And who have Ireland to more than partially thank for this momentous victory…. arguably the best opening batsman they have ever had, yes all-rounder Stirling with his incredible 47-ball total of 95.
Ireland 208 for 7 (Stirling 95, O’Brien 48 – Bravo 2-28, Cottrell 2-37, Pierre 2-45) beat West Indies 204 for 7 (Lewis 53, Pollard 31 – Little 3-29, Young 2-31) by four runs
Ireland had already teetered on the absolute brink of beating West Indies in the second match of their ODI series. This time they got over the line, in a T20 game so cluttered with capricious mood swings that it kept the crowd on the edge of their seats throughout. Yet another stimulant, as if you need one, to acquire those ICC T20 World Cup Tickets before everybody else who were privileged enough to watch the match.
ICC T20 World Cup side Ireland’s, Paul Stirling a superb batting performance
Irish captain Andrew Balbirnie:
“It was just about as well as I’ve ever seen Paul bat in T20 cricket – he’s a world-class player and he’s played all around the world, he’s such as important player for us in all forms of cricket and he leads from the front, which he did today.”
Ireland appeared to be running away with the match in its first quarter, thanks to Paul Stirling’s flamboyantly energetic knock that embraced 4 mighty sixes and 8 fluent fours. In truth, West Indies appeared to be in complete disarray with Stirling in the middle. Six overs gone and staggeringly Ireland were 93 for no loss. Ploughing rapidly through the statistics, there is no team that has ever scored as many runs during the powerplay of a T20I game.
The Grenada pitch was flat, but Ireland’s openers were in “savage” form as they say back home. Stirling proceeding to clean hit literally anything that dropped within his arc down the ground, in punishing style, while partner Kevin O’Brien was pulling the most paper-thin definition of short balls for six.
So at the 12-over mark, Ireland were heading relentlessly toward a massive total, given that Stirling and O’Brien had pushed them up to 153 for nought, setting a new record for Irish first-wicket partnerships in the process.
Windies’ Dwayne Bravo return’s to international T20 cricket with style
However, West Indies resistance was galvanised by the re-emergence of Dwayne Bravo after three-and-a-half years of retirement from international cricket. As a result the hosts hauled themselves back into contention with a mesmerising display of astute T20 bowling spearheaded by Bravo’s comeback.
He didn’t let the opportunity slip away from him, despite his first over going for 18, as Stirling launched his first three balls for big boundaries. Accepting this was no pitch for light-touch slower balls; Bravo resorted to his other well known delivery, promptly firing in three yorkers in quick succession. While O’Brien defended the first two, he couldn’t thwart the third, a wicked last minute dipper with a smidgeon of in-swerve, crunching his off stump.
That ball alone precipitated a dramatic mid-innings collapse in which Ireland lost 4 wickets for 10, including Stirling who finally fluffed a slog-sweep in an innings peppered with them. Bravo triggered the slide, but that could not diminish the value of Hayden Walsh’s deceiving turn and variety which had Ireland’s batsmen struggling. While Gary Wilson and Gareth Delany got Ireland back on the rails via a stand of 35 in 17 balls, the team only managed 55 runs in their last eight overs.
Consequently, the distinct possibility of an Irish landslide victory was averted, when instead of being faced by a demanding run chase target of between 240 and 250, the Windies were ultimately set a modest 209 to win.
Now if a game poised in such a dramatic fashion doesn’t it make you want to find your best T20 World Cup tickets deal in the near future, what does it take? Continue reading the match report and you’ll be convinced.
Run-chases run deep in Windies DNA working up to ICC T20 World Cup
Now believe me when I say it’s in the DNA, West Indies know how to chase 10 runs an over, and they set about their target with clinical precision, reaching 105 for 2 by the half way point. Evin Lewis carrying his rich vein of ODI form forward into this format had already chalked off 53 of those runs, before clipping Craig Young’s slower ball tamely to Tector. Shimron Hetmyer, off like a train, hammered two sixes for a crisp 21 but was gone in 14 balls.
Ireland’s George Dockrell had taken a boundary-rich pasting in the 8th, but was pressed back into service in the 11th over. Hetmyer was on strike, brimming with belief that he could clear long-off for six every time. Last ball of the over, Dockrell dangled a repeat ball wide of off stump, Hetmyer, succumbing to temptation finally got an uncertain connection, and long-off dived to collect a low catch.
West Indies needed 59 off 36 at the start of the 15th over, seven wickets in hand, Pollard in form with 31 off 13, Irish hearts in mouths. Already battered offspinner, Simi Singh returning to the attack, suddenly decides to bowl legspin, inexplicably second delivery Pollard holed out to the excellent Dockrell at long-on. Meanwhile, Nicholas Pooran was tied down at the other end, by thrifty Josh Little. Pooran suffering a distinct loss of betting mojo until the 17th; West Indies still needed 43 off 18. Fortunes swung again, Sherfane Rutherford clouting sixes off Barry McCarthy’s first two balls. Pooran on strike, back among the runs, two fours and a six in succession, but out next over finding deep backward square leg with ease.
Nevertheless, the hosts had doggedly stuck to their task remaining in touch with the required rate at every stage, with all top six batters racking up runs
This left West Indies needing 13 off the last over, bowled by economics professor Little. Rutherford out first ball, heavy-handed miscue on leg-side, Bravo in to bat piled the pressure back on Ireland with a trademark pull for six. Seven off four required ….then… five off two. Bravo tried another pull shot, the stadium leapt in unison as the ball arced, but a shocked gasp then the low groan as it dropped into deep midwicket’s hands. Hayden Walsh needed to hit a six to win it, but ever precise dot ball specialist, Little, made no mistake bowling unerringly into the blockhole, leaving no room for manoeuvre.
There we have it, somehow, a combination of courageous bowling selections and a sequence of superb acrobatic catching from Ireland conspired against West Indies who fired up but fell agonisingly short.
Now surely that is a match script that sends you rushing off to purchase your ICC T20 World Cup Tickets?
West Indies and Ireland put on a dazzling display of T20 cricket
Anyway, before we start to dissect the game, might I ask you a question? If Australia’s David Warner has the best strike rate among the eight batsmen who have passed the 2000-run mark in T20Is at 140.85. Who is tucked in second place at 139.77? Why Belfast-born Paul Stirling of course?
