CRICKET WORLD CUP:IT WAS fitting in some ways that the gavel came down on Ireland's outside chances of making the quarter-finals of the World Cup from the High Court End of this magnificent ground last night as South Africa's Dale Steyn took the wicket of George Dockrell to bowl Ireland out for 141 to complete a comprehensive 131-run defeat.
A harsh result on the night but the verdict when the dust settles on this campaign will deem Ireland far and away the most impressive of the Associate nations, something they can rubber-stamp by signing off with a victory over the Netherlands in their final Group B game here on Friday.
After JP Duminy’s fine knock of 99 helped South Africa post 272 for seven, having been put in, they backed it up with a quality bowling display as Ireland failed to cope with both the raw pace of Steyn and Morne Morkel and their combination of spinners.
Ireland captain William Porterfield admitted they while they were not fazed by chasing 273, an inability to build partnerships proved their downfall.
“We weren’t too distraught at half-time, we just kept losing wickets out there,” said Porterfield. “Obviously South Africa came out and bowled well but we’re slightly disappointed the way we ended this match in terms of the importance of it and especially after restricting South Africa after bowling and fielding pretty well.”
Gary Wilson was the only Ireland batsman to score over 20, the Surrey right-hander making 31, including a fifth-wicket partnership of 41 with Kevin O’Brien, the best of the innings.
They both fell to left-arm spinner Robin Peterson (three for 32) in the space of three balls in the 22nd over to leave Ireland on 92 for six after Morkel (three for 33) had inflicted the damage up front, dismissing Porterfield and Paul Stirling to catches in the slips. With Jacques Kallis chipping in with two for 20, it was all over for Ireland with more than 16 overs left to be bowled.
Ireland had the better news to start the day when Trent Johnston was passed fit to play and he took the place of Andre Botha, who was ruled out with food poisoning.
South Africa were missing the world’s second-ranked ODI batsman in AB de Villiers with a thigh injury, but their strength in depth is shown in the fact they also possess the number one in Hashim Amla.
After a couple of quiet overs the right-hander opened the shoulders with a four and a six off Boyd Rankin, but in looking to clear the ropes yet again with an upper cut he only found the hands of Dockrell, who held on to a blinding catch diving to his left at third man.
Morne van Wyk survived dropped chances from Kevin O’Brien and Stirling on four and 23, but Ireland made up for the mistakes with some scintillating ground fielding.
John Mooney swooped from midwicket to run out an out-of-sorts Graeme Smith for seven before Dockrell ended Van Wyk’s belligerent stay when he bowled him for 42.
Then Ireland really sniffed a chance to bowl South Africa out for under 200 when Porterfield brilliantly picked up and threw towards the stumps for Niall O’Brien to run out Jacques Kallis for 19 to leave South Africa on 95 for four in the 21st over.
The spin pairing of Dockrell (one for 37) and Stirling (one for 45) were keeping the Proteas in check, with Stirling picking up the wicket of Faf du Plessis to leave them on 117 for five.
South Africa were going to require all of their considerable batting resources to rebuild and in the safe hands of Duminy and Colin Ingram they did just that.
The pair put on a vital 87 for the sixth wicket before Ingram went four short of his half-century when bowled by Johnston, but Duminy ploughed on and looked set to score his third ODI hundred until he skied John Mooney into the hands of a diving Kevin O’Brien on 99 in the final over.
So Ireland suffer their first big defeat of the tournament, but Porterfield is confident his side are ready to give it one more push for Friday’s clash against the Dutch.
“There will no problem lifting ourselves for the last game, it is obviously disappointing being out of the tournament, we knew today was our final in terms of keeping our hopes alive for the quarter-finals,” he said.
“It is still a World Cup match, we are playing at Eden Gardens and it will be the first game we have gone into as favourites.”
With England put away in such memorable fashion, it has been now dubbed as the European Championship decider.
Certainly has a nice ring to it.
Scoreboard
Ireland v South Africa
at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
South Africa Innings
H Amla c Dockrell b Rankin 18
G Smith run out 7
M van Wyk b Dockrell 42
J Kallis run out 19
J Duminy c KJ O’Brien b J F Mooney 99
F du Plessis c Johnston b Stirling 11
C Ingram b Johnston 46
J Botha not out 21
R Peterson not out 0
Extras(b2 lb3 w4) 9
Total(for 7 wkts; 50 overs) 272
Fall: 1-24 2-52 3-84 4-95 5-117 6-204 7-269 Did Not Bat: DW Steyn, M Morkel.
Bowling: Rankin 10-0-59-1, Johnston 10-0-76-1, J Mooney 8-0-36-1, Dockrell 10-0-37-1, Stirling 10-0-45-1, Cusack 2-0-14-0.
Ireland Innings
W Porterfield c Smith b M Morkel 6
P Stirling c Kallis b M Morkel 10
E Joyce lbw b J Botha 12
N O’Brien c van Wyk b Kallis 10
G Wilson lbw b Peterson 31
K O’Brien c Amla b Peterson 19
A Cusack c Smith b Peterson 7
J Mooney c van Wyk b Kallis 14
DT Johnston c van Wyk b Duminy 12
G Dockrell c van Wyk b M Morkel 16
W Rankin not out 0
Extras(w4) 4
Total(33.2 overs) 141
Fall: 1-8 2-19 3-35 4-51 5-92 6-92 7-107 8-123 9-137
Bowling: Steyn 4-1-13-0, Morkel 5.2-0-33-3, Kallis 6-1-20-2, J Botha 8-0-32-1, Peterson 8-0-32-3, Duminy 2-0-11-1.
South Africa beat Ireland by 131 runs
