THREE WICKETS FROM returning paceman Craig Young, and a belligerent half-century from opener Paul Stirling, helped Ireland to a six-wicket win over USA in their 7th-place play-off semi-final at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.
During what was the first-ever One-Day International (ODI) between the sides, an opening partnership of 84 off 83 balls set the tone for Ireland’s run chase after being set 197 for victory.
Stirling was the main aggressor, with nine fours and two sixes being the dominant scoring shots in his 45-ball 58. He brought up his 28th career ODI 50 in the 11th over, with a reverse sweep for a boundary.
Fortune was a little bit on his side throughout, dropped on seven, and lucky again on 27, he nevertheless backed up his last knock of 162 against the UAE with another assertive innings. Most of his boundaries came through the off side – punching cover drives or flashing cut strokes behind point, but his two sixes were stand-and-deliver pull shots over the legside boundary. Stirling eventually fell on 58 when he was trapped lbw trying to sweep in the 14th over, with Ireland 84-1.
Captain Andrew Balbirnie – playing in his 100th ODI – came in at number three and posted a 39-run partnership with Andy McBrine before the left-hander was caught and bowled by Nosthush Kenjige with Ireland 123-2.
Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker both made 25, before Balbirnie and Curtis Campher guided the side home with over 15 overs to spare. Balbirnie ended on 45* – after his 66 in the last match – has seen the skipper register not only much-needed runs, butt also valuable time in the middle.
Earlier in the day the USA saw Saiteja Mukkamalla and Sushant Modani score half-centuries as they posted 196 all out. Opener Steven Taylor played with plenty of freedom early on, before a seventh over double-wicket maiden from Craig Young – in his first over of the tournament – took care of both Taylor and US captain Monank Patel.
Mukkamalla and Modani then combined for an 88-run partnership before Mukkamalla was unfortunate to get run out in the 23rd over – McBrine getting his index finger to a shot from Modani that clipped the stumps, with Mukkamalla caught out of his crease.
Having been 121-3, Ireland’s bowlers ran through the lower order with Barry McCarthy, Young, McBrine, and Mark Adair all taking wickets, with Young the best of those with 3-35 from his seven overs.
Ireland will now face the winners of Nepal v UAE in the 7th-place play-off final next Tuesday, 4 July.
Ireland v USA, ICC World Cup Qualifier, 7th place playoff semi-final:
USA 196 (42.4 overs; S Mukkamalla 55, S Modani 55; C Young 3-35)
Ireland 197-4 (34.2 overs; P Stirling 58, A Balbirnie 45*; N Kenjige 2-41)
Report courtesy of Cricket Ireland
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How do you compete with that. PSG spending 220 million on one player. But as Brendan Rodgers said, you can’t buy history. Give me Celtic any day of the week..
@David Garland: its 7 1 man.. 7..
@David Garland: you also can’t buy competition in the SPL
@joe: Against some of the best players on the planet. They hammered Bayern only a few weeks back. We all don’t have the luxury of spending 220 million on one player..
@O’David Dave: I actually think you can buy competition in any league. All you need is money or investing in youth.
@David Garland: give me the team that will win the champions league this season and probably the best player in the world right now.
@David Garland: 7 1 is an awful beating. 12 goals in 2 games. Scottish soccer been shown up for what it is unfortunately. A record in scotland is all well and good but were beat 7 0 away last year too?
@David Garland: to be fair Celtic cannot complain when they do the exact same thing in scotland, albeit a smaller scale but the idea is the same
@John: Celtic and PSG are not even remotely the same. PSG are bankrolled by a country. Celtic only spend the cash they themselves generate.
@David Garland: Hearts tried that and failed.
@David Garland: idiot
Just really highlights what an easy job Rogers has up in The Scots prem.Celtic a laughing stock in champs league.Such an awful team in an awful league managed by an awful manager.And deluded fans too
@Michael cunnane: Catch yourself on mate. PSG spent probably 500 million on that team including wages. Celtic’s top earners are making 30k a week, if even. Liverpool spend hundreds of millions but let a 3 goal lead slip last night. Man Utd last season were the most expensive side ever assembled in World Football and weren’t even playing in the Champions League. Tonight they were beaten by a team in Switzerland..
@Michael cunnane: clown!
@glenn kilfeather: Come back to me Michael when your beloved Spurs manage to win the European Cup..
@Michael cunnane: awful manager has won more trophies in one year than Spurs in ummmmm I need to count in decades…
@David Garland: And they say Liverpool fans live in the past. How long ago is it since Celtic won it? Or even came close?
@David Garland: hundreds of millions ?
@David Garland: Man Utd were already qualified. Also that team as you say would beat Celtic at their ease. But i suppose you cant say anything against Celtic tge “Irish” club
@Stíofán Mac Piarais: Man Utd were playing Europa league last year.. Who mentioned Celtic being Irish..
@David Garland: and they won it. How did Celtic do in Europe?
Most Irish Celtic fans seem to think they are
Fab
Brendan has done a great job but he has presided over two of the worst results in our history now. That’s not acceptable. I admire that he always tries to go out and win the game but we need to be more defensively minded when playing a team like PSG.
However, there also needs to be some perspective. PSG are a club who are owned and bankrolled by an oil rich country. They are financially doped to the eye balls. Celtic are playing by the rules and are getting hammered for it. It’s up to UEFA to crack down on this but financial fair play is a complete joke.
The Neymar “transfer” was a disgrace and that’s before we even get into the Mbappe loan deal ffs.