Biggest World Cup upset

O'Brien smashes fastest WC hundred ton as Ireland stun England by 3 wickets

Kevin O'Brien

(TOI)
BANGALORE. Kevin O'Brien struck the fastest-ever World Cup hundred as Ireland pulled off a sensational three-wicket win over England on Wednesday.
Ireland won with five balls to spare as they finished on 329 for seven after England, who had made 327 for eight, had been cruising when they reduced non-Test playing Ireland to 111 for five.
But a brilliant burst of power-hitting got O'Brien to three figures in just 50 balls at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
That meant he'd obliterated former Australia opener Matthew Hayden's previous fastest World Cup century record off 66 balls against South Africa at St Kitts in 2007.
O'Brien's whirlwind innings of 113 off 63 balls, including six sixes and 13 fours, ended when he was run out by Stuart Broad's throw to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Ireland's target was down to three off the last over and victory was secured when John Mooney struck a four off James Anderson.
"I don't think it's quite sunk in," said 26-year-old O'Brien, after another famous win to follow Ireland's shock World Cup triumph over Pakistan in 2007.
"It's probably the best innings I've ever played. I just hit the ball pretty well and got a bit of luck and things went my way. I just kept going and kept attacking.
"When we were 111-5 I said to myself we could have just pottered around and got 220 off 50 overs for eight or nine and the game would have been pretty boring to watch.
"But I just chanced my arm and said I was going to be as positive as I can and got a few away and didn't look back."
It was the highest successful run chase in World Cup history beating Sri Lanka's 313 against Zimbabwe at New Plymouth in New Zealand in 1992
"It's pretty amazing," said Ireland batsman Alex Cusack, who made 47 in a decisive sixth-wicket partnership of 162 with O'Brien.
"I was just trying to knock it around for Kev. He's got the power. That was my job and he was playing the big shots."
England captain Andrew Strauss said: "We thought we'd done a reasonable job with the bat and we got Ireland at five down and things were looking pretty comfortable.
"But we weren't reckoning on an outstanding innings from Kevin O'Brien. It was pretty brutal."
Mooney struck several superb blows of his own on his way to 33 not out to complete a fine all-round display after he had claimed four wickets for 63 runs with his medium-pacers.
O'Brien went to fifty in 30 balls when he pulled Anderson for six.
He then lofted Anderson for an enormous six over midwicket, with television replays estimating the ball had carried for 102 metres, the longest of the tournament.
O'Brien did have a break on 91 when a huge skyer off Paul Collingwood was dropped by Strauss.
Ireland burst into life during the batting powerplay, scoring 62 runs in five overs.It was the second-time in a matter of days the Chinnaswamy Stadium had served up a run-fest after Sunday's extraordinary tie between India and England had seen the two teams make 676 runs between them.
Anderson, whose first overs yielded one wicket for 11 runs, finished with figures of one for 49 in 8.1 overs while Broad was pummelled for 73 runs in nine wicketless overs.
Earlier Jonathan Trott equalled the record for the fastest 1,000 runs in one-day internationals
Trott's 92 was the centrepiece of England's 327 for eight and when he made 64 he equalled West Indies great Vivian Richards and England team-mate Kevin Pietersen in taking just 21 innings to reach four figures in ODIs.
Ireland's victory was all the more impressive as they lost captain William Porterfield to the first ball of their reply when he dragged on to Anderson.
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score card

