Cheered on by a capacity crowd, the Irish looked for much of the contest that they would yet again upset the world order by pulling off one of the greatest shocks in cricketing history.
This Irish side gave all they had in a lung bursting display of courage, tenacity and skill, a fact acknowledged by coach Phil Simmons afterwards: “I’m proud of my team and their efforts today. We’ve shown we don’t look out of place on the world stage. We gave it our all today and we couldn’t have done anymore. We’ve left nothing here.”
“The guys are a little down, but I’m sure they’ll be up again for the Pakistan game tomorrow at The Oval. They’ll be out for revenge after we beat them at the 2007 World Cup, so we’ll be on our guard for that. I want the team to finish the tournament on a high note – we came close to doing that today, but it wasn’t just enough.”
To the game itself, and the tone was set as early as the second ball of the first over, when Tillakaratne Dilshan, the outstanding batsman of the tournament so far, miscued an attempted hook, and Niall O’Brien took the easiest of catches. O’Brien was to the fore again, as he took a wonderful catch standing up to Trent Johnston, to dismiss Sangakkara (3), and Sri Lanka were wobbling at 14 for 2.
Johnston beat the bat of Mahela Jayawardene four times in the sixth over, and when Regan West conceded just two single in his first over, Ireland were well on top, having restricted Sri Lanka to 30 for 2 after seven. However 27 runs came in the next two overs, as Jayawardene settled and began to find the boundary with increasing regularity.
He and Sanath Jayasuriya (27), added 67 for the third wicket in 49 balls, before Kyle McCallan trapped Jayasuriya in front. McCallan also accounted for Chamara Silva for just four, safely pouched by the giant frame of Boyd Rankin at deep square leg.
Jayawardene continued to be the bane of the Irish attack, bringing up his fifty from just 33 balls, hitting five fours and the only six of the Sri Lankan innings, a swept maximum off Alex Cusack.
Cusack gained his revenge in truly emphatic style, as he took four wickets for 18 runs, reducing Sri Lanka from 126 for 4, to 144 for 9 in the space of 15 deliveries. It could have been even better had Kevin O’Brien been able to pull off a spectacular catch off the final ball of the innings.
Jayawardene’s 78 from 53 balls contained nine fours and a six, and was enough to win him the Man of the Match accolade.
In reply Ireland opened the batting with William Porterfield and Niall O’Brien, and the formula worked, as the pair batted with great composure, giving the Irish the perfect platform of 59 without loss after nine overs.
Niall O’Brien suffered a reoccurrence of his ankle injury when trying to regain his ground, and must be considered a major injury doubt for the Pakistan game. He was unable to call for a runner as he had brought the injury into the game, and there’s no doubt that it restricted his mobility, making it difficult for him to get down the track to the spinners.
Muralitharan had Porterfield caught behind for 31, made off 29 balls, and which included five boundaries, as the left-hander showed just why he is so highly rated by his county, Gloucestershire. Andrew White, promoted up the order, made 21 from 20 balls, including a six and a four off the bowling of Kulasekara in consecutive balls. The bowler had the last laugh however, as White mistimed a pull, and Sangakkara took the easiest of catches.
With 57 runs needed off six overs, the stage was perfectly set for the O’Brien brothers to take Ireland to victory. However, Ajantha Mendis had other ideas, dismissing both in the space of three deliveries, effectively ending the Irish challenge. Niall’s brave 31 came from 37 balls, and one wonders if he had been fully fit, would it have made the difference between glorious failure and another remarkable victory?
Lasith Malinga bowled Trent Johnston (9), and Andre Botha (0) with consecutive balls, but John Mooney’s enterprising 28 not out from 21 balls ensured the game went to the final over. 18 from Malinga was always going to be out of the equation, and so it proved, as nine were all the brave Irish side could manage, giving them a final total of 135 for 7 in their 20 overs.
Ireland were squeezed in the crucial middle overs, but against probably the best attack in world cricket, that’s no disgrace. Muralitharan (1-13), Malinga (2-19), and Mendis (2-22) all bowling well.
Ireland now face Pakistan at The Oval tomorrow (Monday), hoping to finish the tournament with a victory. That game gets under way at 1:30pm.
