Advertisement
Rebecca Naden/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Irish cricket's finest hour: who are the big winners - apart from O'Brien and Co?

It’s a victory that will be recalled for years to come – but who are the real victors this evening?

1. National stereotyping

Sky Sports commentators and pundits really could not help themselves – though they seemed genuinely pleased for Ireland.

We first endured a morning of David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd punctuating his remarks with talk of ‘the black stuff’. Others pitched in with allusions to the Emerald Isle and the so-called ‘luck of the Irish’, before Geoffrey Boycott out-did himself.

The ‘straight-talking’ Yorkshireman pitched in with this remark as Ireland were on the brink of a famous victory:

If you leprechauns can’t get over the line now, I don’t know… My mum could win it from here; you’ve done the hard work.

Stay classy, controversial commentator with colourful past.

2. One lucky gambler

BetFair Ireland say they took one €25 wager when the Irish were at 400-1 earlier this afternoon. That’s just not cricket, is it?

3. Bandwagons everywhere

We had a nice little debate bubbling in the comments section of our over-by-over coverage focusing on the merits or otherwise of  covering the game.

We’re still very much open for debate on the issue, but the comments grew yet more positive as the drama unfolded this afternoon.

We’re a sucker for an underdog in green.

4. Twitter

As Vincent Browne would say, the Twitter machine was in over-drive after the defeat of the Auld Enemy. We have some of the best here.

5. The English media

The Daily Telegraph have gone in early and hard. The papers are going to be fun in the morning.

“One of the great British sporting humiliations. To Belo Horizonte 1950 to Albury 1992, to Wimbledon 2000, can be added Bangalore 2011.”

H/T  Broadsheet.ie

6. Irish cricket’s grassroots

Won’t it warm your heart to see the nation’s kids with their bats on the streets this evening? Won’t it?

Read more on Ireland’s defeat of England>

Close