Ire-Zim

wicorthered

Beaten by 2 wickets!! Went down to the last ball, Kevin O Brien bowled a full toss that Rainsford hit for six. O Brien is an absolute liability, Rainsford had an ODI average of 4 going out to bat. That 6 was the first of his career and O Brien's pathetic bowling has let down all his teammates. Why he opens the bowling I'll never know!!! The wonderful all-rounder also hit a majestic 2 off 19 deliveries!!!!

Mothman

wicorthered wrote: »

O Brien's pathetic bowling has let down all his teammates.

Nothing to do that they were bowled out without batting out 50 overs...
Nothing to do with Porterfield missing the stumps when either batsman could have been run out...

I think a sense of perspective is needed and the team shouldn't have got themselves in a position where Zimbabwe were still in it at the last ball.

djimi

Yes, lets disregard the fact that he has been one of our more consistant performers in recent years and call him a liability based on one ball of one match... :rolleyes:

Get a grip.

wicorthered

I'm not calling him a liability based on one ball, against the better teams his bowling is consistently found wanting.

Batting wise he's OK and warrants a place in the side but his bowling is very poor. No way should he be opening the bowling, his economy rate is too high. He can produce decent figures against the likes of Scotland and Canada but time and time again goes around the park against the better teams.

If he bowled as well as the rest of the attack today we would have won!!!!

riffmongous

I think they were hoping he would take the wickets rather than contain them, as his economy rate is pretty high but he does seem to have a knack for getting a wicket at a good time.

It was disappointing in the end but the zimbabwe innings was great to follow on the text commentary, it was really swinging back and forth for the entire 50 overs, I thought in the end we would get the same result as in the world cup!

I wouldn't fault the bowlers at all, when you look at the batting scorecard the bowlers did very well to get it to go to the last ball, we only had one good partnership and Ray Price didn't even play, and worst of all we only batted for 47.3 overs, it would have made a huge difference if we could have batted the 50 and get another handful of runs

djimi

wicorthered wrote: »

If he bowled as well as the rest of the attack today we would have won!!!!

If Dockrell had taken 5 instead of 3 or Wilson had scored 75 instead of 69 we also might have won; conversely if Kevin hadnt taken a wicket with the first ball of their innings then Masakadza could have scored a 60 ball century and we could have lost before the last over.

A game of cricket is won or lost over 100 overs by all 11 players on a team. Picking on one player seems ridiculous, especially considering he is generally one of our more steady players.

Corsendonk

Dockrell made a Duck again didnt he? He may want to improve his batting too at Somerset if he hopes to progress further.

randomer

wicorthered wrote: »

Beaten by 2 wickets!! Went down to the last ball, Kevin O Brien bowled a full toss that Rainsford hit for six. O Brien is an absolute liability, Rainsford had an ODI average of 4 going out to bat. That 6 was the first of his career and O Brien's pathetic bowling has let down all his teammates. Why he opens the bowling I'll never know!!! The wonderful all-rounder also hit a majestic 2 off 19 deliveries!!!!

Do you actually play cricket?

Kevin attempted to bowl a yorker and got it slightly wrong. The margin for error is quite small. In the previous over, Trent Johnson bowled a full toss to Chigumbura and got him out. Kevin bowled at the death, in the batting powerplay, and things didn't go his way. Not really fair to call him a liability. Are you aware that Kevin O'Brien has been shortlisted for the associate player of the year award?

Corsendonk wrote: »

Dockrell made a Duck again didnt he? He may want to improve his batting too at Somerset if he hopes to progress further.

George took 3 for 27 in ten overs against a test nation. He was batting at number 11 and went into bat with three and a half overs to go and is unlikely to make a huge impact in that short amount of time. Can we focus on the positives???

djimi

Corsendonk wrote: »

Dockrell made a Duck again didnt he? He may want to improve his batting too at Somerset if he hopes to progress further.

Okay now Im convinced youre just trolling.

Edit: sorry just realised youre not the OP. Dockrell is not in the team for his batting. Im pretty sure noone ever told Glenn McGrath, Curtley Ambrose, Angus Fraiser etc that they needed to improve their batting to progress further... Id love to see Dockrell score some runs with the bat, but if he continues to improve as he has done then Id also be quite content with him as a genuine number 11 who takes consistant wickets. Everything about George Dockrell suggests he is going to be one hell of a player, and none of that is based on his batting.

crackit

It's not O'Briens fault we lost. Not by a long stretch so to blame him is wrong. However, I will add that I think leaving him to bowl the last over was silly. He is a bit of a golden arm as someone mentioned here but i wouldn't let him anywhere near a situation like he was put in defending 6 runs off the last over.

