It was touch and go there for a while
Ireland continued their march towards the knockout stages of the Cricket World Cup with a thrilling victory over the UAE at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Gary Wilson (80 from 69 balls ) and Kevin O’Brien (50 from 25 balls) were the heroes with the bat as Ireland chased down 279 in the final over to win by two wickets with just four balls remaining.
George Dockrell hit the winning runs to seal a brilliant victory for Ireland in a thrilling game that was tense and nervy right to the last, with a leading Pakistani cricket writer describing it as ‘the match of the tournament’.
It was a match that left cricket experts from around the world calling on the ICC to change their decision to limit the World Cup from 2019 onwards to to the 10 elite teams., leaving no place for associate nations such as Ireland and the UAE.
Heres’s the best of the Twitter round up:
Match of the Tournament #UAEvIRE
— Osman Samiuddin (@OsmanSamiuddin) February 25, 2015
So the best match of the World Cup so far is between two associate nations. Of course it is, ICC.
— James Dutton (@jrgdutton) February 25, 2015
Brilliant match. Between two sides that the ICC don't really want to be at the next WC. Best match so far of this one.
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) February 25, 2015
Brilliant stuff by Ireland – and UAE. Don't tell me that game is not worthy of a World Cup. Compelling finale.
— David Hopps (@DavidKHopps) February 25, 2015
Not looking forward to cricketing minnow Pakistan playing this Ireland side.
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) February 25, 2015
UAE-Ireland match is a perfect advertisement for the petition against @ICC 's selfish idea to reduce teams in the 2019 WC @ajarrodkimber
— Daniel Alexander (@daniel86cricket) February 25, 2015
Ireland now have 4 of the top 10 highest successful run chases in World Cup history.
— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) February 25, 2015
https://twitter.com/Aggerscricket/status/570547316144238593
Brilliant Ireland, bien joué.
— Mark Pougatch (@markpougatch) February 25, 2015
Great game, showing the value of the 'associate' nations in a World Cup, and why a move to 10-team format in 2019 is such vandalism.
— Jack Pitt-Brooke (@JackPittBrooke) February 25, 2015
Aren't we all, buddy. Aren't we all. pic.twitter.com/tylwKiPJ8N
— Malachy Clerkin (@MalachyClerkin) February 25, 2015
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