THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 Ireland see off UAE in World Cup thriller BRISBANE: Ireland held their nerve to beat the United Arab Emirates by two wickets with just four balls to spare at Brisbane’s Gabba Ground yesterday as they moved a step closer to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Set 279 for victory after Shaiman Anwar scored the UAE’s first World Cup hundred, Ireland were faltering at 97 for four and 171 for five in this Pool B clash. But Gary Wilson (80) and the big-hitting Kevin O’Brien, who made 50 off 24 balls, got them back on track with a sixth-wicket partner- SCOREBOARD ship of 72. However, both batsmen fell within sight of victory and it was left to George BRISBANE, Australia: Scoreboard in the World Cup Pool B match between Ireland and Dockrell (seven not out) and Brisbane-born Alex the United Arab Emirates at Brisbane’s Gabba ground yesterday: Cusack (five not out) to see Ireland to victory as UAE Ireland the two non-Test nations produced the most Amjad Ali c Sorensen b K O’Brien 45 W. Porterfield b Mohammad Tauqir 37 exciting game of the World Cup so far. Defeat A. Berenger c Porterfield b Stirling 13 P. Stirling c Patil b Guruge 3 was tough on the amateurs from the Middle K. Chandran c K O’Brien b Stirling 0 E. Joyce c Patil b Amjad Javed 37 East, who were in dire straits at 131 for six. Khurram Khan lbw b Dockrell 36 N. O’Brien lbw b Mohammad Tauqir 17 But Anwar (106) and Amjad Javed (42) hit S. Patil c Stirling b K O’Brien 2 A. Balbirnie c sub (Saqlain) b Naveed 30 back with a record-breaking stand of 107 which Shaiman Anwar c Wilson b Sorensen 106 G. Wilson c Javed b Naveed 80 took the UAE to 278 for nine. R. Mustafa c Wilson b Cusack 2 K. O’Brien c Naveed b Amjad Javed 50 Their partnership surpassed the previous Amjad Javed c Joyce b Sorensen 42 J. Mooney c Ali b Amjad Javed 2 World Cup best for the seventh wicket of 98 Mohammad Naveed c and b Cusack 13 A. Cusack not out 5 shared by the West Indies’ Ramnaresh Sarwan Mohammad Tauqir not out 2 G. Dockrell not out 7 and Ridley Jacobs against New Zealand at Port M. Guruje not out 0 Extras (b4, lb3, w2, nb2) 11 Elizabeth in 2003. Extras (b1, lb4, w11, nb1) 17 Total (8 wkts, 49.2 overs) 279 Javed had a fine all-round match, also taking Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 278 Did not bat: M Sorensen three for 60 with his deceptive medium pace Fall of wickets: 1-49 (Berenger), 2-53 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Stirling), 2-72 (Joyce), and holding a brilliant catch at short third man (Chandran), 3-73 (Ali), 4-78 (Patil), 5-125 3-94 (Porterfield), 4-97 (N that dismissed Wilson to give the UAE a late (Khurram), 6-131 (Mustafa), 7-238 O’Brien), 5-171 (Balbirnie), 6-243 (K chance of victory. Both Anwar, who made his (Javed), 8-269 (Anwar), 9-276 (Naveed) O’Brien), 7-259 (Mooney), 8-267 (Wilson) previous one-day international best of 67 in the Bowling: Mooney 6-0-32-0 (1nb, 2w); Bowling: Naveed 9.2-1-65-2 (1nb); UAE’s tournament-opening loss to Zimbabwe, Sorensen 10-0-60-2; Cusack 10-0-54-2 Guruge 7-0-21-1 (1w); Javed 10-0-60-3; and Javed seized on a succession of short balls (3w); Stirling 10-0-27-2 (1w); K O’Brien 7- Tauqir 9-0-38-2 (1nb); Mustafa 9-0-45-0; 0-61-2 (4w); Dockrell 7-0-39-1 (1w) Chandran 5-0-43-0 (1w) from Kevin O’Brien. Anwar’s three down to third Result: Ireland won by two wickets. man off O’Brien saw him to a hundred in 79 balls with 10 fours and a six. He was eventually out for 106, skying Max Sorensen to wicketkeeper Wilson, after scoring only the UAE’s second one- World Cup result and standings day international century following Khurram Khan’s 132 against Afghanistan last year. Javed Pool B was dismissed when well caught in the deep by At Brisbane Ed Joyce off Sorensen. UAE 278-9 (Shaiman Anwar 106) v Ireland 279-8 (Gary Wilson 80, Kevin O’Brien 50) The UAE had an early breakthrough with the Ireland won by two wickets ball when seamer Manjula Guruge struck with Played won lost tied N/R points run rate just his fourth ball of the tournament when Paul Pool A Stirling, who made 92 against the West