North West cricketer William Porterfield has made history by becoming the first player to score a Twenty20 century for Ireland.
William Porterfield.
The Donemana man’s unbeaten 127 helped the Irish to a 75-run win over the USA in the ICC World Twenty20 qualifier in Abu Dhabi.
Porterfield, captain of the Irish side, took only 69 balls to knock up the record score, smashing five sixes and 12 fours in a brilliant exhibition of T20 batting.
Speaking afterwards he said: “It’s pretty pleasing to go out there and strike it so cleanly from the off – they’ve been pretty good decks out here.
“It more pleasing to get a convincing win and you don’t often get 200 runs and take 10 wickets in T20 cricket.”
Porterfield will return to the crease again tomorrow when the Irish take on Italy in another Group A qualifying game at the same venue.
The left-handed batsman has played for the senior Ireland team since 2006 and the under-19s since 2003. He has captained Ireland at all levels from under-13 upwards.
On 31 January 2007, he scored his maiden one day international century with an unbeaten 112 to guide his side to victory over Bermuda. He followed it up in his next game with 104 not out against Kenya.
In the 2007 World Cup he was man of the match with 85 against Bangladesh during a Super Eight game, which Ireland won.
Porterfield scored his maiden first-class century in late August 2007. In a match against Bermuda as part of the 2007–08 ICC Intercontinental Cup, he scored 166 runs from 326 balls.[3]
In the 2011 Cricket World Cup, he hit 68 off 98 balls and helped his team to victory over the Netherlands.
Porterfield was appointed Ireland captain at the start of the 2008 season, succeeding Trent Johnston.
Despite being Ireland’s official captain, Porterfield chose to represent his county instead of leading Ireland in their ODIs against Scotland and New Zealand in July 2008 in an attempt to secure a permanent position at Gloucestershire.
He was one of seven Ireland players to be nominated for the 2009 Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year (there were fourteen nominees in all), eventually winning the award.
He was selected in Ireland’s 15-man squad for the 2011 World Cup and led them to a famous victory over England and to narrow defeats to Bangladesh, West Indies and India, as well as hitting the 100th six of the tournament during the match against hosts India. He also captained Ireland to a victory over the Netherlands.
A side made up of some of the best players from Associate and Affiliate teams was put together to face England in Dubai in January 2012. The three-day match was part of England’s preparation for a series against Pakistan later that month. Porterfield captained the squad and was one of four Ireland included.
Between 2004 and 2006, Porterfield played Second XI cricket for Durham, MCC Young Cricketers, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire and Kent.
Porterfield attracted interest from Gloucestershire during the 2007 World Cup and was given a trial with the county in between international commitments.
In the 2007 season, Porterfield became the first Irishman to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year, and towards the end of the season Gloucestershire offered him a two-year contract.
He guided Ireland to their first victory against a county side in two years against Warwickshire with an innings of 69 from 110 balls.
Porterfield was absent from Ireland’s last two Friends Provident Trophy matches as he was called into the Gloucestershire squad.
After Gloucestershire batsman Craig Spearman sustained an injury, Porterfield was given the opportunity to open the batting.
He came close to scoring his maiden first-class century for Gloucestershire in a match against Glamorgan County Cricket Club in August 2008, coming up short by seven runs on a score of 93.
In August 2010, he set a new career best in scoring 175 in the first innings of a County Championship Division Two match between Gloucestershire and Worcestershire at Cheltenham.
At the end of the season, Porterfield was one of several players to leave Gloucestershire and in October 2010 signed a three-year contract with Warwickshire.
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