IAIN DOWIE, a former hero around these parts, christened it “boucebackability”, and despite going down to a five-wicket defeat to Pakistan in the second and final RSA series match in Belfast yesterday, Ireland showed plenty of the characteristic as they competed all the way against the World Cup semi-finalists.
Led by a stunning century by local lad Paul Stirling, Ireland put their dismal batting display in the seven-wicket loss here on Saturday behind them to make 238 for eight from their 50 overs, with Stirling making 109 of those, 13 more than the team could muster a couple of days earlier.
Pakistan were steady rather than spectacular in their chase until victory was in sight, mindful of a wicket that was still offering something to the Irish bowlers, who performed well as a unit for the second straight game.
Former skipper Younis Khan provided the steady hand on the tiller in their chase, making 64 from 75 balls in his first decent stay at the crease since the World Cup after he was rested from their recent tour to the West Indies.
And he found a perfect foil in Umar Akmal, who delighted the sizeable Pakistan following with some carefree strokes, making an unbeaten 60 from 48 balls in a 89-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Khan went to the the first ball of the penultimate over, with Kevin O’Brien taking the catch off Alex Cusack’s bowling, but three balls later Akmal crashed the ball to the boundary with an extravagant shot that wouldn’t have looked out of place at Roland Garros.
Boyd Rankin was the pick of the bowling attack, the big Warwickshire man looking like he has added an extra yard of pace and also troubling the batsmen by extracting some extra bounce from his 6ft 8in frame.
He finished with figures of one for 29 from the nine overs he sent down, a fine showing considering he had to go off for a treatment on back spasms after bowling his first two overs.
At that stage coach Phil Simmons must have wondered had the cricketing gods got it in for him after YMCA off-spinner Albert van der Merwe was ruled out after fracturing a bone in his left elbow when he took a heavy fall during training on Saturday.
The one thing that did bring a smile to Simmons’ face was the knock of 20-year-old Stirling after Ireland had won the toss and batted.
It was the Middlesex right-hander’s first century against a full-member in a one-day international and his second in three innings following his ton against the Netherlands in Ireland’s final World Cup game in Calcutta.
Despite some fallow periods in his Ireland career, Simmons has never wavered in his belief that the Newtownabbey man would come through on his rich promise.
And he did that in some style yesterday, pacing his knock beautifully with a blazing start followed by a more considered approach as he headed towards three figures.
He brought his century up off 93 deliveries, hitting seven fours and four sixes before departing in the 44th over for 109.
Gary Wilson, on his 100th appearance for his country, hit a breezy 33 off 25 balls.
Ireland’s other batsmen found it difficult to keep up with those strike rates, which reflected in a total that was 20 or 30 runs short of putting Pakistan under pressure.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was outstanding yet again for the tourists, using his famed doosra to good effect as he took four wickets for 35 in his spell.
It wasn’t enough to take the man of the match honours away from Stirling, who found a new fan in Pakistan coach Waqar Younis.
“It was one of the best knocks I’ve seen in a while,” said the former fast bowler. “He’s a fine player, he doesn’t slog. He plays proper cricketing shots and you enjoy it as a spectator, even I enjoyed every bit of it because he can hit the ball far and he’s got good footwork.”
Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s captain at the 2011 World Cup, is reported by Geo TV in Pakistan to have announced his retirement from the international game.
While there was no official reason for the move, it was believed to be the result of growing differences Afridi had with Younis, in particular over matters of selection.
Ireland won the toss and batted
IRELAND
E Joyce c Salman b Ajmal 17
P Stirling b Junaid Khan 109
W Porterfield b Hafeez 15
A Cusack st Salman b Ajmal 26
K O’Brien c Azam b Ajmal 7
G Wilson c Azam b b Junaid Khan 33
J Mooney c Salman b Ajmal 6
T Johnston run out 3
N Jones not out 0
A White not out 4
Extras (lb10, nb1, w7) 18
Total (for 8 wkts, 50 ovs) 238
Did not bat: B Rankin.
Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-108, 3-174, 4-182, 5-198, 6-218, 7-233, 8-233.
Bowling: U Gul 10-1-58-0; J Khan 10-0-53-10; S Ajmal 10-0-35-4; M Hafeez 10-0-43-1; H Azam.10-0-40-0.
PAKISTAN
M Hafeez c White b Johnston 0
T Umar c Stirling b O’Brien 31
A Ali c Stirling b Rankin 39
Y Khan c O’Brien b Cusack 64
Misbah-ul-Haq c Wilson b Mooney 32
U Akmal not out 60
H Azam not out 1
Extras (lb11, w4) 15
Total (for 5 wkts, 48.4 ovs) 242
Did not bat: S Ajmal, U Gul, J Khan, M Salman.
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-65, 3-80, 4-148.
Bowling: B Rankin 9-1-29-1; T Johnston 10-0-60-1; J Mooney 9-0-45-1; A Cusack 9.4-1-43-1; K O’Brien 6-1-32-1; N Jones 3-0-14-0; P Stirling 2-0-8-0.
Pakistan won by five wickets.
Man of the match: Paul Stirling
