Ireland tour to UAE

Cricket fan

So we've 4 ODI's vs Scotland (again) and Afghanistan.

Squad: W Porterfield (capt), A Balbirnie, P Chase, A Cusack, G Dockrell, E Joyce, A McBrine, J Mooney, T Murtagh, K O’Brien, N O’Brien, P Stirling, S Thompson, G Wilson, C Young



Thompson and Cusack being selected is a big mistake IMO, Sorenson and Larkin (if the latter is available) should definitely be in there instead.

Thoughts and expectations on the tour??

HonalD

Cricket fan wrote: »

So we've 4 ODI's vs Scotland (again) and Afghanistan.
Thoughts and expectations on the tour??

We should have enough to beat Scotland but the Afghans will be a good test.

Cricket fan

HonalD wrote: »

We should have enough to beat Scotland but the Afghans will be a good test.

Hopefully we'll get a winning run going into the WC. Its vital we get off to a good start right from the get go vs WI.

Scots have improved a lot since we last played though but with the Afghans you never know who's going to turn up on the day.

(Gr|M)Annhi

I think Delaney and Larkin deserve a chance to play. Delaney is Australian with Irish roots and from what has been said, can bowl 90+ consistently which is something we lack badly.

Cusack and Mooney were wrong choices for this squad and the 2015 World Cup. They will get carted around by the top players and we needed to add a bit of spice to the attack, not weaken it.

Larkin has been getting runs in the Sheffield Shield over in Australia and looks a good player.

Otherwise most of the squad picks itself(Porterfield, Nialler, Joyce etc)

Cricket fan

First game of the tri series takes place in about 7 hours between Scotland and Afghanistan.

Ireland play the Afghans on 10 January in our first game

deise300

Scotland bat first and post 237/8, game reduced to 45 overs a side due to fog

Cricket fan

Tim Murtagh sent home due to injury. Bad bad news that, we really need him for the world cup.

Afghans have nearly won the match already. 110/0 after just 16 overs

HonalD

The Afgans are a class team. They and us are the top 2 associate teams IMO.

HonalD

Cricket fan wrote: »

Tim Murtagh sent home due to injury. Bad bad news that, we really need him for the world cup.

Very bad news for us.

KevIRL

Scotland 216-9 in the end today v ireland

KevIRL

2 early wickets

minitrue

Stirling gone not too much later ... 38/3 off 7 (28 of them from Stirling). NOB and Wilson out there now, big hole to dig ourselves out of. We all know that the fat lady can't sing though while KOB is still to come
Another poor batting performance from the top order really. Silver lining is that these pitches don't bear much resemblance to what we can expect at the WC.

KevIRL

NOB and Mooney going well here and could save a poor position

KevIRL

Niall O Brien with a fantastic 80 not out secures the win for Ireland

KevIRL

Afghanistan 80/2 after 23 overs. 2 early wickets for Young but something of a decent partnership building now

KevIRL

153/4 after 40

KevIRL

170/5 after 43. Zadran the dangerman now

KevIRL

22 runs in the 47th over!

KevIRL

Zadran out but 83 from 50 balls is match winning stuff. 235/6 after 48

KevIRL

Afghans finish on 246/8. A few very poor overs around the mid 40's has cost us dearly. Hopefully a good batting performance now, especially from our openers

KevIRL

Ireland 40/0 after 6 in reply solid start from Stirling

KevIRL

Both openers gone.

KevIRL

Joyce out for 21. 77/3 now

Cricket fan

Let the Afghans off the hook IMO, shouldnt have let them past 210.

Gonna need a 70 or so partnership somewhere to get us to the finish I feel.

KevIRL

Wilson takes 34 balls to hit his first boundary and then gets out next ball

113/4 after 27. Both O Brien's now at the crease, need a lengthy partnership from them

Cricket fan

Niall gone, Afghans well on top now.

These two have to get us to 200 I think. So frustrating watching the vast majority of our batsmen getting set only to throw it all away

Cricket fan

170/9

A hammering in the end in all honesty.

Every one of the top 7 got a start bar maybe Porterfield, and not one could make it count unfortunately. Najibullahs two overs (which brought about 42 runs) were the difference.

Disappointing to lose our streak against the Afghans but they're not a bad side bowling wise. Just wondering why the ICC have prepared rank turners and not the flat and bouncy wickets I'd expect at an ICC event in Australia/NZ

Rjd2

Cricket fan wrote: »

170/9

Just wondering why the ICC have prepared rank turners and not the flat and bouncy wickets I'd expect at an ICC event in Australia/NZ

Its the UAE, the pitches generally always favour spinners, it was the same for the recent Pakistan v NZ series.

minitrue

If you valued the tournament win then great news, today washed out so we top the table on 5 points. I'd value the game time and chance to see a proper result though so a bit disappointing. At least it's the end of the "preparation" of playing on UAE tracks, time to get to AU/NZ and up to speed on their tracks in advance of the Gayle force wind coming our way soon