ICC World Cup Cricket Match 2007
Ireland vs England at Guyana
Super 8, Match 4, ENG vs IRL: Unconvincing England sink Ireland
Mar 30, 2007
England recorded a 48-run Super 8 victory against Ireland, but were some way from their best form in Guyana.
Paul Collingwood struck three sixes in an assured 90, sharing 81 with Andrew Flintoff (43) after Kevin Pietersen fired a rapid 48 in England's 266-7.
In pursuit of 267, Ireland lost Jeremy Bray in the opening over but Niall O'Brien made a gritty 63 from 88 balls.
Monty Panesar and Michael Vaughan piled pressure on but late runs were conceded until Flintoff wrapped it up with 4-43.
Anything but a win Friday would have been a disaster for England, advancing from the first round for the first time since 1996, against the World Cup debutants.
English captain Michael Vaughan won the toss and elected to bat against Ireland in Georgetown. World Cup debutantes Ireland tied with Zimbabwe in the group stage before producing a stunning three-wicket win over Pakistan which effectively sent the sub-continent side home.
England team: M P Vaughan, E C Joyce, I R Bell, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, A Flintoff, R Bopara, P A Nixon, S I Mahmood, J M Anderson, M S Panesar
Ireland team: J P Bray, W T S Porterfield, E J G Morgan, N J O'Brien, K J O'Brien, A C Botha, D T Johnston, W K McCallan, A R White, D Langford-Smith, W B Rankin
Super 8, Match 4, ENG vs IRL: England wary of debutants Ireland in Super 8
Mar 30, 2007
England are wary of giant-killers and debutants Ireland as the two meet in the first Super Eight game of the World Cup in Guyana on Friday.
Ireland have already made a significant impact in the World Cup by knocking out former champions Pakistan from the group stage and England know they need to improve on the form they showed in beating Canada and Kenya.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff is expected to play for England on the morrow after suffering a stomach upset earlier this week.
Ireland should be boosted by the return of captain Trent Johnston following a shoulder injury.
Ireland were certainly not disgraced when the two sides met in Belfast last summer, replying to England's total of 301-7 with 263-9 in a 38-run defeat.
England team (from): M Vaughan (capt), J Anderson, I Bell, R Bopara, P Collingwood, J Dalrymple, A Flintoff, E Joyce, J Lewis, S Mahmood, P Nixon, M Panesar, K Pietersen, L Plunkett, A Strauss.
Ireland team (from): T Johnston (capt), A Botha, J Bray, K Carroll, P Gillespie, D Langford-Smith, K McCallan, J Mooney, P Mooney, E Morgan, K O'Brien, N O'Brien, W Porterfield, B Rankin, A White.
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