Wilson was named Man of the Match for his vital knock of 80
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Ireland wicketkeeper-batsman Gary Wilson smashed 80 runs and all-rounder Kevin O’Brien made a quickfire 50 to help their side skirt past the United Arab Emirates by two wickets in Brisbane.
However, United Arab Emirates batsman Shaiman Anwar deserves a lot of credit as he became the first person from his country to score a World Cup century.
Ireland captain William Porterfield would have been pleased with his decision to bowl first since the United Arab Emirates continued to lose wickets at regular intervals until they found themselves struggling at 131/6.
Anwar and Amjad Javed stemmed the bleeding with a 107-run partnership, during which Anwar brought up his half-century, before Javed was caught by Ed Joyce at deep midwicket off the bowling of Max Sorensen for 42.
Anwar went on to score 106 off 83 balls, which included 10 boundaries and a six, before he was caught behind off the bowling of Sorensen.
Anwar celebrates after scoring his maiden ODI century
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Mohammad Naveed scored 13 runs before he was caught and bowled by Alex Cusack.
Thanks to Anwar, the United Arab Emirates finished on 278/9 off their 50 overs.
Sorensen, Cusack, Paul Stirling and O’Brien picked up two wickets apiece, while George Dockrell chipped in one.
Chasing 279 to win, Ireland got off to a poor start as Stirling was caught behind off the bowling of Manjula Guruge for three runs.
Porterfield and Joyce made up for the early loss of Stirling with a 68-run partnership before Joyce was caught behind off the bowling of Javed for 37.
Porterfield ended up making 37 as well before he was clean bowled by United Arab Emirates captain Mohammad Tauqir.
Niall O’Brien only mustered 17 runs before he was given out lbw off the bowling of Tauqir.
O’Brien reviewed the decision, but replays showed that the ball was pitching in line and going on to hit middle stump. This led to the third umpire upholding the original decision.
Wilson and Andy Balbirnie steadied the innings with a 74-run partnership before Balbirnie was caught by Saqlain Haider, who was the substitute fielder, at mid-off off the bowling of Naveed for 30.
Wilson and Kevin O’Brien kept the runs flowing with a 72-run partnership, during which both batsmen recorded their half-centuries, before O’Brien was caught by Naveed at extra cover off the bowling of Javed.
O’Brien’s blistering knock of 50 came off 25 balls and included eight boundaries and two sixes.
O’Brien hammered eight boundaries and two sixes during his innings of 50
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
John Mooney only made two runs before he was caught by Amjad Ali at short fine leg off the bowling of Javed.
Wilson went on to make 80 off 69 deliveries, which included nine boundaries, before he was caught by Javed at short third man off the bowling of Naveed.
With Ireland needing three runs to win off the last over with two wickets in hand, Cusack hit the first ball for a single. Dockrell finished things off on the second ball of the over as he lofted the ball over the covers for the two runs Ireland needed to win the match.
Javed was the most successful bowler with three wickets, while Naveed and Tauqir snapped up two wickets each and Guruge claimed one.
Tauqir was disappointed to have lost the match, and said: “Shaiman played a superb knock, to go from 130 for 6 to 280, the credit goes to him, brilliant innings. Both of them [him and Javed] played superbly. We know they are very good batsmen, especially Shaiman, coming lower down the order, and he proved it today. We bowled well up to 35 overs, and later on there was dew and the ball became wet, and it was a very good batting wicket and they batted well and it went to the wire.”
Porterfield was pleased with his side’s performance, and said: “Closer than we’d have wanted, but we’ll take a win any day of the week. It helped to have wickets in hand, especially when you have Gary Wilson and Kev coming in at the end. It was nice to get a win here, games will start coming thicker and faster, just have to keep up the performances.”
Wilson was named Man of the Match, and said: “I’ve batted a lot with Kev, both at the county and the international level, and we dovetailed well together. We want four wins, all we can do is take each game as it comes.”