Ireland vs. UAE: Date, Live Stream, TV Info, Cricket World Cup Preview
Following the improbably victory over the West Indies in their Cricket World Cup 2015 opener, Ireland return to action Down Under against the United Arab Emirates at the Gabba on Wednesday.
Although the Irish are famed for their luck, it was sheer skill that took them over the line against the West Indies, and they’ll be hoping for a similarly superb performance against the UAE in Brisbane.
The tournament minnows were chased down by Zimbabwe in their opening match, but they are determined to prove that they’re not just making up the numbers in the tournament. That much sets up a mouth-watering encounter.
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Date: Wednesday, February 25
Time: 3:30 a.m. GMT
Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane
TV Info: Sky Sports 2 (U.K. only)
Live Stream: Sky Go (U.K. only)
Ireland Looking For Two Wins Out of Two
When Ireland took to the field against the West Indies they managed to produce an emphatic display against the odds.
The victory was made even better by the fact that they had to chase 304 runs, but they did so rather routinely with 25 balls to spare.
According to OptaJim, the victory was just their fifth ever in a Cricket World Cup:
It was nothing short of deserved, though, with the top of the Irish batting order doing all the damage.
However, all-rounder Kevin O’Brien told BBC Sport that their remarkable victory is now out of the team’s minds, with Wednesday’s clash with the UAE top of their agenda:
"Monday is gone—as great a result as it was. It will mean nothing if we don't win on Wednesday."
O’Brien, who was the only Irish batsman to be dismissed for a duck, went on to praise the UAE, who ran Zimbabwe close in their tournament opener:
"They really pushed Zimbabwe and it was only very good batting performances from Sean Williams and Craig Ervine that got Zimbabwe over the line. The UAE have some very good players. Khurram Khan and Swapnil Patil are two very good middle-order batsmen and their bowlers have improved a lot. They have some useful spinners as well.
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O’Brien isn’t wrong, either. While UAE are considered one of the underdogs of the tournament, they do pack a punch in places.
Their bowlers limited the majority of the Zimbabwe order to distinctly average totals, while Shaiman Anwar proved that their batsmen demand to be taken seriously.
Anwar chalked up a team-best 67 runs in their opening match—also a personal best—while those around him followed suit to produce a record ODI total, per journalist Malcolm Conn:
It could all be a case of how well the Irish fair with the ball, but in George Dockrell, they have a man in form.
The young spinner helped himself to three wickets against the West Indies, including Chris Gayle’s, and a haul of 3/50, plus an ample amount of dot balls. OptaJim revealed the extent of his frugal success:
Based on the Zimbabwe match, the UAE don’t cope too well with spinners, which means that Dockrell could be Ireland’s best weapon on Wednesday.
Should the Irish find a way to victory, they’ll be in excellent shape for knockout stage progression from Pool B, although there’ll still be a long way to go.
We’ve seen Ireland rise to a big challenge in one match only to falter in the next in the past, but Wednesday’s match should see the men in green claim a vital two points.
Prediction: Ireland to win
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