Ireland falls short as Canada secures first-ever T20 World Cup win

Canada emerged victorious over Ireland by a margin of 12 runs in their second match of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Friday.

Ireland's innings got off to a shaky start as they lost their skipper, Paul Stirling, early on, managing just 9 runs. Despite efforts to stabilize, Ireland found themselves at a precarious position of 59-6 in 12.3 overs, with key batters Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker, and Harry Tecot falling without significant contributions. George Dockrell (29 off 22) and Mark Adair (34 off 24) showcased resilience with the bat, but their efforts fell short in steering Ireland to victory.

Canada's bowling attack, led by Jeremy Gordon and Dillon Heyliger with two wickets each, along with contributions from Junaid Siddiqui and skipper Saad bin Zafar, proved instrumental in restricting Ireland's chase.

Earlier, Canada faced a tough challenge after a slow start to their innings, losing their top order for just 53 runs within the first nine overs. However, Nicholas Kirton (49 off 35) and Shreyas Movva orchestrated a crucial 75-run partnership, steering Canada to a competitive total of 137-7. Kirton's commendable knock fell just short of a half-century, while Movva's resilience ensured Canada concluded their innings on a strong note.

In the bowling department, Craig Young and Barry McCarthy claimed two wickets each for Ireland, supported by Gareth Delany and Mark Adair with one wicket each.

Ireland's skipper, Paul Stirling, won the toss and elected to bat first. Despite Canada's early struggles, their determined batting display and disciplined bowling ultimately secured them a hard-fought victory over Ireland in the T20 World Cup 2024.