Indies, New Zealand 3 3 0 0 0 6 +3.586 was caught behind for three. Joyce had two for- Australia 2 1 0 0 1 3 +2.220 tunate reprieves on his way to making 37, hav- Bangladesh 2 1 0 0 1 3 +2.100 ing his stumps hit by Javed but bails settle on 16 Sri Lanka 2 1 1 0 0 2 -0.861 England 3 1 2 0 0 2 -1.415 and then being dropped off his own bowling by Afghanistan 2 0 2 0 0 0 -1.175 UAE captain Mohammad Tauqir. However, Joyce BRISBANE: Ireland batsman George Dockrell celebrates after scoring the winning runs during Scotland 2 0 2 0 0 0 -2.740 couldn’t cash in, caught behind off Javed, and the 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool B match between Ireland and United Arab Emirates (UAE) at then Tauqir struck twice to reduce Ireland to 97 the Gabba. — AFP Pool B for four in the 26th over. struck the fastest World Cup century-took off the next ball. Wilson, with his first ODI fifty in India 2 2 0 0 0 4 +2.060 He bowled Ireland captain William Porterfield West Indies 3 2 1 0 0 4 +1.339 charge with a typically aggressive innings, more than a year, kept his cool until, with Ireland Ireland 2 2 0 0 0 4 +0.338 (37) as the batsman went to sweep and the spin- although the UAE were hampered by Guruge needing 13 to win, he was caught by Javed off South Africa 2 1 1 0 0 2 -0.680 ner then had Niall O’Brien (17) out lbw playing a (one for 21 off seven overs) being off the field Mohammad Naveed to end a 69-ball innings Zimbabwe 3 1 2 0 0 2 -0.827 similar shot. with cramp. After being dropped in the deep on including nine fours. But the UAE couldn’t take UAE 2 0 2 0 0 0 -0.175 The run-rate climbed to more than nine an 24, Kevin O’Brien powered his way to a 24-ball the two wickets they needed in the 15 balls left Pakistan 2 0 2 0 0 0 -2.260 over before Kevin O’Brien-who four years ago 50 with a straight six off Javed only to be caught as Ireland scrambled home.—AFP O’Brien fined for dissent BRISBANE: Kevin O’Brien has been fined his crease in exaggerated fashion long 30 percent of his match fee for disputing before he had bowled, with the medium- an umpire’s decision during Ireland’s pacer twice pulling out when about to thrilling World Cup win over the United deliver. Eventually, on-field umpires Arab Emirates in Brisbane yesterday. Michael Gough and Nigel Long inter- The all-rounder was found to have vened by speaking to both players, while breached the section of the International the same over saw Anwar become the Cricket Council’s code of conduct relating first UAE batsman to score a World Cup to “showing dissent at an umpire’s deci- hundred with a three off O’Brien. sion” when he bowled a wide in the 48th The UAE finished on 278 for nine, with over of the UAE innings, the governing O’Brien conceding an expensive 61 runs body announced after the match. in his seven overs. But he was almost ‘in And, according to a statement from credit’ by the end of the match after his the ICC, he then “continued to question 24-ball 50 helped revive Ireland’s innings the umpire’s decision until bowling the and added vital late impetus to a run- next ball”. O’Brien has admitted the chase that saw them win by two wickets offence and accepted the sanction pro- with four balls to spare. posed by match referee Ranjan Victory gave Ireland two wins from as Madugalle, meaning there was no need many Pool B matches after their four- for a formal hearing. wicket defeat of the West Indies, and The 48th over saw Shaiman Anwar maintained their bid for a place in the clearly annoy O’Brien by moving around quarter-finals. — AFP Afghanistan’s captain Nabi winning world admiration AUSTRALIA: No-one embodies the captivat- Scotland during the qualifying tournament for ing rise of Afghanistan cricket more than the 2011 World Cup. Mohammad Nabi, the captain and heartbeat Nabi was named man of the match after of a team that is winning the admiration of top scoring with 58 runs. Afghanistan won the BRISBANE: United Arab Emirates (UAE) batsman Shaiman Anwar celebrates after scoring his century during the 2015 Cricket World Cup Pool B everyone at the World Cup. match but did not qualify for the World Cup.