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| April 08, 2007 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 19, 1428 |
Mooney wants to upset his in-laws
GEORGETOWN, April 7: Ireland's Paul Mooney has extra reason to redeem himself in the World Cup, after an inauspicious first match, by putting in a match-winning performance against New Zealand on Monday.
Mooney, who made a first ball nought and conceded 40 runs from 3.3 overs in his only match so far against South Africa, has a New Zealander wife.
The 30-year-old seam bowler from Dublin played two seasons in Auckland and Napier and is doubly determined to keep his place and help Ireland compete in their latest Super Eights match at Providence Stadium against the fancied Kiwis.
After progressing from the group stage against expectation, Ireland have lost both of their Super Eights matches while New Zealand have won their last eight One-day Internationals and are one of the tournament favourites.
“It was disappointing not to get off the mark and the same with the bowling,” Mooney said. “I bowled a few too many loose balls and at this level you can't afford to do that.
“You have to be bang on the mark, especially at the pace I bowl. You have to be hitting the top of off stump six out of six and any bit of width and these guys will latch on to it.
“I'll just keep training hard and if I get another game I will be keen to put in a better performance.”
Ireland, in their first World Cup and containing mostly amateurs, would ideally like to give each one of their 15-man squad a taste of World Cup action. Only two players — Kenny Carroll and Peter Gillespie — are yet to play.
Mooney, who has recently left his job as a farm machinery stores manager to become a cricket development officer at his local club, will hope he is not the man to make way should there be further changes, because of his private agenda.—Reuters
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