Both on Friday and yesterday there were supposed to matches at Lauderhill, Florida. Both were abandoned without a ball bowled, rain on Friday and poor drainage yesterday leaving the ground unplayable. Today we finally have a game and it looks like it will be played without interruption.
AN UNEXPECTED FINALE
When the schedulers arranged Ireland v Pakistan they would have been envisaging it being to decide which of this teams qualified for the Super Eights alongside India. India have indeed won the group, but remarkably the other two full member nations in this group are battling not for qualification but to avoid last place in the group, each having suffered losses to lower ranked opposition – Pakistan losing to the USA (see here) and Ireland being beaten by Canada. There are three possible outcomes: an Ireland win sees them fourth and Pakistan fifth (net run rate is not a factor here, since third place Canada had definite results against both teams, and they beat Ireland so would finish above Ireland if they had equal points). A washout or a win for Pakistan would see them third, the washout on a split-tie with Canada who they beat, a win for Pakistan would mean undisputed third place.
THE MATCH SO FAR
Pakistan won the toss and decided to bowl first. The match started explosively with Shaheen Shah Afridi taking two wickets in the opening over (and being sufficiently close to a third that Pakistan burned a review attempting to get the not out decision overturned). Mohammad Amir made thar three wickets in the first two overs, and the fourth was not long delayed either. Pakistan kept these two bowlers going for the whole Power Play, and Ireland were 28-5 when it ended. That soon became 32-6. Finally Ireland had a partnership, Delany and Adair taking the score into the 70s. Imad Wasim got both them quickly , and when McCarthy’s wild shot against the same bowler resulted in his stumps being rattled it was 80-9. Ireland’s last pair, Josh Little and Ben White showed a degree of fight sadly missing from most of their supposed betters with the bat, and the 20 overs ended with the score 109-9, Little 22 not out. The Pakistan innings is just underway, with the score 6-0 after two overs, a straight driven four by Mohammad Rizwan the only highlight to date.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…
aspiblog 