Windies face Ireland tomorrow morning for Quarterfinal spot

Mar 10, 2011 Sports

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As the Irish hunt another upset win

By Sean Devers

West Indies face Ireland from 05:00hrs tomorrow (Guyana time) in India and a win for the Caribbean side will assure them a place in the Quarterfinals of the 2011 Cricket World Cup in which the top four teams from the two zones will advance.
India (7) and England (5) are the only teams in Group ‘B’ with more points than the West Indies (4). But both teams have both played a match more than the Caribbean side who are just ahead of South Africa on net run rate although both teams have 4 points from three matches.
Bangladesh (2 from 3 matches) Ireland (2 from 3 matches) and Netherlands (0 from 4 matches) are the other teams in the group.
After their seven-wicket loss to South Africa despite a magnificent 73 from Daren Bravo the West Indies, winners of the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979, disposed of the Netherlands by 215 runs. Chris Gayle made 80 and Keiron Pollard a 27-ball 60 while Kemar Roach grabbed 6-27.
Ranked higher than them at the time on the ICC’s ODI rankings, the West Indies decimated Bangladesh by nine wickets. They dismissed the opposition for 58 in 18.5 overs, the lowest ever World Cup total by a full ICC member as Sulieman Benn grabbed four wickets and Skipper Daren Sammy and Roach took three each in a clinical performance which evoked plenty of anger among the 30,000 home crowd.
In the inaugural World Cup in 1975, the West Indies played unbeaten in five games including the final against Australia while four years later they again played unbeaten before defeating England in the final.
Aiming for a third consecutive World Cup in 1983, the West Indies rebounded from a surprise first round loss to India to advance to the finals where India produced one of sports biggest upsets as the West Indies suffered only their second World Cup defeat in 17 matches.
In those days (West Indies also reached the 1996 semi-finals) a victory against Bangladesh would have been considered a warm-up for bigger things but for a team desperate to re-claim the highs of the 1980s, their last win provides an important confidence booster for the Daren Sammy led team, especially since the Skipper, struggling for form, was also among the wickets.
After the South Africa match, the fixtures in the West Indies group favour the Caribbean side, whose last multinational tournament victory was in the 2004 Champions League in England.
Successive games against Associate teams Netherlands, minnows Bangladesh and Ireland means that a win today will reduce the necessity of winning against favorites India and England in their last two games to make it to the next round.
The Clive Lloyd World Cup teams would have beaten Ireland in their sleep and today the Caribbean team is also expected to win. But it is an important game
against an opponent known as the ‘Giant killers’ at the World Cup.
Four years ago in the West Indies, Ireland began with a sensational tie against Zimbabwe and then beat Pakistan by three wickets in an unforgettable upset win in Jamaica.
Their three-wicket against England in this World Cup has reminded opponents of their ability to surprise as Kevin O’Brian smashed a pugnacious 63-ball 113 and Alex Cusack supported with 47. Ireland successfully chased down a 300 plus total.
Ireland Coach, former West Indies batsman Phill Simmons is quietly confident about his team’s chances of victory tomorrow.
“We have 12-13 professionals now, in 2007 we had three. The experience is also there because we played in 54 games in 2010. That is the big plus this time.” Simmons said.
Simmons believes that Ireland’s successes in recent years means that the West Indies will not underestimate his side going into Friday’s game.
“We are no longer seen as a surprise package, so none of the games will be easy. They will be a little bit cautious and they realise we play proper cricket. We are hitting right areas when we bowl and playing good shots when we bat. So there will be no complacency from them. They will play us as if they are playing Australia, so we have to prepare for that,” the Trinidadian opined.
When India beat Ireland by 5 wickets, William Potterfield showed his class with 75 and Niall O’Brian contributed 46 as the Irish made 207. Tomorrow the two, along with Kevin O’Brian, former England player Ed Boyce and Paul Sterling, who scored an accomplished fifty when West Indies played Ireland in Jamaica last year, could threaten the thin West Indies bowling attack.
The towering Boyd Rankin and Trent Johnson should share the new ball but the biggest worry for the West Indies could be 18-year-old-left-arm spinner George Dockrell who made his ODI debut in Jamaica last year.
Despite their emphatic win in their last game Devon Smith was the only West Indian dismissed and opening with veteran Shiv Chanderpaul who is not the fastest scorer in International cricket is an option.
Daren Bravo has oozed class in his short International career and along with Gayle are the only West Indians with over 100 runs in this World Cup.
Net run rate plays a big factor in this competition and Ramnaresh Sarwan who scored a century against Ireland in the Caribbean last year will also need to continue his good form since his return to the side and Pollard show consistency.
While Ireland lost to Bangladesh by 27 runs chasing 205 and start tomorrow with a win and two defeats, the West Indies have two wins including the massive one against Bangladesh but they will be keen to confirm their qualification tomorrow since they have England and India to finish off the group stage.
“I would not say that,” Sammy said when he was asked if they have suddenly become contenders for the title after their last match. “We know what we came here to do, we need to focus on each game, and only that game. So we have Ireland next, we are focusing on Ireland. Not the quarter-finals, not India, not England. Just Ireland. We are taking it step by step.” Sammy said ahead of Tomorrow’s contest. Despite their recent patchy form the West Indies have won 37 and lost 22 of their 60 World Cup game since their first one against Sri Lanka 36 years ago.
But although Ireland has only played 12 World Cup matches and lost eight, two of their three victories have been against the ‘big boys’ (Pakistan and England) and for a team mainly depending on Roach and Benn with the ball, the West Indies must make today count.

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