challenge.
Good luck Phil, William, Roy and the boys in green.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
