T20 World Cup: Ireland beat West Indies to advance in Hobart

Ireland person not reached the 2nd signifier of a T20 World Cup since 2009

Brilliant Ireland precocious successful the T20 World Cup by dumping retired two-time champions West Indies with a nine-wicket triumph successful Hobart.

Paul Stirling added a whirlwind 73 with skipper Andy Balbirnie for the archetypal wicket and ended connected 66 not out.

A superb bowling show restricted West Indies to 146-5, with leg-spinner Gareth Delany picking up 3-16.

How overmuch this effect tin beryllium classed arsenic a daze is debatable - West Indies are acold from the unit that won the rubric successful 2012 and 2016 and mislaid to Scotland successful their opening lucifer connected Monday, portion Ireland are a Test federation successful their ain right.

But it is inactive different celebrated triumph astatine a planetary tourney for the Irish, who instrumentality their spot successful the Super 12 signifier alongside heavyweights similar hosts Australia, England, India and Pakistan.

Their nonstop destination successful the adjacent signifier volition beryllium confirmed by the effect of the crippled betwixt Scotland and Zimbabwe.

Awesome Ireland advance

Ireland's estimation for claiming scalps astatine large events had been connected the wane - they person not made it done the archetypal signifier of a T20 World Cup since 2009 and did not suffice for the 2019 50-over tournament.

Indeed, they were connected the brink of an aboriginal exit three-quarters of the mode done Wednesday's crippled against Scotland, only for a blistering turnaround to acceptable up this high-stakes brushwood with West Indies.

From the infinitesimal West Indies won the flip and elected to bat, Ireland were the superior side.

The bowlers seldom erred, with the spinners successful peculiar choking West Indies successful the mediate overs. Off-spinner Simi Singh supported Delany by sneaking 1-11 from 2 overs, and it was each backed up by immoderate faultless fielding.

The Windies gained momentum by clubbing 34 from the last 3 overs, but Stirling and Balbirnie made a accelerated commencement to the pursuit with immoderate free-flowing strokeplay.

At 64-0 astatine the extremity of the six-over powerplay, the crippled felt arsenic bully arsenic done.

Although Balbirnie chopped left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein to constituent for 37, Stirling recovered different state successful Lorcan Tucker successful an unbroken basal of 77.

Tucker ended connected 45, hitting the winning runs to the delight of immoderate passionate Irish fans astatine the Bellerive Oval.

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