Scenes in New York: Another T20 World Cupset as Canada shock Ireland to notch first ever win
It may not have been in the same league as the US hosts beating Pakistan less than 24 hours earlier but Canada have kept up the shocks at the T20 World Cup with their 12-run defeat of Ireland in New York.
Nicholas Kirton scored 49 off 35 balls to help Canada earn their first win in a T20 World Cup on Friday, ensuring that, for the second time in two days, an associate member team defeated a full member in group A.
Kirton helped Canada score 7-137 in their 20 overs after they had been put in to bat, with Shreyas Movva also contributing 37 off 36.
In reply, Ireland were restricted to 7-125 with medium pacers Jeremy Gordon and Dillon Heyliger taking two wickets each.
Canada are competing at the T20 World Cup for the first time, and lost their opening game to the United States.
“It was a good wicket to bat on, except a couple of patches in the middle,” Kirton said.
“It was important to get set and bounce back from defeat in the first game. Our spinners bowled very well and got purchase from the wicket.”
Opting to bowl, Ireland kept things tight in the powerplay and Canada were down to 4-53 in 8.1 overs before Kirton played a rescuing hand.
Kirton hit three fours and two sixes, following on from the 51 he scored against the US in the first game. He put on 75 off 63 balls with Movva for the fifth wicket, the partnership that turned the game for Canada.
For Ireland, medium pacers Craig Young (2-32) and Barry McCarthy (2-24) took two wickets each.
At the start of their chase, the Irish could only manage a single boundary in the first six overs and reached 1-31 at the end of the powerplay.
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Openers Andrew Balbirnie (17) and Paul Stirling (9) fell cheaply and Canada then deployed spin, which further squeezed Ireland’s scoring.
Jeremy Gordon and Nicholas Kirton celebrate the wicket of Paul Stirling. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Heylinger used his medium pace to great effect during the middle overs, partnering with Gordon to bowl eight overs for 4-34.
George Dockrell scored 30no off 23 balls, and found aid from Mark Adair, who top-scored with 34 off 24 balls.
But that wasn’t enough to prevent Canada from defending the third-lowest target set by an associate side in T20 World Cups.