Kevin O'Brien stunned England with the fastest hundred in World Cup history as Ireland secured their greatest victory with a monumental three-wicket triumph in Bangalore. O'Brien clubbed a magnificent 113 off 63 deliveries as Ireland earned the highest World Cup run-chase with four balls to spare. After he'd added a match-changing 162 with Alex Cusack, John Mooney joined him to play the innings of his life and help write another famous chapter in Irish sport.
When the partnership was broken with 55 still needed Ireland could have lost their way, especially when O'Brien couldn't get the strike back. However, after struggling to get the ball away Mooney suddenly started locating the boundary, firstly off the outside edge but then with two nerveless drives through the covers, each coming after England had strung together a few dot balls to build pressure. He was the dominant partner in the seven-wicket stand.
Still, though, there was a final twist when O'Brien was run out in the penultimate over. Trent Johnston, however, drove his first ball, a full toss from Stuart Broad, for four as the equation came down to below a run-a-ball for the first time in the entire chase. The final over started with just three needed and off the second ball Mooney clipped Anderson through midwicket to set off epic celebrations that will take over any available Bangalore bar tonight.
O'Brien's innings was breathtaking. He entered when Ed Joyce, seemingly Ireland's last chance of making the chase a contest, was stumped off Graeme Swann to leave their run-chase floundering at 106 for 4, which soon became 111 for 5 when Gary Wilson fell lbw. But O'Brien proceeded to tear the England attack apart. He showed power reminiscent of Kieron Pollard but with a calmer head and better technique, bringing up his hundred with a tuck for two into the leg side which led to a reveal of his the purple head-do as part of Ireland's charity fundraising campaign.
He showed his intent early when he thumped Swann through the covers second-ball and the tucked into the offspinner's ninth over with two sixes over midwicket which injected life into Ireland's innings. O'Brien was on 35 off 22 balls when Ireland took the batting Powerplay and it was during those five overs that the chance of the impossible became possible as 62 runs surged onto the total.
As happened against Ryan ten Doeschate's onslaught in their opening match against the Netherlands, England's bowlers started to lose the plot during another wayward, undisciplined display. Michael Yardy went for 16 as did James Anderson whom O'Brien pulled for a huge six to take him to a 30-ball fifty. Anderson's next over went for 17 including another leg-side pull and in between whiles, even the normally reliable Tim Bresnan was dispatched, including the finest shot of O'Brien's innings when he drove a six clean over cover.
Really, though, fielding restrictions meant nothing to O'Brien and he continued on his merry way with another huge blow over midwicket to take him into the 90s. Then the whole of Ireland held their breath as O'Brien's next attempt to clear the rope sent the ball high into the night sky where Andrew Strauss made a lot of ground but then couldn't hold on.
O'Brien needed support to play his incredible innings and Cusack's role can't be understated in the amazing scenes which unfolded. He was almost lost in O'Brien's slipstream but sensibly rotated the strike until, off his 49th ball, he joined the boundary hitting by launching Collingwood over midwicket then thumped Yardy straight down the ground. Even his dismissal, run-out from backward point, was for the team cause as he ensured O'Brien stayed at the crease. Although he wasn't quite there at the end he had written himself a permanent place in Irish folklore.
Full report to follow.
25 overs Ireland 113 for 5 (K O'Brien 4*, Cusack 2*) need 215 more runs to beat England 327 for 8
After a spirited start to their huge run chase Ireland began to fall away as Graeme Swann three wickets during a teasing spell to put England on track for a comfortable victory. James Anderson gained a confidence-boosting wicket with the first ball of the innings, but Paul Stirling play some meaty shots in an entertaining innings until Tim Bresnan struck then Swann made his mark as the asking rate climbed.
After two poor matches Anderson made the perfect start when William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, dragged the opening delivery into his stumps. However, the batsmen knew there was no point prodding around and Stirling hooked his fifth ball from Stuart Broad for six. Broad was taken for three more boundaries by Stirling, as his open three-over spell cost 24, and he also talked Andrew Strauss into wasting a review when an lbw shout against Ed Joyce clear pitched outside leg stump.
Strauss rung the changes in the first 10 overs, including an early over for Michael Yardy, but it was the reliable Bresnan who broke a threatening stand of 62 when Stirling tried to launch another shot over the leg side and picked out Kevin Pietersen. Bresnan should have had a second when Joyce, on 21, top edged a pull but Matt Prior spilled a simple chance one ball after another chance had brushed Anderson's finger tips as he dived forward at midwicket.
Bresnan's first four overs cost 15 but he strayed in his fifth as Niall O'Brien collected two boundaries to keep Ireland in touch with the run rate. However, at the other end they were finding it tougher to score off Swann and the pressure could have told with a wicket but Anderson allowed O'Brien's lofted drive to burst through his hands for six.