As for the Dockrell comment?!???:eek:

Dockrell is going to be a world class player. He's already a top associate player and he's only a kid with little experience. I couldn't give a monkeys if he goes out holding the bat upside down. As long as he keeps throwing it up and giving it a rip then he's more than holding his own and justifying his place.

The biggest pity of it all is that we'll lose him to england as soon as he spends enough time at Somerset.

djimi

crackit wrote: »

It's not O'Briens fault we lost. Not by a long stretch so to blame him is wrong. However, I will add that I think leaving him to bowl the last over was silly. He is a bit of a golden arm as someone mentioned here but i wouldn't let him anywhere near a situation like he was put in defending 6 runs off the last over.

As for the Dockrell comment?!???:eek:

Dockrell is going to be a world class player. He's already a top associate player and he's only a kid with little experience. I couldn't give a monkeys if he goes out holding the bat upside down. As long as he keeps throwing it up and giving it a rip then he's more than holding his own and justifying his place.

The biggest pity of it all is that we'll lose him to england as soon as he spends enough time at Somerset.

A lot can happen in 4 years. Ill not be holding my breath, but you never know... :pac:

Corsendonk

djimi wrote: »

Okay now Im convinced youre just trolling.

Edit: sorry just realised youre not the OP. Dockrell is not in the team for his batting. Im pretty sure noone ever told Glenn McGrath, Curtley Ambrose, Angus Fraiser etc that they needed to improve their batting to progress further... Id love to see Dockrell score some runs with the bat, but if he continues to improve as he has done then Id also be quite content with him as a genuine number 11 who takes consistant wickets. Everything about George Dockrell suggests he is going to be one hell of a player, and none of that is based on his batting.

It actually wasn't a troll but a statement on his future development, some seem to fear that he will get picked as a regular by England but I don't think that will happen if his batting average doesn't improve.

Not many spinners in strong international sides get picked as the number 11 as your examples above point out. If he hopes to play test cricket his batting will have to improve to the standard of other spinners like Swann and Rashid.

djimi

Sorry about the troll comment; I thought you were the OP when I read it first.

Monty cant bat or field and he has played 39 tests and taken 126 test wickets. Phil Tufnell was one of the worst batsmen I have ever seen. Maybe the greatest spinner of them all, Murali, was a nailed on number 11.

Generally speaking I agree with you; Id like to see a spinner be able to bat a bit, but Dockrell is only just turned 18 so there is plenty of time for him to develop his batting, plus if he develops into the kind of bowler that it looks like he might become then he may not need to bat! His fielding doesnt seem bad from what I have seen of him either.

HonalD

wicorthered wrote: »

I'm not calling him a liability based on one ball, against the better teams his bowling is consistently found wanting.

Batting wise he's OK and warrants a place in the side but his bowling is very poor. No way should he be opening the bowling, his economy rate is too high. He can produce decent figures against the likes of Scotland and Canada but time and time again goes around the park against the better teams.

If he bowled as well as the rest of the attack today we would have won!!!!

Dose of reality required - we get spanked around the park against test nations - in general. We can compete against them when all 11 are firing on all cylinders and there are no passengers. You cannot blame one person for the defeat - ever!

Not sure if you meant to offend but Kevin O'Brien owes us nothing, he gives 100% every time.....

p.s. My name isn't Niall

Cremated

Well Kevin shows us what he can do , 73 not out and Ireland get 238/9,

38 runs more than last time, this is going to be a good game ,

p.s well done Kevin, some big 6's in that knock...

djimi

Good to see Kevin "Liability" O'Brien having a good game :rolleyes: An important knock of 73 when it looked like we were going struggle to get up to 200, and 1 for 13 from 5 overs with the ball so far.

Should be a good finish to this game. Were doing a good job keeping the run rate down but I feel well need to take reasonably consistant wickets throughout.

riffmongous

I didn't want to bring this up before but it seems that Rainsford definitely was run-out off the 2nd last ball, they looked at Irish video evidence afterwards.. but whats done is done, time to focus on today.

