Stirling leads Ireland to speedy victory

Cricket:Paul Stirling showed just why he is a young cricketer going places fast in Dubai this morning, ripping Canada to shreds as Ireland claimed as comprehensive a 10-wicket win as you'll see in their opening play-off match at the World Twenty20 qualifier.

Chasing just 107 after a cracking bowling display, Stirling and skipper William Porterfield knocked off the runs in just 57 balls to complete a seventh straight win in the competition and keep alive their chances of claiming the second qualifying spot for next September’s finals in Sri Lanka.

Stirling went off like a train and never applied the brakes, hitting two fours and a six in the first over before going on to score the quickest 50 in Irish international history off just 21 deliveries, 46 of those coming from boundaries as he clobbered the Canadians for seven fours and three sixes.

The third of those sixes was a quite exceptional shot off Junaid Siddiqui, a checked drive travelling over the rope over extra cover.

Porterfield also got in on the act, taking 18 runs off Rizwan Cheema’s first and only over on his way to an unbeaten 42 from 25 balls.

Fittingly it was 21-year-old Stirling that wrapped up proceedings less than a half an hour after Ireland went out to bat, hitting his ninth four to finish on 61 off 32 balls.

It wasn’t enough to win the man of the match award as Trent Johnston received the gong for his brilliant opening spell of two for nine from his four overs, while Max Sorensen came back well after conceding 13 runs in his first over, taking three wickets for just seven runs in his next three.

Teenage left-arm spinner George Dockrell kept up his fine bowling performances in the tournament, taking three wickets for 19, including Ruvindu Gunasekera to a brilliant running catch from Stirling.

Ireland will now face the Netherlands in the next game of the play-offs after the Dutch got the better of Scotland by three wickets.

The winners of that game will face the losers of the first qualifying final between Afghanistan and Namibia for a place in the finals.

SCORES

Canada 106-8(20 ovs) (R Gunasekera 26, T Gordon 23; G Dockrell 3-19, M Sorensen 3-20, T Johnston 2-9)

Ireland 109-0(9.3 ovs) (P Stirling 61no, W Porterfield 42no).

Ireland won by 10 wickets.