Paul Collingwood was introduced as England's other pace-off option and his cutters were tricky to force away with O'Brien resorting to a variety of sweeps and paddles to try and score. He was clearly conscious of the rising run rate and heaved across the line at Swann without making contact. Collingwood grassed a tough return chance offered by Gary Wilson, but it wasn't long before the next wicket as Swann spun a beauty past the advancing Joyce to end Ireland's slim chance and Wilson became Swann's third when he missed a sweep.
50 overs England 327 for 8 (Trott 92, Bell 81, Pietersen 59, Mooney 4-63) v Ireland
Led by Jonathan Trott's 92, England's top order continued its productive form as they posted a hefty 327 for 8 against Ireland in Bangalore. Trott, who equalled the record for reaching 1000 ODI runs in fewest innings by matching the 21 taken by Viv Richards and Kevin Pietersen, added 167 for the third wicket with Ian Bell as the Irish attack struggled to stem the scoring rate on a flat surface although late wickets restricted the onslaught.
Andrew Strauss and Pietersen laid a strong platform by adding 91 for the first wicket although both played poor shots when much bigger scores were on offer. Pietersen's reverse sweep off Paul Stirling was especially disappointing after a brisk 59 but Trott isn't a man to forgo such run-scoring opportunities so wastefully. The third-wicket stand finished as England's third best in World Cups, nestled behind the Strauss-Bell alliance from three days ago, and Trott was set for his fourth ODI hundred until missing a booming drive against John Mooney who ended with four wickets.
For the first time in the tournament England needed to set a target after Strauss decided to bat first and Pietersen made his intent clear with three early boundaries off Boyd Rankin. Strauss had a nervous moment as a top edge looped over George Dockrell at fine leg for six, but having hit such heights against India with his 158 it wasn't surprising that his early strokeplay lacked the clarity of that innings. However, with Pietersen in such commanding touch it was the captain's turn to let someone else lead the way.
Ireland were hampered by the absence of the steady Andre Botha who took 3 for 32 against Bangladesh and struggled to maintain control. In the build-up to the match William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, hinted he may open the bowling with Dockrell's left-arm spin but it wasn't until the 12th over that the 18-year-old appeared. Pietersen was quickly down the pitch and flicked him through midwicket to bring up fifty from 40 balls and it was all very easy for England.
Perhaps it was too easy, because both openers played needless shots when there was a chance of copious boot-filling. Strauss walked across his stumps to try and manufacture a shot through fine leg and Pietersen, having crunched another six over midwicket off Mooney, top-edged a reverse sweep in Stirling's first over who became an unexpected weapon with his offspin.
Pietersen has never been a batsman to shine when opposition or conditions haven't tested him but he'd thrown away the ideal chance for his first ODI century since 2008. England, though, continued to move along at a healthy rate as Trott started brightly. He slotted consecutive boundaries off Mooney then started to work the ball around neatly as he settled alongside Bell.
Ireland nearly separated them by a run out when Trott was late to react to Bell's call for a second to deep square and if the throw had gone straight to the bowler's end, rather than the keeper first, Trott would have been found short. But it was their only alarm as they milked an unthreatening attack where batsman error was the main form of dismissal.
Stirling did a good job in controlling the run rate but Bell cut loose when he skipped down the pitch and lofted Dockrell over long off. Trott, meanwhile, moved along in typically unobtrusive style and went to his fifty off 55 balls. When he reached 64 he notched 1000 ODI runs and joined the exclusive club alongside Richards and Pietersen.
Bell's was a lovely, easy, innings as he built with smart placement and deft touches to tick off his fifty from 61 balls. The batting Powerplay, which derailed England's chase against India, was taken at the start of the 38th over and this time it proved more profitable with 45 runs coming, but were also aided by some loose deliveries with both Alex Cusack and Dockrell spearing five wides down the leg side.
Dockrell didn't quite live up to the hype with his 10 overs costing 68 and coupled with another expensive display from Rankin it made for a tough day, while some fumbling ground fielding didn't help Ireland's cause. Bell fell to the final ball of the fielding restrictions when he was well caught at midwicket off Mooney, who continued to do a valuable job for his team by removing Trott.
The innings didn't quite finish in the convincing manner that England would have wanted as Matt Prior was bowled by Johnston's slower ball and Paul Collingwood picked out long-on three balls after clearing the same man. Johnston became the first Ireland bowler to take 50 ODI wickets when another slower delivery did for Michael Yardy and the final five overs only brought 33 runs. But while 338 wasn't enough for India three days ago England will expect to defend this with room to spare.
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