T20 World Cup: Ireland stuns England in rain-hit contest at MCG
Ireland stunned former champion England by five runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in their rain-hit Super 12 Group 1 game in the T20 World Cup 2022 in Melbourne on Wednesday (October 26).
Chasing 158, England was five runs behind on the DLS par score when rain stopped play. With the rain getting heavier and no further play possible at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the result went in favour of Ireland.
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At the stage, England was 105/5 in 14.3 overs. Thanks to superb bowling by Ireland, England was never in control of the run chase after losing three wickets for just 29 runs in 5.1 overs.
Captain Jos Buttler was dismissed for a duck by Josh Little. The paceman added the scalp of the other opener – Alex Hales for seven runs to put England in early trouble. Later, England, the 2010 champion, was reduced to 86/5.
Moeen Ali tried to put England back on track with a 12-ball 24 not out but rain put paid to the team’s chances.
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Earlier, Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood snared three wickets apiece to turn it around for England and bowl out Ireland for 157.
Ireland skipper Andy Balbirnie smashed a 47-ball 62, his first T20 World Cup half-century and eighth overall, in an entertaining 82-run second-wicket partnership with Lorcan Tucker (34 from 27 balls) to give them a flying start after England opted to bowl in overcast conditions.
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But leg-spinner Livingstone (3-0-17-3) dismissed Balbirnie and followed it up with George Dockrell in the next ball to trigger the collapse before Wood (4-0-34-3) and Sam Curran (3-0-31-2) ran through completed Irelands middle and lower order.
From being 92 for 1 in 10 overs, Ireland collapsed in 19.2 overs. Smarting from the defeat against Sri Lanka in their Super 12 opener, Ireland got off to an attacking start with Balbirnie slamming a 40-ball half-century.
AN HISTORIC WIN FOR IRELAND 🙌#T20WorldCup | #IREvENG pic.twitter.com/QvLpQYRpSL
— ICC (@ICC) October 26, 2022
Tucker gave him fine support from the other end as they took on the English pace duo of Wood and Chris Woakes with some spectacular pull shots. Irelands 100 came up in just 68 balls before a freak run-out brought an end to Tucker’s fine innings.
On an overcast afternoon, with its innings halted once by the passing showers, Ireland launched an attack on the English pacers with Paul Stirling taking the early initiative in his eight-ball 14 (1×4, 1×6).
Tucker then continued the momentum after Stirling’s departure in the third over as he along with skipper Balbirnie raced Ireland to 59 for 1 in Power Play.
(With agency inputs)
