Paddy's Day memories

A year ago, I was at Sabina Park, watching one of the greatest sporting upsets. To the tune of Cotton-Eye Joe, Molly Malone and many others, Ireland's finest, some of them originally from Australia, held their nerve to shock Pakistan. A South African, Andre Botha, did a fair imitation of Glenn McGrath on a seam-friendly pitch, before Boyd Rankin and others sent Pakistan plummeting to a dismal total.

With elimination imminent, Pakistan roused themselves with the ball, but the composure of Niall O'Brien and a swashbuckling hit or two from Trent Johnston, the captain, saw Ireland over the line, sparking off raucous celebrations that would continue in Ocho Rios that night.

By the next noon though, our hangovers had turned nasty, with news of Bob Woolmer being taken to hospital. Within hours, the world knew that he was dead, and it was a shellshocked Irish side that returned to Kingston a little later.

While Woolmer's death was to cast a pall of gloom over the tournament, the Irish adventure would continue in Guyana, Barbados and Grenada. Wherever they went, they won hearts - even the president's wife in Guyana was seen wearing a team shirt - and admirers for the exuberance with which they took on cricket's big boys.

Ed Leahy was one of the few Irish journalists to travel with the team right through a remarkable seven weeks when they even managed to eclipse Brian O'Driscoll and his rugby-union mates. Ed's book, Green Wickets, chronicles that adventure, and is essential reading, especially for those that bemoan the lack of true underdog stories in modern-day sport.

With plenty of pictures - the best ones are of antics off the field - and economical prose, Green Wickets was a wonderful read, and it helped me recall some of the great moments of the Irish campaign. Sit back with it, and rewind to Rankin, the gentle giant from the north, sending Ed Joyce on his way, and Johnston's chicken-dance to celebrate bowling Adam Gilchrist. Memories are made of these.

Comments

[SanjayN]

Interestingly, Rankin will be playing county cricket this coming season for Warwickshire under the guidance of Allan Donald. He should improve but if I'm not mistaken, he has also signed up for ICL which is likely to pose a problem or two.

The approaching court action fighting the band on ICl players can't come quick enough to resolve these issues.

The book on the Irish adevnture looks a good read, thanks Dileep.

[P]

Check out this really good doco on http://www.irishcricketdoco.com. The guy who made it also followed the team around during the World Cup - well worth a look

It was an amazing moment for Irish cricket and no doubt - especially given how little interest most people in Ireland have in cricket.