Ireland v USA T20 Match Report

Ireland achieved their record high score in Twenty20 Cricket yesterday as they opened with a marvellous 202 (for 4) against the United States of America.

William Porterfield won the toss and chose to bat first. He formed an excellent opening partnership with Niall O'Brien, scoring 83 for first wicket in 8.3 overs, and setting the pace early on. His replacement, Alex Cusack was just as good. Porterfield scored 45 and Cusack 46, but the real star of the innings was O'Brien, who looked destined for his first century at this level. He ended on 84 from 66 balls.

Kevin O'Brien scored three from three, but was once again too aggressive. Trent Johnston and Gary Wilson closed out the innings, scoring 12 and 5 respectively. Ireland ended with 202, a score of 10.10 runs per over.

The United States were always on the back foot and Ireland started amazingly with the ball, with their opponents 11 for 5 after 3.2 overs. Paul Connell and Trent Johnson were amazing, especially Connell with a record score of 4-14. Johnston took the other two wickets, ending with 2-17. The bowling throughout the team was much better than in the opener against Afghanistan, and each of the five bowlers stayed the duration.

American prospect Aditya Thyagarajan was amazing on his debut, but it wasn't to be his day, as the match was totally sewn up by his arrival. He scored a fantastic 72 not out, and is surely one to watch for the future. The player of the game, however, was Niall O'Brien with his astounding 84, which included twelve boundaries, two of which were sixes.

Scorecard:
http://www.cricinfo.com/2010iccwt20/engine/current/match/439502.html

U19 Player Ratings vs USA

Ireland won their third and final group game at the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand by five wickets thanks to fantastic batting from Paul Stirling and equally inspired bowling by Lee Nelson.

Andrew Balbirnie
Another disappointing batting spell from Ireland's under-19 captain, but his bowling was vastly improved against USA. Scored just three runs, but his 1-26 in 9 overs was very impressive, keeping the run rate down to help Ireland's required target.
Rating: 7

Stuart Thomspon
A decent stint at bat from SR Thompson, lasting an hour and scoring 27 runs. His bowling wasn't as strong, giving away 21 runs in just three overs.
Rating: 6

Paul Stirling
This is the performance we've been waiting for from Stirling. It was only a matter of time before he'd get his chance to shine in New Zealand. Took one wicket for 37 runs in 8 overs, but it was with the bat where he shone. Ireland's first century of the tournament, a remarkable 114 fom 104 balls.
Rating: 9

Ben Ackland
Not as good as previous outings, Ackland got just sixteen runs in 35 minutes, this was a decent score, but should do better against weak opposition. His catch on Sewdial was a highlight.
Rating: 6

Lee Nelson
A hugely disappointing inning with the bat, lasting just three balls and scoring no runs. However, his bowling was the complete opposite, as he finished off the American tail in style. Took three quick wickets in just seven balls, allowing a measly three runs. Phenomenal.
Rating: 8

Graham McDonnell
An excellent outing with the bat as McDonnell took it upon himself to ensure victory. Scored 35 runs not out, including one four and a stunning six. Forged a lovely partnership with Stirling, which gained Ireland their first victory.
Rating: 8

Stuart Poynter
Five runs from five balls in five minutes, SW Poynter had a nice short inning with the bat, but held his nerve when needed. His two catches (particularly for Saleem) were also essential to Ireland's victory.
Rating: 7

George Dockrell
Did not bat, but got the full ten overs with the ball. Allowed just 34 runs, taking one wicket. This was a decent outing from Dockrell, keeping the run rate down as well as taking out the threat of Sewdial.
Rating: 7

Adrian D'Arcy
Did not bat and did not bowl. it's hard to give D'Arcy any kind of rating, as he featured in no game-changing plays, and was not noticiable for the majority of the game.
Rating: 5

Jordan Coghlan
Bowled eight overs, and spent no time batting. Took no wickets, but allowed 44 runs. Will have to try to allow less runs in the next game against Zimbabwe.
Rating: 6

Craig Young
Obviously did not bat, but was very strong with the ball. Allowed too many runs: 50, but his three wickets in nine overs greatly helped the Irish attempt. His five wides is a cause for concern however.
Rating: 6

Match Report: Ireland Under-19s vs USA U-19s

Ireland played their last Group B game at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup last night against rivals USA, who had beaten the Irish youth side just a few weeks previous. This time, the men in green came out victorious, to finish third in Group B with 2 points.

USA won the toss and chose to bat first. They started well, with opener Steven Taylor scoring 57 before being bowled by a back-on-form Andrew Balbirnie, who bowled his best game of the tournament. Strong batting from Gregory Sewidal and Saqib Saleem put America in a comfortable position, but after Ryan Corns was run out on 31, the US charge was halted. Saleem hung on for a while longer, but no other American batsman made double figures. They were all out for 217 after 48.1 overs.

This was made possible by an inspirational seven balls from Lee Nelson, who took three wickets and allowed only three runs to finish up the match. Craig Young also took three wickets, with Balbirnie, George Dockrell, and Paul Stirling all picking up one a piece.

While Balbirnie may have been potent with the ball, his final outing of the tournament was yet another poor inning with the bat. He made just 3 runs in 29 minutes, and was bowled lbw by Ahmad. Stuart Thompson and Paul Stirling made a fine partnership, with Thompson making a fine 27 runs. Stirling however, was the out and out man of the match, lasting over two hours, facing 104 balls, scoring 12 fours and a six, and posting a wonderful score of 114 runs. His partnerships with Ackland and Nelson didn't last as long, with Ackland scoring 16 and Nelson out for a duck. Ryan Corns was to thank for both wickets, but it was not enough for USA. Graham McDonnell finished off the match with Stuart Poynter, making 40 runs between them, and hitting the required target with 6 overs left.

Ireland will now move onto the Plate competition to determine the best team who didn't make it out of the group stage. They will play Zimbabwe in the first round.