Looks like Sean Williams is in their side today after his 170 in the IC game, I think we are going to have to get him out rather quickly to have a chance, 42-1, come on Ireland!

riffmongous

77-2, Taibu and Taylor together now

riffmongous

161-5, Zim were just cruising but now we are right back in it, especially if we get Chigumbra quickly

crackit

we're back in it alright! O'Brien shows off his golden arm again nailing Ervine his first over back (even if it was a bit expensive)

I'd hope they don't leave him to bowl the death overs again though. Looks like Doc has bowled well again today. At least we're comepting hard

Mothman

crackit wrote: »

we're back in it alright! O'Brien shows off his golden arm again nailing Ervine his first over back (even if it was a bit expensive)

Edit oops text I was reading was wrong,
Mooney got Coventry, not O'Brien

crackit

Going to be close again. What I can't understand, and I'm not having a go at either lad, is why we keep persisting with bowling O'Brien and Mooney in containment situations. Both lads have the knack of taking wickets but are relatively expensive in doing so. That's fine in the middle overs but when its down inside the last ten with the rate less than a run a ball it doesn't make sense to me to go with them.

Hopefully the nip another couple out and we win but I just don't think the risk/reward stacks up enough

riffmongous

There goes Utseya,194-7 now, lets hope the extra 30 runs make the difference.

I thought we were very ordinary today when Taylor and Taibu were together, we were giving away 5 singles every over and not creating any chances

crackit

ah nuts I forgot about the powerplay. looks like we're done for

riffmongous

crackit wrote: »

ah nuts I forgot about the powerplay. looks like we're done for

Thnik positively, lets hope they get bowled going for the slog:D

Renno

KOB back! Either to lose the match again, or to complete a brilliant MoM performance

crackit

I feel sorry for him. He's not the type of bowler that should be put in this situation.

riffmongous

Exactly, its the captains fault. Where is that wicket??

riffmongous

Damn, 20 runs short again, very disappointing final few overs, didn't come close to taking a wicket

Cremated

Where is Rankin?, I think he would make a big difference...

TheDrog

Rankin is injured, reoccurance of the stress fracture he had last year

Cremated

Ah that's a shame, hopefully rest it up and get back fit for the World Cup, and the training in India ...

riffmongous

The big problem is our top order batting, 22/4 in the first game and 107/6 today, we can't be constantly relying on the lower order to set competitive scores. We have some good batsmen who can get a good score on their day but too many times we've been reliant on one or two getting a good score and the rest nothing and then its up to Trent and Mooney to make the partnerships

Cremated

Well I know it's not in time for the 3rd ODI but with Joyce and Marshall coming into the team, that really should put some strength in the top order and middle order,

I imagine Joyce will fit in between 1/2/3 and Marshall at 5 after Niall O'Brien, or something like that,


oh and some others news, Porterfield has signed for Surrey, a step in the right direction I think, but will they open with Porterfield now?, there is a good squad there, Hamilton-Brown, Davies, Ramprakash, and he will now join up with Wilson ...

Mothman

Last ODI about to start, batting first again

Mothman

Struggling again
115/4 25 overs, porterfield still in 44no and I think 250-260 is possible if he goes on to a big score.

Went from 30/0 to 40/3 then K O'Brien smashed a few boundaries before powerplay was finished and then was contained and seem to struggle there after.

EDIT, 115/5 Wilson gone
Porterfield running out of partners

Mothman

244 all out in last over. A competitve total but could turn out to be 10-15 short.
Mooney contributing with an almost a run a ball 55

Mothman

Best possible start, first over from O'Brien a wicket maiden!
Zim 1/1 after 2 overs

Mothman

3/2!!!
A wicket in each over will do nicely
K O'Brien again...both LBW

riffmongous

Can we finally win one?? Top order batting disappointing again but great knocks from Mooney and White. Come Kevin get one more this spell!!

riffmongous

73-3 now, after a partnership of 70 in 95 balls, we are really struggling to create any sort of pressure in the middle overs, its just single after single

Mothman

2 wickets in 2 overs
back in it!
117-5 26ov

riffmongous

117-5 now, Zim just throwing their wickets away, reverse sweep,pull shot straight to the fielder

Edit: sorry Mothman, you got in just before me:D

Mothman

155/6 33 overs Zimbabwe up with the rate but losing wickets....

riffmongous

157-7, Cremer gone for a duck

Cremated

Chigumbura gone now, and that should be it,

pity the run out in the first game wasn't given, it could have given the series to Ireland ...

riffmongous

I think the win here will be enough to keep us ahead in the rankings, which will probably be more important in the long run. Its a real shame this isn't on tv though, then we would have won the first match and seen some very exciting cricket

riffmongous

Rainsford gone now, 171-9

crackit

About time and well deserved. We we're very unfortunate to lose the first game by all accounts and we went close again in the 2nd game despite a low total. Nice to see us get the job done (almost as it stands) this time around.

Nice to see Doc taking wickets and bowling well again too. Great team performance all round

riffmongous

217/9, 28 needed from 2o, Mazakadza on 40 from 45

riffmongous

O'Brien on to bowl..