Day 21 featured two important clashes. South Africa faced Pakistan and Ireland played against Zimbabwe. South Africa was favourite to win against Pakistan. While the winner of Ireland and Zimbabwe had a better chance to qualify for quarter finals. South Africa was coming into this match after two consecutive 400s. Hence they were high on confidence. On the other hand Pakistan was looking to beat South Africa to get the confidence to get into the quarters. While in the clash of minnows both the teams were looking to beat each other as both the teams had shown the potential that they can make into the quarter finals.
Game 29: South Africa vs Pakistan
South Africa won the toss in Auckland and chose to field first. Pakistan's weaklink was their batting and DeVilliers was looking to take advantage of it. So he put Pakistan into bat. Pakistan brought Sarfraz Ahmed in for Nasir Jamshed. Sarfraz is a regular wicket keeper so he was going to keep wickets for Pakistan in that match. Moreover Sarfraz came out to open the innings with Ahmed Shehzad. Pakistan was off to a cautious start. They were watchful and were not taking any risk at the start of the innings. Both the openers target Abbott out of three South African quicks. They were hitting Abbott for a four almost every over. Abbott replied with a wicket of Shehzad in 9th over of the innings. Shehzad hit Abbott for a boundary a ball before and next ball Steyn took a stunner to dismiss Shehzad. Pakistan was 35/1 after 10. After 10 overs DeVilliers brought spin into the attack. It looked like Sarfraz and Younis Khan were waiting for that moment. They attacked spin from both the ends. From 35/1 in 10 overs they reached to 90/1 at the end of 16th over. Sub continent players are very good against spin.
The partnership was looking very good but in next over only Sarfraz ran himself out. There wasn't two runs there but Sarfraz went for it in order to reach to his 50. Misbah started his slow sluggish innings. Along with Misbah, Younis Khan also tried to steady the ship. I think they should have carried on in the same manner in which Sarfraz was playing. DeVilliers on the other hand brought himself and Morne Morkel on seeing Duminy giving too many runs. In 27th over DeVilliers dismissed Younis Khan and broke another good looking partnership. After that there was no real partnership for Pakistan. Misbah was holding one end for Pakistan while South Africa kept picking up wickets on the other end. Maqsood went for 8, Akmal for 13 and Afridi for 22. Pakistan's innings was wrapped up on 222. Steyn was the pick of the bowlers picking up 3/30 of his 10. Pakistan was awarded 9 runs by D/L method due to rain. South Africa needed 232 runs to win in 47 overs. DeKock and Amla came out to bat for South Africa. Irfan began for Pakistan and on the second ball of the innings he got the breakthrough. DeKock pushed at away going good length delivery and caught an edge. DeKock's poor run in the world cup continues.
Amla and Duplessis got together and once again they tried to bring stability in the South African innings. This time they were not defensive. They attacked Pakistani bolwers as they knew if they allow them to settle in they will be dangerous. The counter attack from South Africa forced Misbah to bring on the spin early and it actually stopped the run of play. Rahat Ali manages to produce an edge from DuPlessis bat and it was caught by Sarfraz easily. After that there was flurry of wickets. Wahab Riaz came into the attack and picked up Amla and Russouw in quick succession. South Africa was in deep trouble. Miller walked in after that but he too went back without troubling the scorers. South Africa reached to 77/5 from 67/1. Duminy and DeVilliers was last recognised pair for South Africa and they again began the counter attack but it didn't last too long. Duminy tried to pull one from Irfan but got the top edge and it was caught by Riaz in the deep. DeVilliers then was left with the tailenders. DeVilliers could have won it single handedly but he needed bit support on other end. DeVilliers showed great fight on one end. He was hitting the Pakistani bowlers with ease but there was noone to support him on the other end. He single handedly took his team past 200 but got out after that. South African innings ended on 202 and Pakistan won the match by 29 runs. It was great win for Pakistan and a great setback for South Africa. Feature of the match was that a Pakistani wicket keeper took six catches in a match.
