The green party
IT IS a good job Ireland’s next group game is more than a week away because the West Indies will not have been the last thing downed in Nelson by the men in green last night.
The celebrations promised to be raucous and long, and few could blame them, because this latest chapter in Ireland’s World Cup story deserved marking.
It is not every day you get 305 for victory against one of the big boys and do so with no fewer than four wickets and 25 balls to spare.
Irish heroes were everywhere but Paul Stirling ( 92), Ed Joyce ( 84) and Niall O’Brien ( 79no) stood tallest in the run chase, holding their nerve brilliantly despite the mountain in front of them.
While the West Indies were at times disorganised, nothing must take away from what was a massive performance.
Skipper William Porterfi eld was adamant this was not an upset. He said: “I don’t see it as one. We came here to win and this is where we are at. We are looking to pick up two points in every game. We just have to continue this through the tournament. Belief has been growing within the squad for a long time. We know what we are capable of.”
Not only did their successful chase add another name to a World Cup hitlist that already includes Bangladesh and Pakistan in 2007 and England four years ago, it gave Porterfi eld’s men every chance of reaching the last eight, with Zimbabwe and UAE still to come.
It would be the most eloquent response to the argument raging about the next World Cup and how it is being pared back to 10 teams, a move that could potentially exclude Ireland.
Since the last World Cup, Ireland have been given just nine opportunities out of 26 against the Test- playing nations – a fi xture list clearly not refl ecting their talent.
In contrast, a West Indies side ravaged by dispute between players and board – Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo having been left out for their part in the embarrassing retreat from the India tour – looked vulnerable coming in and more so now.
They duly folded when Ireland applied pressure to a point where they were 87- 5 just before the halfway mark.
But it then looked as if Ireland let them off the hook, with Darren Sammy and Lendl Simmons adding 154 for the sixth wicket and 167 runs in the last 15 overs, pushing the score just north of 300.
If Ireland feared at that point that their chance had slipped, they did not show it. Setting out on their chase, Stirling, with Porterfi eld, then Joyce and fi nally O’Brien, were all solid as rocks.
Even a late wobble when Ireland lost three wickets in 17 balls when they still needed 14 was dealt with by O’Brien, who smacked two fours off Kemar Roach to put them within sight of the line.
For the West Indies, they face an assignment against Pakistan in Christchurch on Friday that suddenly looks fraught with danger.
SAMMY and John Mooney were both fi ned 30 per cent of their match fee for using offensive language during the match. Both men accepted their punishment. ARM IN ARM: Mooney, left, and O’Brien savour the victory