series vs UAE and Afghanistan

VillaMad · 18-01-2021 1:10pm

Some performance by Simi Singh. I thought 228 was well below-par at halfway.

KevIRL · 18-01-2021 1:12pm

112 run win in the end after getting UAE all out for 116.

deise300 · 18-01-2021 1:47pm

Great all round performance from Simi. Bowling improved massively once we started taking pace of the ball. Even KOB got in on the action (his first ODI bowl since July 2019!)

Young and McCarthy are still a bit too inconsistent. Campher has been a real find, looks like he has an excellent temperament for batting and keeps things very tight with the ball.

In a way it was good that the top 3 all got out early, gave the youthful middle order plenty of time at the crease.

The squad will be feeling much better about themselves after the display in the first game. Couples of questions ahead of forward to the Afghan series:

Does Adair come back in? If he does I would assume it would be for Young or McCarthy; Singh and Campher will keep their spots and surely we'll need McBrine as the pitches start the slow.

Do we keep Delany at 8? I get his role to provide some power down the order but should he be higher?

Could there be an inclusion for Josh Little?

Looking forward to Thursday!

Mysterypunter · 18-01-2021 2:38pm

Just saw the result 10-4-10-5 Stands out, good stuff, 228 was a good score after 10/3

KevIRL · 20-01-2021 2:12pm

The 3 ODI series against Afghanistan starts tomorrow, start times for the three games have been pushed out slightly to 10am local (6am GMT). Very important as World Super League (and by extension WC qualifying) points are at stake. To have any hope of qualifying you would have to think at a minimum a series win is required

BOHtox · 20-01-2021 7:32pm

10am must be slightly easier for players in terms of waking up and carb loading.

A bit of a disaster for me as I'm on PST so it means I catch 30 fewer mins before I go to bed. I just about caught our entire first innings against UAE in the last ODI. Don't think I'll see half of this as I presume the pace might be a bit slower as Rohan Mustafa won't be powering through overs either

KevIRL · 21-01-2021 7:55am

Afghanistan won the toss and are batting. 21/0 after 5 overs

minitrue · 21-01-2021 9:01am

118-0 after 21

Debutant Gurbaz dropped on 19 when he gloved a short one, I think Tucker got a bit caught in the hands up or down decision and made the wrong choice. And as I'm about to hit post Ahmadi slog-sweeps one to straight at the Singh on the rope at mid-wicket who just comes in a couple of yards and takes it diving forward. 120-1 off 22 and Stirling on for a bowl now.

minitrue · 21-01-2021 9:16am

Rahmat didn't last long, sweeping McBrine around the corner to a perfectly placed McCarhty at slightly backwards square leg on the single. 139-2 off 26 (146-2 off 27)

The pitch is tiny with the ropes miles in (commentary seemed to think 62m-64m all around) ... though nearly all the 6s would have cleared the rope if it was back but it does encourage going for it.

Hodors Appletart · 21-01-2021 9:19am

another one

146/3

minitrue · 21-01-2021 9:21am

Make that 3 down with Ashgar gone, tiny flick of the glove maybe saved him from lbw but KOB was in at leg "gully" to take the catch! 146-3 off 27.1

Gurbaz still there on 89 (off 95) and now Nabi is in.

minitrue · 21-01-2021 9:26am

All 3 so far for McBrine and all 3 caught. There has been quite a bit of turn so who knows what we might be able to chase against Khan & co

KOB having a bowl now, kinda surprised Balbirnie didn't turn to Delany or even himself (McBrine, Singh and Stirling have bowled 18 so far).

Hodors Appletart · 21-01-2021 9:28am

minitrue · 21-01-2021 9:29am

Make that 4 for McBrine as another one (Nabi) flicks it to KOB at leg-slip (I still want to call it gully but it's somewhere between the 2). 152-4 off 29.3

Hodors Appletart · 21-01-2021 9:38am

5!

wow

fivefor

minitrue · 21-01-2021 9:39am

Make that 5 for McBrine! Another one (Naib) for KOB at leg-slip/gully! McBrine finishes up his 10 overs with 5-29 and Afghanistan on 161-5 off 32. Gurbaz 94 off 105, 2 off his last 11 balls, nervous 90s on debut.

