Ireland have won the World T20 qualifying Tournament by 68 runs against Afghanistan. They have retained the title that they won in Dubai in March of last year. This is now the 8th World title Ireland have won at Associate level.
Ireland won the toss and batted, which meant that they batted first in every game in the Tournament. They then produced the best batting display ever seen at Associate level and the 4th best in the whole history of international T20 cricket. William Porterfield and Paul Stirling flayed the much vaunted Afghanistan attack to all parts of the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
When Porterfield was dismissed, bowled by Hamza in the 6th over, Ireland had raced to 68 of which Porterfield contributed 27 off just 14 balls. Kevin O’Brien joined Stirling and hit his first three balls for 4-4-6 which gave Ireland a scarcely credibly 82 runs in the six over powerplay. The pair took Ireland to 104 before O’Brien fell to the first ball of the tenth over, caught at long on as he attempted to continue the onslaught.
Trent Johnston was again promoted to four in the order and he and Stirling surged to a partnership of 64 off 32 balls. Stirling finally fell bunting a full toss to extra cover after an inning reminiscent of his stellar performance in last year’s final. He scored 76 off 43 balls, demoralising the bowling attack with 8 fours and 4 sixes. The wicket for the final was considerably quicker than anything previously seen here and Stirling took full advantage.
Although Gary Wilson fell quickly, Trent Johnston was intent to make his final limited over innings for Ireland a memorable one. By the time he was bowled off the second ball of the nineteenth over he had made 62, his career best T20 score for Ireland. It only took him 32 deliveries, hitting 5 fours and 4 sixes driving the bowlers to distraction, particularly Shapoor who bizarrely celebrated as if Afghanistan had won the final when he finally knocked over Johnston’s off stump. Clearly reality had been suspended in his brain as a glance at the scoreboard would have revealed.
The Ireland innings closed at 225 for 7 wickets and left Afghanistan with a target never before achieved at T20 level. The first four Ireland batsmen all had strike rates in excess of 150.
History meant that Afghanistan had a forlorn hope of victory but it was always a certainty that they would go for it as they never die wondering. They came out blazing with Max Sorensen conceding 14 runs of the first 3 balls of the innings. But George Dockrell was introduced into the attack in the 4th over and clean bowled Mangal with the score on 36 to interrupt the run riot and two balls later had key hitter Shezad dropped by James Shannon at mid-off.
However in Dockrell’s next over Shannon made amends catching Shezad at mid-on for 38 off just 18 balls, all in boundaries.
In the following over Alex Cusack took wickets with the last two balls of his second over, removing the Afghan captain Nabi and then Sadiq to effectively end any realistic chance of an Afghanistan victory. Niab was dropped by Shannon of a straightforward chance and went on to blast 43 of just 19 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes but it was never likely that he could maintain that pace and he eventually perished caught on the boundary by John Mooney off the bowling of Trent Johnston. The return of Max Sorensen had stalled the run chase and having conceded 14 runs off his first three balls only surrendered another six off his next 21 deliveries.
Trent Johnston finished with figures of 3 for 34 and together with his batting display deservedly was awarded Man of the Match in his final limited over match for Ireland. Tim Murtagh hit the stumps with yorkers to take the final two wickets and Ireland won with seven balls to spare.
As the Tournament progressed Ireland demonstrated the gulf in class between themselves and all the other Associates. Afghanistan discovered today that they are not as close to overtaking Ireland at the top of the Associate ranking as they thought.
So Ireland head to Bangladesh in March where they will be in a group with Zimbabwe, UAE and Netherlands. Their first match is on St. Patricks Day against Zimbabwe and a very achievable win then would almost certainly take them into the second stage when the senior Test Nations enter the fray.
Main Image: Ireland's Trent Johnston receives a souvenir stump ©INPHO/Barry Chambers
