Updated at 13.19
OPENER PAUL STIRLING smashed 60 off 34 balls to set Ireland up for a last-ball victory over Zimbabwe in their first-round match in the World Twenty20 championship today.
Stirling’s fifth Twenty20 half-century, including nine fours and a six, helped Ireland to a three-wicket victory on St Patrick’s Day at the Sylhet stadium.
Ireland needed four runs off the last over but lost Ed Joyce (22) and Max Sorensen, run out without scoring, before winning through a bye off the last ball of the over — bowled by paceman Tinashe Panyangara who finished with 4-37.
Stirling and skipper William Porterfield, who scored a 23-ball 31 with three fours and a six, had given Ireland a fiery 80-run start in 8.2 overs as their run chase began confidently.
A ruthless Stirling hit paceman Panyangara for four boundaries in one over before he fell with the total on 100.
Ireland then lost three quick wickets to Panyangara, including that of hard-hitting Kevin O’Brien (17), before their last-gasp victory.
Zimbabwe earlier owed their total to a solid 46-ball 59 by Brendan Taylor. The Zimbabwe skipper hit six boundaries and two towering sixes, while Elton Chigumbura made 22 and Hamilton Masakadza scored 21.
But spinners George Dockrell (2-18) and debutant Andy McBrine (2-26) restricted Zimbabwe to 163-5 in their 20 overs.
The Group B defeat has put Zimbabwe in a tight corner as only one team will go on from each of the two Groups into the Super-10 stage.
Hosts Bangladesh beat Afghanistan and debutant Nepal downed Hong Kong in Group A matches on the opening day of the World Twenty20 on Sunday.
The two top teams from each Group will join the top eight seeds in the Super-10 stage, starting from 21 March.
The final is on 6 April in Dhaka.
Brief scores:
Ireland 163-5 in 20 overs (B. Taylor 59, E. Chigumbura 22, H. Masakadza 21; G. Dockrell 2-18, A. McBrine 2-26)
Ireland 164-7 in 20 overs (P. Stirling 60, W. Porterfield 31; T. Panyangara 4-37)
Ireland won by three wickets.
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
Not a bad weekend for Irish sport!
Not a bad w/e !! Been a fantastic Ireland 6 Nations champions, Liverpool beating Man U. And then cricketers winning whoooooHoooo
Liverpool and Man Utd are Irish?
And Dublin lost and Meath won in the football.
Ireland never lost a game on St.Patrick day.. What a win !!
Zimbabwe were still the seeded team in the group so it’s a great start to the tournament. Should put Holland and UAE away now to get through to the next stage!
Should never have come down to tje final ball but what a great start. Thrilling cricket
We love winning Cricket matches on Patrick’s Day. Always drama vs Zimbabwe. Remember last ball game in 2007 for a tie.
Ger , I backed them in Cheltenham that year.Corals said I was the only one to have a bet on them so they gave me the 6/4 for the tie
Those previous performances were in the 50-over version of the game. It’s quite different from T20, which is just all-out attack.
And then the article changes and my comment made no sense…
I won snakes and ladders this morning
I won a game of tidlywinks
…and we’re proud of both of you too.
Matt, that means so much to me!
Cricket … Rugby …… We have finally become the Europeans we were meant to be!!!!!!!
Not so much of a “surprise”. After all, Ireland are ranked ahead of Zimbabwe in T20 cricket.
It was a surprise to the 4 million of us who didn’t know until now!
This is certainly Ireland’s Sporting Weekend…well done…
The bandwagon will be departing shortly from platform 5. Could anyone with minimal knowledge of cricket, a large leprechaun hat, and a confused sense of patriotism please make their way immediately to platform 5. Thank you.
Did u enjoy the rugby?
Last bus to Bah-humbug leaves BusAras at 3pm – be on it.
Jesus,I hope I’m not sitting beside you. Anyone want to swap seats?
Silent,did Ireland score many touchdowns in the cricket today versus the African Tigers?
Does the journal have access to a murray kinsella of the cricket world who can do some explainer pieces on the different formats of cricket and what everything means? Would love to get excited about what the lads are doing but the vasy majority of the article went completely over my head! !!
Hi Barry,
An explainer of sorts went up on the site this morning. Here’s a link to it: http://jrnl.ie/1366631
Well done, Ireland. Great way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day!
There was a few minutes there where I thought we were once again going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, hope we learn from this and make it more difficult to lose wickets.
Great result can push on and take the UAE and the Dutch. The dutch would usually quite strong. But I wonder how the controversy is effecting their squad. If we get to the super 10s I think we are in the tougher group, Aussies, Indies, India, Pakistan. I think we will struggle to get a win there, but the indies are there for the taking with a bit of luck.
If we can get the two more wins and top the group we will go through to the Super 10′s in Group 1 with the following teams and the following fixtures
Group 1
March 24th v Sri Lanka – Chittagong 1.30pm Irish Time
March 27th v South Africa – Chittagong 9.30am Irish Time
March 29th v New Zealand – Chittagong 9.30am Irish Time
March 31st v England – Chittagong 9.30am Irish Time
http://www.cricketireland.ie/news/article/icc-world-twenty20-preview-by-ger-siggins
#COYBIG