Ireland have pulled off a massive coup in cricket's T20 World Cup this morning, hammering two time champions West Indies after a commanding display in Hobart.
The Irish started the tournament in a disappointing fashion, losing to Zimbabwe in their opener. However, they would bounce back to defeat Scotland in their second game.
This meant they knew a win over West Indies would book a place in the Super 12 stage, although it remained a formidable challenge.
It certainly didn't faze them.
Fielding first, Ireland looked like the dominant side right from the off. They held their opponents to 146/5 over the 20 overs, a very achievable target. Gareth Delany was the standout bowler having taken three wickets.
They always looked likely to reach that number once the batting got underway, with Paul Stirling leading the way with 66 runs. That included this brilliant six.
Stirling to the stands!
We can reveal that this 6 from Paul Stirling is one of the moments that could be featured in your @0xFanCraze Crictos of the Game packs from West Indies v Ireland.
Grab your pack from https://t.co/EaGDgPOSBl to own iconic moments from every game. pic.twitter.com/Ne7CPLoMxV— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 21, 2022
Ireland would ultimately reach the target with 15 balls to spare, reaching the Super 12 stage for the first time since 2009 as a result.
There were great scenes after the game.
BREAKING: Ireland beat two-time champions West Indies to qualify for the Super 12's in the T20 World Cup! 💥 pic.twitter.com/0VCnHpqLmQ
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 21, 2022
What it means! 👊
A memorable day for Ireland as they progress to the Super 12 🤩#T20WorldCup | #IREvWI pic.twitter.com/7NPtlYd3Ph— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) October 21, 2022
Speaking to the BBC after the game, Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie summed up what this achievement meant to the group.
This means everything to us. We were so disappointed to miss out at this stage last year, so we had to do a lot of thinking and make a lot of changes back home.
We set out some things we wanted to achieve as a team and how we wanted to play.
And here, we lost our first game, but to then come back and beat the two-time champions in a must-win game, I could not be prouder.
It was an emotional finish, we are absolutely delighted.”
A lot of things can happen in T20 cricket when it’s your day. We want to test ourselves against the best in the world and who knows where that can take us?
Ireland will now face into a lengthier schedule at the tournament with an additional five games, facing some of the strongest nations in world cricket along the way.
Here's hoping they can pull off a scalp or two.
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