#4 Ireland vs England (M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, March 2011)
This was one of the best games ever in the 2011 edition, and perhaps the biggest upset in the group stages. Bengaluru was expected to be painted red & blue, yet green was the dominant colour that night. England would have fancied their chances against the Irish, given the firepower they possessed. But then, cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties.
Riding on magnificent half centuries from Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell, the Poms went on to post 327, despite John Mooney’s four-wicket haul. In response, Ireland suffered an all-too-familiar collapse, tottering at 111/5 with the required rate climbing every over. They needed a miracle.
Kevin O’Brien provided it. Playing with a calmness and a technique only slightly better than that of the maverick Kieron Pollard, the right hander pulverized the bowling, lighting up the stands with his incandescent power hitting. With Alex Cusack, he stitched together a 162-run stand for the sixth wicket, injecting life into Ireland’s innings and reviving their hopes of victory; the highlight of his blazing century was a powerful six off Tim Bresnan, clean over cover.
Although the purple-haired hero fell with Ireland closing in on the triumph, Mooney ensured they crossed the finish line, sparking off St Patrick’s Day early for the Irish.
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