Disciplined bowling restricted the Caribbean to 146-5, Gareth Delany won a career-best 3-16 before the Irish chased down their target for the loss of just one wicket in Hobart with 15 balls to spare .
In his seventh World Cup, the 32-year-old started with a blistering 73 with captain Andy Balbirnie to supercharge Ireland’s run chase.
The final Super 12 slot will be decided later on Friday when Zimbabwe take on Scotland.
“It means everything. We had a disappointing loss at the same level last year,” Balberni said.
“Losing the first game and then coming back and beating the two-time champions in a winning game… just can’t be prouder. Very emotional end to the game.”
West Indies won the tournament in 2012 and 2016, but came to Australia with a new team after Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard retired, and Andre Russell was overlooked.
They stumbled badly in their opening match against Scotland, crashing for 42 runs, before recovering to defeat Zimbabwe emphatic.
But in Ireland, who are playing in their seventh straight World Cup and had only been able to go past the first round once, in 2009, they hit the wall again.
“It’s tough, we haven’t batted well in this tournament at all,” said West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran.
“It’s a learning experience for us. We have let our fans and ourselves down. It’s definitely hurting.”
at goal
After West Indies won the toss and batted at a breezy Bellerive Oval in Hobart, the Irish bowlers sent nine of their first 15 dot balls.
In desperation, Kyle Meyers launches on a delivery from Barry McCarthy and is caught at mid-off for one by Harry Tector.
The dangerous Johnson Charles slammed Curtis Camper 4-4-6, but his luck ran out in the next over, leaving Camper off-spinner Simi Singh for 24.
Brandon King was dropped two balls later and he made the most of it, hitting four boundaries to take West Indies to 67-2 at the halfway point.
Evin Lewis underwent treatment for a hamstring problem and was dismissed for 13, ending a 44-run partnership.
Pooran (13) and Rovman Powell (6) could not hold up as King (62 not out) tried his best to move up the scoreboard.
In reply, Ireland got off to a fine start with Sterling and Balbirnie on a mission, scoring 54 runs in the first five overs with eight boundaries, four of them sixes.
Akil Hossein’s spin finally caught Balbirnie at the hands of Meyers after an entertaining run of 37 off 23 balls to give West Indies a decisive start in the eighth over.
The run rate came down but Sterling continued in his 177th international and reached his 21st T20I half-century with another boundary and Lorcan Tucker (45 not out) saw him at home.
No comments:
Post a Comment