Cricket:Paul Stirling's brutal innings of 79 led Ireland to a five-wicket win over Afghanistan with seven balls to spare in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Dubai today.
Stirling’s knock, which included three sixes and nine fours and came off just 38 balls, helped his side to 156 for five in reply to their opponents’ 152 for seven.
Phil Simmons’s side Irish had already booked their place at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka this September, beating Namibia by nine wickets earlier today on the back of another Stirling half-century.
They will now go on to play in Group B of the competition alongside Australia and Simmons’s old side West Indies, while Afghanistan go into group A with defnding champions England and 50-over world champions India.
Kevin O’Brien and Max Sorensen both took two wickets in a strong bowling display, although Mohammad Shazad’s brilliant 77 off 57 balls enabled Afghanistan to get past 150.
Ireland’s reply got off to the worst possible start when William Porterfield was bowled by a first-ball yorker from Zadran Dawlat.
But, after Ed Joyce went for 11, Stirling and Gary Wilson (32) put on 80 for the third wicket before Stirling was caught at deep square leg by Gulbodin Naib off Dawlat.
O’Brien went next ball for Ireland’s second duck of the innings, but Andrew Poynter’s 23 off 17 saw them home.
In the day’s first game, Ireland barely needed half their overs to cruise to victory over Namibia.
Ireland restricted Namibia, to whom they had lost by four runs in the group stage, to just 94 for six, and then knocked off the required runs from 61 balls with the loss of just one wicket.
Stirling carried Ireland through to the finish with 59 off 32 balls, smacking a four off the first delivery of the 11th over to win it.
SCORES
Namibia 94-6(20 ovs) (I Opperman 26no, S Burger 20; M Sorensen 2-8, T Johnston 2-19).
Ireland 96-1(10.1 ovs) (P Stirling 59no, W Porterfield 20).
Ireland won by 9 wickets
Afganistan 152-7(20 ovs) (M Shahzad 77; K O'Brien 2-18, M Sorensen 2-26)
Ireland 156-5(18.5 ovs) (P Stirling 79, G Wilson 32, A Poynter 23no; D Zadran 3-21, A Alam 2-34).
Ireland won by 5 wkts