T20 World Cup: Ireland lose to Zimbabwe in their opening game

Ireland's run astatine the Men's T20 World Cup got disconnected to a disappointing commencement arsenic Sikandar Raza inspired Zimbabwe to a 31-run triumph successful Hobart.

Ireland slumped to 22-4 disconnected 3.5 overs and ne'er recovered, finishing good abbreviated connected 143-9.

Scotland shocked two-time winners West Indies successful the earlier Group B match.

Ireland look Scotland successful their adjacent lucifer connected Wednesday (05:00 BST), knowing they indispensable triumph to support live their hopes of progressing. West Indies indispensable besides bash the aforesaid against Zimbabwe (09:00).

The apical 2 sides from each radical volition suffice for the Super 12s, which commencement connected 22 October. The victor of Group A and runner-up from Group B volition look England.

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Raza puts his manus up but Ireland abbreviated with bat

Despite seeing West Indies neglect to pursuit successfully earlier, Andrew Balbirnie decided helium wanted to bash the aforesaid successful this game, and Ireland started good with the ball.

Left-armer Josh Little, who impressed for Manchester Originals successful The Hundred this summer, struck doubly arsenic Ireland continued their awesome powerplay record.

Normally sides who suffer 3 wickets successful the powerplay spell connected to suffer the game, but that stat does not relationship for performances similar Raza's.

The right-hander treated the Irish bowling with disdain, hitting 5 sixes. He pulled distant regularly, hitting 53 of his runs done mid-wicket and quadrate leg.

Ireland took regular wickets, but the information they were incapable to get Raza until the last shot allowed Zimbabwe to station their grounds World Cup score.

The pursuit could not person got disconnected to a worse commencement with Paul Stirling bowled disconnected the 2nd ball, earlier Lorcan Tucker followed successful the third.

Harry Tector and Balbirnie past failed to grip the probing enactment and other bounce that Blessing Muzarabani found, with some nicking disconnected to archetypal slip, to efficaciously extremity the game.

Although Curtis Campher made 27 and George Dockrell - who was bowled by Raza - and Gareth Delany some added 24 it ne'er felt similar Ireland were going to propulsion disconnected the chase.

Zimbabwe, who person present won 8 of their past 9 T20 games, were bully with the ball, bowling stump to stump regularly, but dropped catches did creep successful towards the backmost end, and against amended absorption that could beryllium costly.