Hobart : Brilliant Ireland advanced in the T20 World Cup by dumping out two-time champions West Indies with a nine-wicket victory in Hobart. In a winner-take-all final match of the group stage, Ireland coasted a pursuit of 147 with 15 balls to spare. Paul Stirling added a whirlwind 73 with captain Andy Balbirnie for the first wicket and ended on 66 not out.

A superb bowling display restricted West Indies to 146-5, with leg-spinner Gareth Delany picking up 3-16. How much this result can be classed as a shock is debatable - West Indies are far from the force that won the title in 2012 and 2016 and lost to Scotland in their opening match on Monday, while Ireland are a Test nation in their own right. But it is still another famous win at a global tournament for the Irish, who finish second in Group B and move on to Group One of the Super 12s, alongside hosts Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

They will play England in Melbourne on Wednesday (05:00 BST), the first time the two sides have met in a global event since the Irish pulled off a stunning upset at the 2011 50-over World Cup. 

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 22 2022

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.