Ireland stun Pakistan in T20I opener
|| CF DESK ||
Ireland and Pakistan met in a T20I for the first time in 15 years, and Andy Balbirnie's 77 helped Ireland claim their first win over Pakistan in the format. The only other time these teams had faced off in a T20I was during the World T20 in 2009.
Chasing 183, Ireland's innings was anchored by Balbirnie, who put on a 77-run stand for the third wicket with Harry Tector, setting a solid platform. However, it took clutch performances from George Dockrell and Curtis Campher to get Ireland over the line in a tense finish.
With Ireland needing 40 runs in the last four overs, Pakistan had a strong bowling arsenal, with one over each from Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, along with two from Abbas Afridi, to hold off the hosts.
Abbas Afridi started the 17th over by taking Dockrell's wicket and conceded just three runs from the first four balls. However, he then conceded a late boundary, reducing the asking rate.
In the following over, with 28 needed from 17 balls, Shadab Khan dropped a tough catch, giving Balbirnie a reprieve. Naseem Shah bowled a couple of crucial yorkers, but Delany's powerful shot through the cover meant 11 runs came off the over.
Shaheen Afridi showed his class in the penultimate over, starting with a brilliant around-the-wicket yorker that bowled Balbirnie. But Curtis Campher's audacious reverse ramp over the keeper left Abbas Afridi with 11 runs to defend in the final over.
Campher was startled by Abbas's first ball, which rose off a shortish length, but he managed to guide it off the under-edge for a four. He then capitalized on a missed yorker to bring the scores level and snuck a leg bye to seal Ireland's historic win against Pakistan.
Earlier, Pakistan scored 182 runs for 6 wickets while playing first.
Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed for one run only while Shadab Khan and Azam Khan made no runs.
Skipper Babar Azam scored fifty and made 57 runs during the innings.