Game 30: Ireland vs Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to bowl first. Stirling and Poterfield came out to bat for Ireland. It was good start for Ireland as Stirling hit two boundaries to Panyangara in the very first over of the innings. Panyangara got his man in 3rd over. It was the poor delivery but even poorer shot by Stirling. He cuts short and wide delivery straight into the hands of Williams at point. Poterfield and Joyce carried the Irish innings forward slowly. They carried on till 20th over but then on the first of 21st over Poterfield got out. He once again wasted both time and deliveries and got out. He made 29 off 61 balls. Balbirnie and Joyce paced the innings well after the wicket of Poterfield. They hit a boundary almost every over. Joyce went on to make a 100 while Balbirnie completed his 50 in that partnership. From 79/2 in the 21st over they carried on till 217 in 39th over. It was a great partnership between Balbirnie and Joyce. Joyce got out in 39th over on 112.
Kevin O'Brein was the next man in but he was playing supporting role to Balbirnie until he got set. Then both of them started hitting all over the ground. Their partnership went on till 275 and at that stage Kevin O'Brein got out. Cricket is game of partnerships and Ireland was pretty good at it. After Kevin O'Brein's wicket Wilson and Mooney came out all guns blazing. Ireland gone past 300. Wickets were falling on one end but Balbirnie was going strong on the other end. Balbirnie got out on 97. He ran himself out in the last over of the innings. Ireland ended up at 331/8 from their 50 overs. It was huge score. Zimbabwean bowlers were giving runs in heaps through out the world cup and in that match too they gave too many runs. It was a real test of Zimbabwe's batting line up. Raza and Chibhabha started slowly as there were only 3 runs on the board after 3 overs. They picked the score up after that. When Raza got out the score was 32 in the 8th over. Chibhabha followed Raza to the pavilion at the same total. Mire and Masakadza got together after Chibhabha's wicket.
Masakadza didn't last long in the middle. He got out on 5 and Zimbabwe was struggling and 41/3. Zimbabwe's skipper Taylor walked into the middle after Masakadza's wicket. Unlike Mire Taylor was searching for boundaries from the word go. Mire was thinking of supporting Taylor but it didn't worked and he got out. It was upto Taylor and Williams then to take their team home. Williams had been the backbone of Zimbabwe's batting during this world cup but in that match Taylor was timing the ball well. He got a start and he announced that he is going to make it count. Taylor went on and completed his 7th ODI hundred and that ton brought Zimbabwe back on track. While Taylor was doing his job Williams also was moving the scoreboard. As Taylor got out he took the responsibility of scoring the runs. It was going to be a tight finish as Williams was pacing the innings well. He only needed support on other end. Ervine failed this time and got out early. Chakabva was doing exactly what Williams needed. Williams was hitting the ball nicely and clearing the ropes well. Zimbabwe was closing in and was looking comfortable to win the match. Williams went for another big hit and Mooney caught him touching boundary ropes. Third umpire came into play and he gave Williams out while it was clearly a six. Williams got out on 94. It was a one gem of a innings by Williams and he was unlucky to be judged out. Then Mupawira nad Chakabva took this match till the end. Zimbabwe needed 7 runs off last over with two wickets in hand. Mupawira and Chakabva was looking to win it for Zimbabwe but Cusack took both the wickets in the last over and won it for Ireland. Ireland won it by 5 runs. It was a dramatic end to that match and how much that third umpire's decision mattered. If third umpire would have judged that as a six then the result of the match would have been different.
It was that day in world cup cricket which will be remembered for minnows. Ireland and Zimbabwe made hell of that match. In this world cup minnows had reacted in best possible manner to a proposal of ten team world cup. On the other hand South Africa was again pushed on to the back foot by Pakistan. South Africa is not chasing anything in this world cup. Now let's see which 8 teams moves to the next round. On day 22 New Zealand will play Afghanistan and Australia will play Sri Lanka.
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