With England failing miserably at 118 for 4 on the first test against Pakistan, there were already cries for a saviour to arrive, something us cricket enthusiasts have become accustomed to with the recent England team. Paul Collingwood already at the crease would have been the most likely candidate to pull his side from the depths of embarrassment, but today he was going to have some help. Eoin Morgan the incoming batsmen, still trying to find his feet in the test cricket arena was prepared to take up the burdensome responsibility of resurrecting the English scoreboard. 

This saviour however, is not home grown. In fact he is a product of Ireland. Eoin Morgan was born in Dublin, and from there his cricket career has taken him to all parts of the British Empire and beyond, including India where he enjoyed a stint with the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the lucrative IPL T20 competition. Morgan has represented his homeland of Ireland in the Under 19 side and the Ireland A team, but ironically he scores his maiden test hundred playing for the neighbours, England. 

Morgan breezed through to his half century against the Pakistani attack yesterday at Trent Bridge and kept his eyes firmly on the hundred. The Irishman treated the crowd to an array of his unorthodox shots, including his trademark reverse sweep and a number of cheeky paddles past the wicket keeper. To his credit he bounced back after a few near dismissals and remained calm and collected, bringing up his well earned tonne with a lofted drive over the spinners head for a maximum. The predominantly British audience at Trent Bridge were more than happy to applaud the youngster's feat quickly disregarding his nationality, terribly an English thing to do, "If he's good enough we'll claim him."

Not bad for an Irishman.