Cricket: Cricket: Eoin Morgan showed just why England covet his talent so much as he played a huge part in keeping up Ireland's 100 per cent record at the World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa with a six-wicket victory over Canada in Benoni.
The 22-year-old Dubliner was named this morning in England’s extended 30-man squad for this summer’s Twenty20 World Cup, a competition that Ireland will also take part in.
This afternoon he made 84 not out and shared in an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 181 with Kevin O’Brien to move Ireland closer to a spot in the 2011 World Cup.
O’Brien finished on 89 not out, hitting the winning runs for the second straight game, just four days after hitting an unbeaten 101 against Oman. The 25-year-old Railway Union all-rounder has now amassed 196 runs in three innings so far in the tournament and has yet to give up his wicket.
The partnership rescued Ireland from a shaky start that saw them lose their first four wickets for just 42 runs as they chased down Canada’s total of 220.
Morgan consolidated at first against Canada’s opening attack and took 18 balls to get off the mark. O’Brien had a lucky escape early on when Khurram Chohan botched a routine caught and bowled after he had made just six.
The pair soon found their rhythm and were particularly harsh on Canada’s slow bowlers on a good batting track. Morgan brought up his 50 and the 100 partnership in the 29th over with a four off John Davison, with O’Brien going one better in the same over by hoisting the bowler for six to reach his half-century.
They were rarely troubled on the run-in as they chased down the target with a full nine overs to spare to wrap up a fourth straight victory.
The Canadians failed to build on a fine start, with Trent Johnston taking his first two wickets in the tournament to get rid of key man Davison for 41, and Geoff Barnett for 49.
Boyd Rankin also took two wickets, while the Canadians didn’t help themselves, with four batsman being run out as they were bowled out for 220 with two over remaining.
Ireland are now the only unbeaten team in the competition and face Namibia in their final Group A game on Wednesday knowing a victory will enable them to bring a full quota of points through to the Super Eights stage of the tournament.
The news of Morgan’s selection by England earlier in the day came as no surprise as the Middlesex left-hander has long been marked out as one of the finer young talents in the county game.
The player himself has never hid his ambition to follow former Middlesex and Ireland team-mate Ed Joyce into the England set-up with the eventual goal of playing Test cricket.
A fine county season last summer earned him a place on England’s recent ’A’ tour to New Zealand before he joined up with Ireland for their World Cup qualifying campaign in South Africa.
Morgan missed out on the last summer’s qualifying tournament for Twenty20 World Cup in Belfast after deciding to stay with Middlesex, whom he helped to victory in their domestic T20 competition.
England, who have not included Test and one Day captain Andrew Strauss in their provisional list of 30, will name their 15-man squad on May 1st.
Score
Canada 220 (48 ovs) (G Barnett 49, J Davison 41, I Billcliff 38; B Rankin 2-36, T Johnston 2-37, P Connell 1-33, A Cusack 1-38), Ireland 223-4 (41 ovs) (K O’Brien 89no, E Morgan 84no, N O‘Brien 32; U Bhatti 3-28). Ireland won by 6 wkts.
