'I think anyone is going to struggle to beat that innings'

Post-match reaction: EMMET RIORDANtalks to Kevin O'Brien who hit the fastest century in World Cup cricket

MOVE OVER Ray Houghton, there’s another kid in town and he’s got pink and blond hair and hits the ball harder than anyone in the world.

The little midfielder may have put the ball in the England net 23 years ago in Stuttgart but his achievement pales compared to Kevin O’Brien’s performance here last night.

Irish cricket has known about O’Brien for a long time; he’s always hit the ball a country mile, from his back garden with his father and his brothers in a sports-mad family to his home ground at Railway Union on Park Avenue in Sandymount.

Now all the world knows as the big batsman, who turns 27 tomorrow, set the World Cup alight with the fastest century in the competition’s history, a mesmerising 100 off just 50 balls to lead Ireland to a record chase in the competition as they beat England by three wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium last night.

In all he made 113 before he was run out in the frenetic final few overs, but the dagger had been lodged in England hearts at that stage as John Mooney and Trent Johnston saw their side home with five balls to spare as they finished on 329 for seven, the highest score ever by an Ireland team in one-day cricket.

O’Brien will now likely find a few offers from the lucrative Indian Premier League dropping through his door over the next few days for what ranks as arguably the greatest World Cup innings of all time.

He arrived at last night’s press conference with his new pink and blonde charity hairdo in need on a wash and still coming to terms with what he had just done .

“I just try my best, that’s all anyone can do, try your best on the day and if it comes off it comes off,” said O’Brien in one of sport’s great understatements before at least giving himself some praise.

“That’s a long way the best innings I’ve played. I think anyone is going to struggle to beat that innings, to be honest. I’ll take a few fines for saying that and a few raps, but I’ll say that all night, 100 off 50 balls in a World Cup in front of a billion people under lights against England, it doesn’t get any better.”

Sitting beside him with a more purple thatch, his skipper William Porterfield also heaped praise on the right-hander who spent time at Nottinghamshire, but is now full-time under Cricket Ireland.

“It is the fastest in World Cup cricket, so that says everything. To come in at 111 for five with just 25 overs left and needing 329 to knock them off with balls to spare was superb. Probably the best in World Cup history,” was how Porterfield summed it up.

And a dejected England skipper, Andrew Strauss, who scored a magnificent 158 on this ground in the tied game against India at the same ground last Sunday night, was magnanimous in his appreciation.

“It was an outstanding innings. The gall he showed to take the game to us in that situation. They took the powerplay and Kevin O’Brien struck the ball beautifully.

“He rescued them from a pretty perilous position to one where they were up with the rate and they just needed to keep their heads in the end,” said Strauss.

And if the IPL come knocking on his door, O’Brien is ready to listen, although he admits his mind will be on Ireland matters for the time being.

“Of course, a lot of people have said Twenty20 suits me, it’s my kind of game, get in and swing the bat and hit a few sixes. If something comes of that, even better but I’ll just concentrate on Sunday’s game against India and see what happens.”

Something similar on Sunday and he can name his price.

IRELAND GO FROM 25/1 LONGSHOTS TO 1/50

HOW the markets fluctuated over Ireland’s historic win over England and depending on your entry into the market, there were small fortunes and extreme liabilities available in equal measure.

Before the off Ireland were a general 25 to 1 to win on the exchanges (closer to 10 to 1 with traditional bookmakers) and serious underdogs in a market eventually worth over €19 million on the Betfair exchange.

After England set a mammoth 327 target (€3.2m traded on Betfair at this stage), the odds for the boys in green naturally drifted to three-figures. When skipper William Porterfield was bowled by Jimmy Anderson in his very first ball, Ireland’s odds plummeted to a staggering 1,200 to 1. England were simply unbackable.

Before Kevin O’Brien led the heroic “Blarney Army” response, Ireland were 399 to 1 when they trailed England by 221 runs. Betfair confirmed one lucky punter had a €25 nibble to return a €9,975 profit.

By the tense final two overs the betting tide had well and truly turned – Ireland needed 12 off as many balls – and it was they who had become unbackable. O’Brien was run out and Ireland were 1 to 2, but when his replacement, Trent Johnson, immediately struck with a four from his first ball, the odds dropped to 1 to 11.

By the time John Mooney was on strike at the start of the final over, Ireland needed three runs and were 1 to 50 to win. With one final sweep of the willow he hit a winning boundary to complete one of the biggest comebacks in Irish sport, not to mention an amazing betting market.

– PAUL GALLAGHER