BY TOMMY NETHERY
RESERVED celebrations and etiquette normally associated with the game of cricket were well and truly thrown out the window as delirious Tyrone supporters celebrated Ireland's momentous victory over one of the tournament favourites, Pakistan at the World Cup on St Patrick's Day.
In clubhouses across the North West, sports fans were collectively on the edge of their seats as they universally cheered the Irish to a magnificent victory against one of the superpowers of the world game.
After local boy Boyd Rankin from Bready had toppled the wickets of Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal and Azhar Mahood, Ireland were on the brink of an historic win as they restricted their opponents to a meagre 132 all out. Cricket followers in Strabane, Sion Mills, Bready and Ballymagorry dared dream of the biggest shock the game has ever known.
But even they could never have imagined the drama that was about to unfold before their very eyes thousands of miles away at Sabina Park, Jamaica.
In reply, Donemana favourite William Porterfield gave the men in green a solid start with a useful 13 before a stunning knock of 72 by Niall O'Brien left the Irish within touching distance of their first ever win in their inaugural appearance at the World Cup.
As Adrian Birrell's troops edged towards victory - run by run, inch by inch - it was bite-your-finger-nails time for local followers. At 113 for seven this intriguing battle was firmly in the balance. The weight of history rested on the shoulders of skipper Trent Johnston and Kevin O'Brien. Back home those ardent supporters and those who had jumped on the Blarney bandwagon could barely watch.
Then came the explosion of unbridled joy and jubilation as Johnston fittingly hit an almighty six to announce Ireland's arrival on the world stage. Supporters in Strabane, Donemana, Sion Mills and Bready were literally dancing in the streets in unison with the 2000 Irish fans, many of them from the North West, who had witnessed a result that had rocked world of cricket first hand.
"It was quite incredible," said Donemana captain, Jordan McGonigle.
"We simply couldn't believe it. We knew Ireland had an outside chance when they restricted Pakistan to such a small total. It was cheer drama in the clubhouse as Ireland edged towards victory. Every ball, every run was cheered.
"I have never witnessed anything like for a cricket match. The atmosphere was electric. You would have thought it was a football match that the punters were watching.
"It was really incredible. Ireland's appearance in the World Cup has caught the imagination and there is real connection. Obviously I know the Tyrone lads very well but I hav e played under coach Adrian Birrell and played against most of the players out there.
"The best thing about it is that our overseas professional, who arrives over for the new season in a couple of weeks is Azhar Shaffique - from Pakistan. I imagine he's going to get a real hard time from the locals."
In Strabane's new clubhouse Ireland's triumph brought equalled scenes of joy and celebration.
"The punters went absolutely crazy when victory was sealed. Obviously there is a lot of interest with Peter (Gillespie) being involved," said club player Paul McNamee.
"However the atmosphere in the clubhouse on Saturday afternoon was unprecedented. There were people watching and cheering that have no connection or association with the game whatsoever. Hopefully Ireland's exploits will help the growth of the game on the domestic front over the next few years."
Fox Lodge stalwart, Adrian Walker expressed similar hopes and said the victory over Pakistan will undoubtedly lift the profile of the game back home.
"That was one of the ambitions of our participation for the World Cup and the win over Pakistan will go down as a stunning PR exercise as much as anything else," he said.
"Saturday evening's drama sparked tremendous excitement and celebration. It was simply fantastic. Only cricket followers can really appreciate the magnitude of the victory over Pakistan. St Patrick's Day 2007 could well go down as the biggest shock the game has ever known. It should certainly open a few doors for Irish cricket."
