England, buoyed by an 82-ball 90 from Paul Collingwood which was good enough to earn him the Man-of-the-Match award, beat Ireland by 48 runs to win their first “Super 8” match at the Providence Stadium yesterday.
England scored 93 runs in the last ten overs including 66 in the last five which allowed the three-time World Cup finalists to post 266-7 in 50 overs.
Despite a spirited fight from Ireland they were bowled out for 216 in 48.1 overs.
England won the toss and batted in brilliant sunshine and skipper Michael Vaughan was quickly into his stride opening his account with a crisp on-drive through mid-wicket for four.
However, in the second over, the 6′ 8″ fast bowler Boyd Rankin bowled his former team-mate Ed Joyce for a first ball duck as he shouldered arms to a delivery that cut back from outside the off-stump.
The big `quickie’ struck again in the sixth over when Vaughan followed an out swinger and wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien took a good low catch. At 23-2 things were looking dicey but a 66-run third-wicket partnership between Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen, put England on better footing before Bell was caught behind off Kevin O’Brien for 31.
Pietersen, playing some glorious shot was looking ominous but then off-spinner Kyle McCallan enticed him into an on-drive and William Porterfield at short mid-wicket took a low, diving catch. His 47-ball 48 was studded with five fours.
Freddie Flintoff, who had faced one ball in this year’s World Cup up to this stage came in at with England 173-4 after 40 overs and needing to boost their run-rate.
Flintoff and Collingwood put on 81 for the fifth wicket before the former played a Trent Johnson delivery onto his stumps.
He had scored 43 which was decorated by four boundaries in his 64-ball knock.
By this time Collingwood was red hot. He struck three sixes and eight fours in his 82-ball 90 before being run out in the 49th over.
His 51-run sixth-wicket partnership with Paul Nixon (19) was vital to the team reaching the challenging total of 266-7.
Ireland had an early setback losing the dangerous Jeremy Bray for a first ball duck as he tried to cut the fifth ball of the first over from James Anderson.
Ravi Bopara at gully took a brilliant catch.
In the fifth over disaster struck again when Sajid Mahmood brilliantly ran out Eoin Morgan for two and the Irish were 11-2.
Porterfield and Niall O’Brien steadied the innings with a 61-run, third-wicket partnership before Porterfield tried to turn a delivery on the onside, got a leading edge and offered a simple catch to Bell off the bowling of Flintoff and departed after scoring 31.
The required run-rate was starting to climb. And when Vaughan used himself from one end and left arm spinner Monty Panesar from the other matters were made worse.
O’Brien was batting well but running out of partners. His 88-ball 63 included four boundaries. But, under pressure to increase the scoring rate, he chipped down the track to a flighted delivery from Vaughan missed, and was stumped by Nixon.
With the writing on the wall Ireland skipper Trent Johnson struck a few lusty blows in a gallant attempt to overhaul the target. His 21-ball 27 included one four and two sixes.
The 58-run partnership he enjoyed with Andrew White who, scored 38 in 31 balls studded with four boundaries, was the last hope for the fighting Irish who, despite losing, gave a good account of themselves.
England with three wins all against associate member teams will face their first real test of the tournament when they take on Sri Lanka on Wednesday in Antigua.
Ireland will be in action sooner when they take on South Africa at the Providence stadium here in Guyana.