	England innings (50 overs maximum)		R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	AJ Strauss*	b Dockrell	34	61	37	2	1	91.89
	13.3 89.2 kph, Dockrell strikes again! Strauss out for 34 on his 34th birthday. Dockrell maintained his line, Strauss jumped outside off to try and manufacture a shovel to leg, in the end he couldn't catch up with the ball and it went straight into his stumps 91/1
	KP Pietersen	c †NJ O'Brien b Stirling	59	77	50	7	2	118.00
	16.6 87.2 kph, would you believe it? I guess you would have to. Ridiculous end to promising innings. Having faced two deliveries from Stirling, and played neither well, Pietersen aims a cute, reverse-dab. Manages a top edge that loops up for O'Brien to gobble behind the stumps 111/2
	IJL Trott	b Mooney	92	126	92	9	0	100.00
	44.3 125.2 kph, stand and deliver! A flat-footed smack down the ground, but instead of a six over long-off, Trott loses his off stump! 288/4
	IR Bell	c Stirling b Mooney	81	102	86	6	1	94.18
	42.6 128.4 kph, Bell falls! Wide on the crease, an attempted yorker turns into a full toss, Bell's clip is thoroughly middled, but Stirling at midwicket plucks a blinder low to his right! 278/3
	PD Collingwood	c KJ O'Brien b Mooney	16	21	11	0	1	145.45
	46.6 an inconclusive performance from Collingwood. Another swipe down the ground, but it was badly sliced, and mid-on made no mistake 312/6
	MJ Prior†	b Johnston	6	7	5	1	0	120.00
	45.6 that was always coming. Prior's eye for a gap has deserted him, as he retreats to square leg in a bid to carve through the covers, but he's made too much room 299/5
	TT Bresnan	c Johnston b Mooney	4	23	8	0	0	50.00
	49.6 swirling, spiralling, steepling slog, into the leg-side, midwicket steadies himself well, sprints in, steps back, and snaffles a tough chance to finish the innings on a high 327/8
	MH Yardy	b Johnston	3	8	6	0	0	50.00
	48.3 97.0 kph, good delivery, slower ball, pinpoint accuracy, Yardy loses the top of his middle stump as he climbs into a cut and misses everything 317/7
	GP Swann	not out	9	8	5	1	0	180.00
	Extras	(b 1, lb 2, w 20)	23
	Total	(8 wickets; 50 overs; 220 mins)	327	(6.54 runs per over)

Did not bat SCJ Broad, JM Anderson

Fall of wickets1-91 (Strauss, 13.3 ov), 2-111 (Pietersen, 16.6 ov), 3-278 (Bell, 42.6 ov), 4-288 (Trott, 44.3 ov), 5-299 (Prior, 45.6 ov), 6-312 (Collingwood, 46.6 ov), 7-317 (Yardy, 48.3 ov), 8-327 (Bresnan, 49.6 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	WB Rankin	7	0	51	0	7.28	(4w)
	DT Johnston	10	0	58	2	5.80
	45.6 to Prior, that was always coming. Prior's eye for a gap has deserted him, as he retreats to square leg in a bid to carve through the covers, but he's made too much room 299/5 48.3 to Yardy, 97.0 kph, good delivery, slower ball, pinpoint accuracy, Yardy loses the top of his middle stump as he climbs into a cut and misses everything 317/7
	AR Cusack	4	0	39	0	9.75	(1w)
	GH Dockrell	10	0	68	1	6.80	(5w)
	13.3 to Strauss, 89.2 kph, Dockrell strikes again! Strauss out for 34 on his 34th birthday. Dockrell maintained his line, Strauss jumped outside off to try and manufacture a shovel to leg, in the end he couldn't catch up with the ball and it went straight into his stumps 91/1
	JF Mooney	9	0	63	4	7.00	(1w)
	42.6 to Bell, 128.4 kph, Bell falls! Wide on the crease, an attempted yorker turns into a full toss, Bell's clip is thoroughly middled, but Stirling at midwicket plucks a blinder low to his right! 278/3 44.3 to Trott, 125.2 kph, stand and deliver! A flat-footed smack down the ground, but instead of a six over long-off, Trott loses his off stump! 288/4 46.6 to Collingwood, an inconclusive performance from Collingwood. Another swipe down the ground, but it was badly sliced, and mid-on made no mistake 312/6 49.6 to Bresnan, swirling, spiralling, steepling slog, into the leg-side, midwicket steadies himself well, sprints in, steps back, and snaffles a tough chance to finish the innings on a high 327/8
	PR Stirling	10	0	45	1	4.50
	16.6 to Pietersen, 87.2 kph, would you believe it? I guess you would have to. Ridiculous end to promising innings. Having faced two deliveries from Stirling, and played neither well, Pietersen aims a cute, reverse-dab. Manages a top edge that loops up for O'Brien to gobble behind the stumps 111/2

