Ireland maintain unbeaten start to ICC World Twenty20 qualifier

Ireland needed to draw on all their experience of tight finishes to keep up an unbeaten start to the ICC World Twenty20 qualifier over the weekend with last-over victories over Canada and the United Arab Emirates putting them top of Group A ahead of a two-day break.

Phil Simmons’s side followed up a two-run win over Canada at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday with a five-run victory at the venue’s second ground on Sunday to give them a two-point lead after victories over their three main group rivals.

Chasing a target of 139 in Sunday’s game, host side the United Arab Emirates were left needing nine runs from the final over for victory or eight to tie the scores and force a super over to decide the result.

With three wickets in hand it looked on for the UAE, with 39-year-old Ireland veteran Trent Johnston taking the ball.

Niall O’Brien ran out Nasir Aziz off the first ball, with Johnston restricting the UAE to two singles before Max Sorensen’s brilliant throw from long leg helped run out Shadeep Silva.

Johnston ended the game with his next delivery as he yorked number 11 batsman Manjula Garuge to seal the win.

Stemmed the tide
Sorensen and Paul Stirling has stemmed the tide after the UAE made a great start, giving away just 38 runs and taking three wickets between them in eight overs.

Wicket-keeper Gary Wilson had earlier kept up his fine batting performances so far in the tournament, making 53 not out off 44 balls in Ireland’s total of 138 for five.

Kevin O’Brien was the other big contributor on a slow pitch, making a run-a-ball 47 and sharing a 92-run fourth-wicket stand in 77 deliveries with Wilson.

In Saturday’s game, Ireland defended a total of 168 for five that owed a lot to an unbeaten 39 off 24 balls from Johnston after he was promoted to number five in the order.

Canada bounced back from losing wickets to the first two deliveries of their innings, bowled by Max Sorensen, with Ruvindu Gunasekera and skipper Ashish Bagai both make half-centuries to set up another tense finish. Needing 14 off the last over bowled by Alex Cusack, Canada could could only manage nine as they fell to a second defeat.

Previous experience
Although Wilson acknowledged that Ireland are still to hit their best form in the tournament, he pointed out that previous experience is helping them see our close finishes.

“Good teams do that, they win games whenever they come down to the wire,” said Wilson, who averages 97 after three innings. “And I think with our experience, we’ve been here, done it before, won tournaments, and that is definitely standing to us, especially in tight finishes.

Ireland’s next Group A game on Wednesday sees them face the United States in Abu Dhabi.

Both group winners automatically qualify for next year’s first round of the World Twenty20 finals in Bangladesh, with four other places on offer through a series of play-offs.