Porterfield Leads Ireland To Another Important Win

Porterfield Leads Ireland To Another Important Win

Action from the match between UAE and Ireland in Sharjah

©International Cricket Council

Ireland 199-4 (Porterfield 77) beat
United Arab Emirates 196 by 6 wickets
Second one-day game, Sharjah

Ireland took another big step towards securing qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 with a six-wicket victory over United Arab Emirates in the second and final one-day game in Sharjah.

The win, which followed up a five-wicket victory in the first game, extends their lead at the top of the ICC World Cricket League Championship table to four points.

The top two sides in the table will automatically qualify for the 2015 World Cup.

Ireland tore into UAE early on, reducing them to 30 for three and they struggled in their bid to mount a recovery, Shaiman Anwar top scoring with 39 as Trent Johnston (4-25), Alex Cusack (2-40) and John Mooney (2-46) shared eight of the wickets to fall as UAE were dismissed for 196.

In reply, captain William Porterfield led from the front by hitting 77 at the top of the order and although UAE hit back with four different bowlers each taking a wicket, Gary Wilson made an unbeaten 39 and Kevin O'Brien was not out on 25, the pair's unbroken 61-run stand getting Ireland home in 47.4 overs.

The two sides will now play a Twenty20 match tomorrow (21st March).

ICC World Cricket League Championship standings: Ireland 14 points, UAE, Afghanistan 10 points, Kenya, Scotland 8 points, Netherlands 6 points, Namibia, Canada 2 points

All teams have played eight games except Netherlands and Namibia, who have played six.

© Cricket World 2013