Oh yeah ... don't believe the https://www.freesports.tv/ site about their player when it says UK only, if you sign up leaving the country as UK (there's no other option) and stick in any old postcode (well I put in something that looks like an eircode) it does work for this here in the Republic (well for me anyway). With CI saying it's the way to watch I'm sure it's just their site is braindead and this is not "dodgy".

Hodors Appletart · 21-01-2021 9:47am

yeah I'm watching away on the Freesports website, working fine

minitrue · 21-01-2021 9:51am

100 for Gurbaz off 115 having brought up the first 50 in 38 balls! 168-5 off 35 and drinks

Hodors Appletart · 21-01-2021 10:05am

minitrue · 21-01-2021 10:07am

Nearly another as Najib skies at attempt at a straight drive but McCarthy can't quite get there (or maybe couldn't judge it). Meanwhile Gurbaz is back to blasting some 6s when he already had the most on debut! He's on 9*6s now out of his 127 (off 126) and boom, caught on the mid-wicket rope by Singh off Delany from a long-hop! 2nd highest ever score on ODI debut behind Desmond Hayes (148)! 198-6 off 38

Hodors Appletart · 21-01-2021 10:24am

minitrue · 21-01-2021 10:25am

Singh's turn to get in on the act with the ball while also taking another catch! 208-7 off 41.3 but it's Khan coming in to bat now which is a bloody handy #9 to have coming in here ...

KevIRL · 21-01-2021 10:47am

Should have run out Rashid a few overs ago, looking like it will be a costly miss

KevIRL · 21-01-2021 10:59am

KevIRL wrote: »

Should have run out Rashid a few overs ago, looking like it will be a costly miss

Dropped now

minitrue · 21-01-2021 11:07am

Rashid still there but Najibullah finally gone (29 off 43) ct Young b McCarthy as he can't time a wide slower ball bouncer. Rashid has done some damage already though, 256-8 off 48 now and with the way this pitch has turned you can't be optimistic about us chasing this even with the small boundaries.

And Rashid "just" gets one over a flying Tector on the rope at cow thanks to the wind having turned down a single off the last ball of the last over. And then a zany looking helicopter like shot just beats the fingertips of a diving Balbirnie at cover and back for 2 to stay on strike. And off the last ball of the over Tucker can't hold on to a flashing edge off Rashid, 267-8 off 49 with Rashid on strike. Possibly harsh wide against McCarthy and then a 6 from a length ball in the slot, then one over cow to bring up his 50 off 27 (5 6s out of the 17 in the innings with only 13 4s)! 280-8 with 4 balls to go, sigh. Square drive for 4 and finally a legside yorker with Rashid giving himself space gets a dot (turned down a single tbh). Full toss, hit to square leg, looks for 2 and Singh fires it in and Tucker whips the bails off on the half volley with him not even in shot. Number 11 gets himself one ball and hooks it into space and this time the throw from Singh isn't quite as good and he makes it in for the 2nd to leave them 287-9 and a monster chase on our hands!

minitrue · 21-01-2021 11:21am

I think they were on 217 and Rashid on 5 when we messed up the run out! Got to think that was a 50 run mistake and probably killed off our chances.

The boundary is tiny though so we've a few people who could do a lot of quick damage but I suspect it's going to be close to impossible to play Rashid on this pitch.

fergiesfav · 21-01-2021 11:23am

66 runs off the last 5 overs. A consistent theme with this Irish team. I don't know how many times I've seen them get themselves into a good position only to be slogged out of the game.

The fast bowler don't seem to have any clue of how to bowl to when the pressure is on. It's looks to me like the just serve up slow bouncers praying for a miscue and a catch in the deep.

You'd have to question the coaching, it's the same rubbish every game. It's like they don't work on death bowling and just hope for the best.

fergiesfav · 21-01-2021 11:26am

Also doesn't help having a keeper that can't keep! Seems every game there's a dropped catch or missed run out with Tucker. It's not like he's scoring the runs tho make up for it either!

fergiesfav · 21-01-2021 11:54am

KOB is working out well as an opener!!!! Ridiculous decision to have him opening. There's seems determination to have 2 Stirling's opening the innings. Thats all well and good in theory, but your a lot more likely to be 10/1 after 4 overs then 44/0 like they hope!:mad:

Ford is a relic in today's cricket, we need shot of him ASAP.

McCollum should be opening with Stirling, with KOB coming in at 5.

KevIRL · 21-01-2021 2:52pm

Not getting Rashid run out that time really costing us now.

series vs UAE and Afghanistan

Comments