South Africa vs Ireland : SA look for place in Quarter Final

It may not be one of the most awaited matches of the 2011 World Cup, but playing at the Eden Gardens has always been a memorable experience for every international cricketer and it won’t be any different when South Africa take on Ireland on Tuesday.

Having beaten India in a nail biting encounter in Nagpur, the South Africans will be on a high and Ireland will have their task cut out against a side out to prove that they are no longer chokers.

But taking Ireland lightly could not only cost the Proteas two crucial points, but also hinder their smooth passage into the knockout stages. Ireland, on the other hand, have nothing to lose and their inspirational performances have already made the top teams in Group B sit up and take notice.

With the group wide open, the Irish boys wouldn’t mind spoiling South Africa’s party at a refurbished Eden Gardens. AB de Villiers, instrumental in helping South Africa chase down India’s total of 296, might sit out after pulling a thigh muscle in the match.

He is the third-highest runscorer in this edition with 318 runs from four innings, behind Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. But Dale Steyn will have gained enormous confidence after his five-for at Nagpur. Even Jacques Kallis would be a relieved man having scored his first fifty of the tournament on Saturday.

Ireland, too, have a few positives to take from their last encounter against the West Indies at Mohali on Friday. While Kevin O’Brien turned up the heat on the Windies batsmen scalping four wickets, former England international Ed Joyce returned to form with a classy knock of 84.

So while the Irish players will look to make South Africa’s journey to the knockout stages tough, the Proteas will be looking for nothing less than a comprehensive victory over the party-poopers. Although the South Africans took the day off on Monday — having played against India on Saturday and travelling on Sunday — Ireland had a long session in the morning.

After started off with a game of rugby and some fielding drills, they soon got down to business. While the likes of skipper William Porterfield, Joyce and Kevin O’Brien had long sessions against both the fast and the spin bowlers, Niall O’Brien was content to play against the slower bowlers.

Coming back to the Eden Gardens, while it had to miss out on the India-England encounter due to slow progress of construction work, the pitch and playing conditions are said to be of the finest quality, so an intriguing battle is on the cards. Curator Prabir Mukherjee said that the track would suit both bowlers and batsmen.

“There is a bit of grass on the wicket and although it won’t be a bouncy pitch, the carry will be good. I don’t believe in predicting scores, but if the players get their basics right, it will be an interesting match,” he said.