Ireland, Led by Kevin O’Brien, win 2010 ICC WCL Division One; Defeat Scotland by 6 Wickets
Ireland continued their unbeaten run in the ICC World Cricket League Division One, and won the final by beating Scotland convincingly by 6 wickets (with 31 balls remaining) at VRA Ground, Amstelveen.
Ireland posses a number of good seam bowlers, and once again decided to bowl first after winning the toss. Scotland, though, started with a brilliant opening stand.
Fraser Watts and Preston Mommsen took on the Irish attack; there was swing in the pitch in the early overs, but the openers made sure that they kept wickets in hand.
Ireland bowlers attacked the Scott openers and continued to bowl the off stump line, with 3 slips in place, but Watts and Mommsen continued to resist the temptation of going for risky shots on the off side, and made the bowlers come straighter. As soon as the ball was in their arc, the openers took full use of the true bounce in the pitch.
Watts was looking in good touch, and his cover drives were flowing; after the first 5 over period of caution, Watts and Mommsen started using the long handle to good effect.
The Irish bowlers looked short on options once the shine of the new ball was gone. Mommsen started coming down the track as soon as the off-spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/George-Dockrell-c59135 was introduced into the attack. Mommsen smashed him for a long six over midwicket.
The opening stand was finally broken in the 31st over, with the score at 141, when Mommsen was caught behind off O’Brien; he scored 80 runs from 107 balls, with 7 fours and a six. The Scotland innings took a nose dive after the opening stand, as there was no contribution from the middle order. The next 6 batsmen did not even manage to get into double figures (this included 3 ducks: Richie http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Berrington-c47840 in the 33rd over, Moneeb Iqbal in the 38th over, and wicketkeeper Dougie Lockhart n the 39th over.)
After the fall of the 7th wicket (Matthew http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Scotland-c756, from 141 for no loss, had slumped to 169 for 7 by the 41st over.
Drummond and Watts added 57 runs for the 8th wicket; Drummond was dismissed after scoring 30 runs off 26 balls, while Watts fell 2 runs short of his hundred, caught by Andrew White off the bowling of Nigel Jones.
Scotland was all out for 232 in the 49th over, with a run-rate of 4.75 runs per over.
In reply, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Balbirnie-c44286 for just 6 runs. He was run out by Matthew Parker while going for a quick single.
Next man in was Alex Cusack, but he could not open his account and was clean bowled by Richie Berrington on the 2nd ball of the 11th over. But Kevin O’Brien was in next, and he calmed down things in the middle order.
Stirling was sent back after scoring 32 runs from 38 balls with 3 fours and a six; he was bowled by Drummond.
Andrew White then joined O’Brien, and the two put up a match-winning stand for the 4th wicket.
Kevin, who has been a consistent performer for his country, one again batted with great responsibility, and did not hold back whenever a loose ball came his way.
White, at the other end, complimented his partner, and continued to thrash the ball through the off side. Scotland, who might have thought they had a chance of overturning the best team in the tournament, were pushed back by this strong partnership by Kevin and White.
The partnership almost took Ireland to victory; the stand was broken at 211 when White was dismissed for 79 from 87 balls with 11 fours. O’Brien, though, carried on at the other end and got good support from John Mooney at the other end.
Ireland got home with 31 balls to spare and 6 wickets in hand; Kevin O’Brien remained unbeaten 2 short of his hundred and was also named man of the match.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Cooper-c51561 was declared player of the series.
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