After winning the toss the victory was set up by an imperious batting display which culminated in a score of 207 for 4 wickets. The charge was led by the most formidable opening pair in Associate cricket, William Porterfield and Paul Stirling, who blazed 91 runs of the first 10 overs. This time Stirling was the dominant partner as he pillaged the Hong Kong bowling for 77 runs of just 46 balls. He hit 9 fours and 3 sixes to all parts of the ground yet again demonstrating that he can change gears when the occasion demands, as it did today because defeat would have condemned Ireland to a series of playoff matches to ensure qualification.
Porterfield had fallen with the score on 91 caught at mid -off for 38 off 30 balls. With Kevin O’Brien as his new partner Stirling continued the onslaught until he perished, caught on the boundary aiming for his fourth six. They had added 43 in four overs. Although John Mooney fell quickly, the arrival at the wicket of the most consistent Ireland player of the tournament Gary Wilson, saw the run rate surge again. O’Brien and Wilson brought the Hong Kong team to their knees with a blistering stand of 39 of 17 balls before Wilson, having hit the biggest six of the day over square leg, was bowled of the penultimate ball of the nineteenth over. He made 19 of 9 balls. Kevin O’Brien, like Stirling before him, showed his class when the main event arrives. His 62 not out was his highest T20 score for Ireland and he displayed the range and timing of shots that has him recognised around the globe. Several of his 5 sixes where hit straight down the ground with a disdain of a Kevin Pietersen. Three of the sixes came in the last over and left Hong Kong with an improbable target. Amid the mayhem Nizakat bowled a very respectable 4 overs and took 2 wickets for 26 runs.
All credit to Hong Kong for making a genuine attempt at winning the game. Irfan, who had scored a rapid century earlier in the tournament, hit 2 fours of his first three balls until he fell victim to a brilliant and brave stumping by Gary Wilson. After the 2 fours Wilson stood up to the wicket with Ireland’s fastest bowler Max Sorensen steaming in and whipped of the bails in the blink of an eye. In came the inform Hong Kong captain, Jamie Atkinson and he wasn’t for throwing in the towel. The next 34 deliveries saw ball striking on a scale achieved by Ireland earlier and produced 61 runs. Cusack broke the stand when Sorensen caught Barkat at long on but it was the introduction of the spinners Stirling and George Dockrell who yet again delivered.
With the score on 92 in the tenth over, a run ahead of Ireland at the same point, the pivotal moment in the game arrived. Atkinson on 48, clipped Stirling to mid-wicket that looked likely to bring up his 50, only for Porterfield to catapult himself to his left and intercept the ball. The Hong Kong team were stunned and it brought about an Englishesque collapse. The last 8 wickets fell for just 30 runs in 8 overs as Stirling took 4 for 10 wickets and Dockrell 2 for 18. Two of Stirling’s victims were caught on the boundary in the same over by James Shannon, who had replaced Niall O’Brien in the team, and both were spectacular diving efforts that would grace any Test Match.
Shannon was given the last over and became only the fourth man to get a wicket with his first ball for Ireland, Amjad falling LBW, and that ended the game. Ireland will now focus on winning the tournament and play a semi-final on Friday against opponents still to be determined.
However for the next four days Ireland’s players can relish a much deserved break as they yet again proved that they are well capable of repelling every challenge at this level.
Image: Paul Stirling of Ireland batting; © 2013 IDI/Getty Images