	Ireland innings (target: 328 runs from 50 overs)		R	M	B	4s	6s	SR
	WTS Porterfield*	b Anderson	0	1	1	0	0	0.00
	0.1 ideal start for Anderson! Not a great delivery, full and wide outside off, but Porterfield dragged on to middle. Gut-wrenching for him and the Irish but just the spark Anderson needed 0/1
	PR Stirling	c Pietersen b Bresnan	32	45	28	5	1	114.28
	9.5 134.7 kph, ah, sad end for Stirling. Banged just back of a length from Bresnan around off stump and Stirling aimed a slug to leg. Only managed a top edge that sailed high and swirled over Pietersen, who watched it carefully at deep square to snaffle the chance. Bresnan the man again for England 62/2
	EC Joyce	st †Prior b Swann	32	90	61	3	0	52.45
	22.2 86.3 kph, beauty from Swann does for Joyce. No mistake from Prior this time. Joyce skips down the track, bit of drop from Swann and sharp spin takes it past the outside edge, Prior has a single bail off in a flash. Swann is delighted, as well he might be 106/4
	NJ O'Brien†	b Swann	29	37	36	2	1	80.55
	20.2 94.0 kph, whoops, that's the nut. Full length, slips under an extravagant sweep slog, and back goes the off stump! 103/3
	GC Wilson	lbw b Swann	3	17	14	0	0	21.42
	24.2 98.4 kph, Wilson's torturous effort ends. Or does it? Review after Swann finds the pads as Wilson stretches forward to sweep. The only danger was the 2.5 metre stuff, but it's plumb. Not a very happy return for Wilson 111/5
	KJ O'Brien	run out (†Prior/Bresnan)	113	123	63	13	6	179.36
	48.1 from Broad, oh dear! O'Brien has given it away! He's flat on his face and can't pick himself up. Run out, of all things and this match takes another turn. Yorker flipped to midwicket, he ran the single easily but wanted a second which didn't exist, despite a despairing dive. Ends one of the great World Cup innings, Ireland were buried before he turned it 317/7
	AR Cusack	run out (Broad/Collingwood)	47	80	58	3	1	81.03
	41.3 Broad to KJ O'Brien, heartbreak for Ireland! It's a run out that breaks the stand. O'Brien blocked hard to point, Cusack set off for one before turning back to save his partner. The throw came into Broad who under-armed onto the stumps to beat Cusack's dive. Brilliant example of a supportive innings from Cusack, just calmly gave O'Brien the strike and finished it by sacrificing himself 273/6
	JF Mooney	not out	33	40	30	6	0	110.00
	DT Johnston	not out	7	6	4	1	0	175.00
	Extras	(b 5, lb 16, w 12)	33
	Total	(7 wickets; 49.1 overs; 223 mins)	329	(6.69 runs per over)

Did not bat GH Dockrell, WB Rankin

Fall of wickets1-0 (Porterfield, 0.1 ov), 2-62 (Stirling, 9.5 ov), 3-103 (NJ O'Brien, 20.2 ov), 4-106 (Joyce, 22.2 ov), 5-111 (Wilson, 24.2 ov), 6-273 (Cusack, 41.3 ov), 7-317 (KJ O'Brien, 48.1 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	JM Anderson	8.1	1	49	1	6.00	(1w)
	0.1 to Porterfield, ideal start for Anderson! Not a great delivery, full and wide outside off, but Porterfield dragged on to middle. Gut-wrenching for him and the Irish but just the spark Anderson needed 0/1
	SCJ Broad	9	0	73	0	8.11	(2w)
	TT Bresnan	10	0	64	1	6.40	(2w)
	9.5 to Stirling, 134.7 kph, ah, sad end for Stirling. Banged just back of a length from Bresnan around off stump and Stirling aimed a slug to leg. Only managed a top edge that sailed high and swirled over Pietersen, who watched it carefully at deep square to snaffle the chance. Bresnan the man again for England 62/2
	MH Yardy	7	0	49	0	7.00	(2w)
	GP Swann	10	0	47	3	4.70
	20.2 to NJ O'Brien, 94.0 kph, whoops, that's the nut. Full length, slips under an extravagant sweep slog, and back goes the off stump! 103/3 22.2 to Joyce, 86.3 kph, beauty from Swann does for Joyce. No mistake from Prior this time. Joyce skips down the track, bit of drop from Swann and sharp spin takes it past the outside edge, Prior has a single bail off in a flash. Swann is delighted, as well he might be 106/4 24.2 to Wilson, 98.4 kph, Wilson's torturous effort ends. Or does it? Review after Swann finds the pads as Wilson stretches forward to sweep. The only danger was the 2.5 metre stuff, but it's plumb. Not a very happy return for Wilson 111/5
	PD Collingwood	5	0	26	0	5.20

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