Ireland v http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World Cricket League Championship (26th Match) – Match Recap – Ireland secure 59-run win
Aided by Alex Cusack’s 3-wicket haul and an unbeaten half-ton by Ed Joyce, Ireland managed to secure a 59-run win over Afghanistan in the 26th match of the ongoing ICC World Cricket League Championship, played on July 5 at the Clontarf Cricket
Club Ground in Dublin.
The victory granted Ireland 2 match points, bringing their total tally up to 13 and propelling them to the top spot on the World Cup 2015 qualifying table.
The match was initially delayed by a wet outfield, but went ahead after the decision was made to switch to the reserve pitch. Afghanistan won the toss, and chose to field first, with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shapoor-Zadran-c89730 getting his side off to a strong, aggressive start, and
ultimately finishing with 3 for 20.
Openers http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ed-Joyce-c1417 (67*) who followed remained the only batsman who managed to stick it out at the crease.
Niall O'Brien chipped in with a contribution of 6 runs, after which he was bowled by Gulbodin Naib, while wicketkeeper batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GC-Wilson-c1474 became Shapoor Zadran’s final victim, dismissed for 1 in the 12th over.
By this point, Ireland were at 33 for 4, but received some respite with the 5th wicket 47-run partnership between Kevin O'Brien (31) and Joyce. A bad call resulted in Kevin O'Brien being run out by Samiullah Shenwari in the 22nd over,
and the remaining batsmen were unable to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Adrian-Roger-Kirshaw-Pierson-c42135 it out at the crease.
Joyce’s painstaking efforts brought the team up to a respectable total of 163, but Shapoor Zadran’s three-for, in addition to two-wicket hauls by both Hamza Hotak and Dawlat Zadran, ensured that Ireland were all out by the 47th over.
However, Afghanistan were not able to maintain the same aggressive attitude when they stepped up to the bat, and Ireland’s http://www.senore.com/Cricket/George-Dockrell-c59135 (4-1-8-2) ensured that their opponents
never came within range of their 164-run target.
Skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Shahzad-c77324 (11) by the 6th over. Cusack was the next
to intervene and pick up two wickets – http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Asghar-Stanikzai-c1094 on duck, followed by Ahmadi in the 9th over.
Najibullah Zadran (23) remained the top scorer for his side, and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Samiullah-Shenwari-c2430 (19),Gulbodin Naib (19), and Dawlat Zadran (12) also chipped in with useful contributions. However, their efforts were not enough to withstand the Irish onslaught, and Afghanistan
were cut off at 104 –all out by the 34th over – granting http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ireland-c751 an comprehensive 59-run victory.
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