Player of the Match
Player of the Match
1859dThe Report by Alan Gardner

Kevin O'Brien's maiden Test hundred allows Ireland to dream

A magnificent rearguard hundred from Kevin O'Brien gave Ireland a lead of 139 in their maiden Test and the prospect of giving Pakistan an awkward run chase

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

KJ O'Brien
KJ O'Brien
118(217) 12x4 - 0x6
Control %74%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 34 runs
  • 2x4 - 0x6
21 20 14 8 26 1 3 25
Faheem Ashraf
Faheem Ashraf
83(115) 9x4 - 1x6
Control %63%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 16 runs
  • 0x4 - 0x6
10 11 13 6 11 11 13 8

Best performances - Bowlers

Mohammad Abbas
Mohammad Abbas
O28.3
M10
R66
W5
Eco2.31
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
3W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
Mohammad Abbas
Mohammad Abbas
O11
M4
R44
W4
Eco4.00
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
1W1W

Match Details

Toss

Ireland , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Series result

Pakistan won the one-off match

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

11:00 start, Lunch 13.00-13.40, Tea 15.40-16.00, Close 18.00

Match days

11,12,13,14,15 May 2018 (5-day match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Scorecard Summary

PAKISTAN 310/9d(96 OVERS)
1ST INNINGS

IRELAND 130(47.2 OVERS)
1ST INNINGS

IRELAND 339 f/o(129.3 OVERS)
2ND INNINGS

PAKISTAN 160/5(45 OVERS)
2ND INNINGS

Scorer: Chandan Duorah | Commentator: Andrew Miller

END OF OVER:
45 | 5 Runs | PAK: 160/5

  • Imam-ul-Haq74 (121b)
  • Shadab Khan4 (11b)
  • Tyrone Kane6-1-17-0
  • Stuart Thompson11-4-31-1

4pm So, that just about wraps things up from Malahide. It's been a special five four days, and it's ended with a doughty performance from a young Pakistan side who found their heroes at the right moment throughout the contest.

Ireland have oodles to be proud of, however. Especially that man Kevin O'Brien. Don't forget to check out all our post-match coverage from Mel and Jarrod, including #PoliteEnquiries. And we'll see you next week for Pakistan's next engagement, against England at Lord's on May 24.

Time for some presentations First up the Man of the Match is Kevin O'Brien.

"I think a slightly better morning for us and we could have pushed Pakistan even harder. I struggled the most this morning trying to forget about yesterday, it was mentally draining. I just played the situation where we needed to stick in and dig around. I'm renowned for slogging the ball into the stands but I reined myself in a little bit!

Will Porterfield: "The 200 mark would have made it close, but full credit to the boys, if we'd been able to break that partnership earlier it could have been close. We had a hell of a lot of good things coming out of the game. I couldn't have asked any more of the bowlers, we'd have liked to have the opportunity to bat that first innings again, but we showed character, and brought that into our first Test."

"Regardless of what happens, we always talked about winning the next session."

A T20 series against India coming up... "A lot to look forward to."

Sarfraz Ahmed: "Batting is very difficult here so a great knock from Imam and Babar. We dropped a couple of catches but if we'd taken them... they made a good partnership, but credit to my bowlers and my batsmen."

England coming up for Pakistan. "We need this kind of performance, so in'shallah we are ready for that tour."

3.55pm Ali Ahad: "Pakistan have too few experienced player for the team of their caliber, Ireland have two many experienced player they needed young blood" Not entirely untrue. But the combination has been compelling this week.

3.50pm The two teams have just posed for a joint photograph. What a nice touch that is! And a sign of the respect forged between the two sides. A genuine feelgood match for a beleaguered old format.

Ali Ahad: "Sometimes I realize how Important Pakistan is for the revival/survival of Test Cricket ... " Damn right. They are the linchpin in my opinion. The most interesting team for the neutrals to observe, in awe, in shock, in laughter sometimes. But it's never dull!

Swerver: "Ireland may have lost this match, but they have certainly won respect. A better first innings score and this match could've been really close." Indeed. They were a touch paralysed by nerves in the first dig, but really settled into their roles thereafter. Batting at times brilliant, bowling forever tenacious.

Maan: "A one or two very important things Pakistan need to improve in up coming games against england .. firstly they need azhar to stand up Pak surely cant afford him being out of form .. secondly sarfraz need to improve behind the stumps .. he is not batting that well and then if he cant keeps well enough then surely its gonna hurt Pskistan big time"

3.45pm Handshakes all round, and rightly so. It's been a tremendous Test match, Ireland battled to the bitter end, even when all hope was lost they refused to offer any freebies

Stefan: "Hey, at least this was a wonderful distraction from the seemingly never-ending, monotonously soul crushing, strategy breakingly commercial megabeast that is the IPL. I almost forgot what real cricket is like... " Talking of such things, an IPL/Test cricket cross-over player is at it again for Rajasthan Royals...

44.6
2
Kane to Imam-ul-Haq, 2 runs, inside-edged push through square leg, and Pakistan have won by five wickets! Fittingly it's Imam with the winning runs. He's played a blinder, rescuing his side from 14 for 3, and on debut as well
44.5
0
Kane to Imam-ul-Haq, no run, full length, dug out, pushed into the off side

Umair Mehmood: "Looking back at 14/3, Pakistan still needs a top order batsman which can stay longer. It's big time to test Fawad Alam" He certainly thinks so!

44.4
1
Kane to Shadab Khan, 1 run, nudged to cover to take a third off the requirement
44.3
0
Kane to Shadab Khan, no run, left alone, no stroke offered on a wide line
44.2
2
Kane to Shadab Khan, 2 runs, on the pads, flicked square, a scrambling half-stop from Thompson, but Pakistan need three now
44.1
0
Kane to Shadab Khan, no run, very full, late swing, blocked, no surrender from the Irish

Pakistan 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st2Azhar AliImam-ul-Haq
2nd11Haris SohailImam-ul-Haq
3rd1Asad ShafiqImam-ul-Haq
4th126Babar AzamImam-ul-Haq
5th12Sarfaraz AhmedImam-ul-Haq
6th8Imam-ul-HaqShadab Khan