Published: May 26, 2013, 06:48 PM (IST)
Edited: May 26, 2013, 06:48 PM (IST)
Ed Joyce hit 12 boundaries and one six in his unbeaten knock of 116 © AFP
Dublin: May 26, 2013
Ed Joyce recorded his highest One-Day International (ODI) score to guide Ireland to 229 for nine in 50 overs against Pakistan in the second ODI at Dublin on Saturday.
Joyce surpassed his previous best score of 107 against Australia in his unbeaten knock of 116, an innings that included 12 hits to the fence and one huge six.
Pakistan got off to a good start after winning the toss and electing to field first. Ireland lost both their openers with the score on four in the first 20 balls of the innings.
Niall O’Brien and Joyce resurrected their innings with a 65-run partnership for the third wicket. However, Pakistan bowlers soon hit back to grab two wickets in quick succession.
With the run-rate hovering just above three an over, Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien, who had guided the team to a thrilling tie in the first ODI, joined Joyce in the middle to up the scoring rate. He hit five boundaries in his knock of 38, adding 94 crucial runs for the fifth wicket.
Joyce continued collecting valuable runs even as wickets continued to tumble at the other end. He paced his innings well after a cautious start and took charge to up the tempo after the fall of the eighth wicket.
Abdur Rehman was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan as he struck four times to hasten Ireland’s collapse.
Brief scrores:
Ireland 229 for 9 in 50 overs (Ed Joyce 116*, Kevin O’Brien 38; Abdur Rehman 4 for 48) vs Pakistan
