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SHARJAH, UAE – Ireland’s 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign came to an end today with an eight-wicket defeat to Namibia.
In a must-win clash for both sides, Nambia chased down a target of 126 with nine balls to spare to advance to the Super 12 stage of the tournament and send Ireland home.

Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie won the toss and opted to bat first, and his decision was initially rewarded by a fine opening partnership of 62 between Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien.

Stirling exhibited some of his trademark power through the off-side in the opening stages, advancing to 26 off 14 deliveries inside four overs, and while O’Brien took time to find his timing, a drive for four to the long-off boundary off Jan Frylinck appeared to get him going. The fifty partnership was celebrated in the powerplay as Ireland began brightly.

But Stirling’s dismissal to left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz in the eighth over shifted the tide, with the explosive right-hander finding the fielder running in from long-off to depart for 38. O’Brien departed from the next over as the scoring rate dropped, with fluent strokeplay hard to come by on a slow Sharjah pitch.

Balbirnie and Gareth Delany put on 27 before David Wiese intervened in the 15th over, with Delany bowled after attempting to go big on the leg side. Regular breakthroughs followed as Namibia pulled off a fighting comeback: from 62-0 in the eighth over, Ireland finished on 125-8; no man outside Ireland’s top three was able to reach double figures.

Ireland fought back with the ball, however, with Namibia restricted to 27-1 inside the powerplay – Curtis Campher was responsible for the dismissal of Craig Williams, who holed out to O’Brien at mid-on for 15.

But Ireland was struck a major blow in the seventh over when bowler Mark Adair was forced off the field with an injury. Furthermore, had the fielding side reviewed the third ball bowled by Adair in that over – the ball struck Gerhard Erasmus’ pad – the batter would have been sent on his way for 3. Instead, O’Brien was forced to finish a wicketless over as Adair’s match and tournament came to an end.

Simi Singh and O’Brien kept things tight in the middle overs, but it was Campher who returned the next wicket, dismissing Zane Green for 24 in the 14th over – O’Brien was once again the man to hold on to the catch.

The required run rate was above eight with six overs left in the innings, but back-to-back sixes from new batter Wiese off Craig Young lifted Namibia, as did some good luck – Young managed to tickle Erasmus’ off stump moments after Wiese’s twin blows, but the bails did not dislodge.

The batting pair kept the scoreboard ticking, and an Erasmus six down the ground off Singh in the 18th over helped ease nerves before victory was secured in the next over to end Ireland’s stay in the tournament.

Match Summary

Namibia Men v Ireland Men, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Round 1, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, 22 October 2021

Ireland 125-8 (20 overs; P Stirling 38, K O’Brien 25; J Frylinck 3-21)
Namibia 126-2 (18.3 overs; G Erasmus 53*; D Wiese 28; C Campher 2-14)

Namibia won by eight wickets

Wisden
Paul Stirling hits over the top
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Connaught