Dublin: Pakistan could manage only a tie in the first one-day international against Ireland at a bitterly cold Clontarf on Thursday after Kevin O'Brien hit the last ball of the match for four. Set a Duckworth-Lewis target of 276 to win in 47 overs, Ireland needed 15 off the last over by Saeed Ajmal, the number-one ranked bowler, but O'Brien, the destroyer of England at the last World Cup, hit the fourth ball for six to set up the thrilling finale.
He could not manage a repeat off the last ball to win the game for the leading Associate country but the boundary brought about the 28th tie in ODI history. O'Brien finished 84 not out from just 47 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes, and followed on from Paul Stirling rampaging opening when he hit a 102-ball century to set up Ireland's victory charge. Ireland had famously beaten Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup but they were never favourites to win this one. The tourists always appeared to hold the upper hand, getting wickets at vital times, but they will look back at the chance O'Brien gave to Mohammad Irfan, when he was only 19, as the one that got away and ultimately cost them victory.
Ajmal's figures of 0
02:39 AM, May 24, 2013
