Balbirnie World Cup-bound after his century stuns Kiwis
ANDREW BALBIRNIE booked his place in Ireland’s World Cup squad with a sensational maiden century as Ireland beat a strong New Zealand A side yesterday in Dubai.
The Pembroke batsman hit 129, from just 96 balls with 21 fours and two sixes, as Ireland passed the Kiwis’ 252 with six overs and four wickets to spare.
Balbirnie’s previous best score in an official Ireland match was just 38 but he passed that in 23 balls with his first maximum of the day, to follow nine fours, six of them from successive balls in consecutive overs. His 50 came up in 37 balls and his 100 in 70, with 17 fours and two sixes.
Before the three-match ODI series against Scotland at Malahide in September, Balbirnie was not even sure of being chosen for the World Cup acclimatisation tour to Australia and New Zealand. But he ended up as the side’s leading scorer on that disappointing (results-wise) trip and yesterday’s chanceless century will have inked in his name for a return Down Under early next year.
He was not even certain of his place in yesterday’s side until it was decided to give Paul Stirling’s back another couple of days’ rest. Balbirnie’s Middlesex colleague is fit to bat but it was decided that 50 overs in the field would have been too much at this stage of his recovery.
He may play in the second game between the teams tomorrow, which starts at 6am Irish time.
Max Sorensen and Peter Chase were the other notable absentees yesterday from the 16-man squad as Craig Young (2-52) and Graeme McCarter (1-42) shared the new ball, the latter bowling better than his figures suggest. Pick of the bowlers was Kevin O’Brien (4-39) who broke the 102-run opening stand between Martin Guptill and Anton Devcich and also took the next three wickets in a spell of 18 balls for just six runs.
After captain William Porterfield (2) was bowled in the seventh over, Balbirnie and Niall O’Brien (68) put on 133 in 103 balls and by the time Balbirnie’s innings ended, caught at mid-wicket, Ireland were just 22 runs from victory.