Desert T20

deise300

New T20 competition starting this Saturday 14th in the UAE with the top 8 associate teams (Namibia have replaced Papua New Guinea).

Group A - Afghanistan, Ireland, Namibia, UAE

Group B - Scotland, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Oman

Top 2 teams in each group will qualify for semi finals on Friday 20th, with the final later that day.

Ireland squad: William Porterfield (captain), Andrew Balbirnie, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Jacob Mulder, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Kevin O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Greg Thompson, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson, Craig Young.

Group Fixtures:

14th Jan – Afghanistan v Ireland
Time: 3pm.
Venue: Abu Dhabi Cricket Club’s Zayed Cricket Stadium
17th Jan – Ireland v Namibia
Time: 10am.
Venue: Abu Dhabi Cricket Club’s Zayed Cricket Stadium
18th Jan – UAE v Ireland
Time: 10am.
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai Sports City

Hopefully will be a good start to the year for the lads. Our T20 results lately have been very poor but we have a good record in the Emirates. Unfortunately I don't think there will be any live TV coverage

KevIRL

Opening match defeat to the Afghans

riffmongous

KevIRL wrote: »

Opening match defeat to the Afghans

8 balls remaining, ouch. And not a single six from the batsmen according to the guys on cricketeurope

cricinfo report

Namibia and UAE still to come, so there is still a chance to turn this around

deise300

2nd game on this morning. Namibia reach 146/9 after their 20 overs. Awful start to the game from Ireland as Namibia were 77/0 after 8 overs, so the bowlers did well to restrict them in the end. The 2 young lads Little (2-17) and Mulder (2-27) bowling well again. Chase is just about to start

deise300

Ireland 77-3 after 10 overs

axe2grind

Going to be very tight.
A biggish over needed
41 needed off last 5 overs.
12th over was a maiden!

deise300

21 needed off 18. Wilson and Thompson at the crease

deise300

8 needed off the last over!

deise300

Boundary from McBrine! 3 needed off 4...

axe2grind

Phew! they did it with 2 balls to spare

deise300

Game over, with 2 balls left, another 4 from McBrine to finish. Tight game but we'll take a win!

deise300

Final group game of today against UAE. Winner will reach the semi final. Ireland won the toss and decided to bat. 66/3 at the half way stage, Kevin and Wilson in the middle. Horror innings from Porterfield, out for a duck after 9 balls.

lambayire

0 from 9 balls. You wouldn't think that possible in a T20 game.

TrueDub

Recovered to 160/6 - a good score, but if someone had really kicked on we could have been looking at 190+. I think we should be able to defend this total though.

The captain has been struggling for a while in all formats. Might be time for change there I think.

deise300

UAE 16/4 after 3 overs, great start for Ireland! Rankin with 3

deise300

UAE 58/6 after 10 overs

deise300

And Ireland win by 24 runs, the early wickets did the damage. Through to the semi final which will be played Friday morning

HonalD

Good win, through to semis, which is the least to expect from the team.

Doodah7

Ireland won the toss and will bat first. Looking to set a total. Porterfield would want to see some improvement today...

Derco

Great start. Going at 10 an over. Hopefully we keep it up

TrueDub

tallpaul wrote: »

Porterfield would want to see some improvement today...

Best case scenario is that he doesn't get a bat...

Derco

TrueDub wrote: »

Best case scenario is that he doesn't get a bat...

He's in now. Poynter gone for 39

Doodah7

Porterfield out for 2. Ireland 118-2 after 11. Stirling is motoring with 60 off 35. With Kevin O'Brien at the other end this could be a big total.

Derco

Still on course to hit 200

TrueDub

137/3 off 13. 200 is a minimum score from this point, especially with Wilson & O'Brien at the crease.

lambayire

211/6. Smashing little innings from Gary Wilson there.
65 off 29 balls.

Doodah7

211/6 at the break. Ireland's second highest T20 total ever (225). Scotland have never got above 200 and their highest ever T20 score was in this tournament (189).

Derco

Should be enough to bowl at but I remember saying that before a certain game against Holland a while back

Doodah7

After a bright start, wickets starting to fall now. Scotland 78/3 after 9 overs.

lambayire

Always good to get Coetzer out.

Who's this Mulder kid?
A leggie bowling for Ireland.
I never thought I'd see the day!

Derco

lambayire wrote: »

Who's this Mulder kid?
A leggie bowling for Ireland.
I never thought I'd see the day!

Australian born. Been playing for Northern Knights in the Inter pros.

lambayire

4-16 from his 4 overs.

Very impressive!

Doodah7

Jacob Mulder, 4 overs, 4 for 16!!!! Incredible figures. The Scots need 106 from 36 balls. Three runs a ball is an impossible ask I think.

Derco

I think we just found a player. Well bowled

Doodah7

Easy in the end. Total was simply too much for the Scots.

Revenge against the Afghans??

riffmongous

What a win that was, great stuff.

A big start for once too

Derco

37-3 after 5 overs. This next partnership is crucial

Doodah7

This is done already. 47-6 after 8 overs. Would be remarkable to get even 120 from here. I reckon they will be all out for 85 and Afghanistan will chase it down in 10 overs...

Derco

There goes McBrine. We'll be doing well to even bat the overs at this rate

Mysterypunter

71 all out

Derco

71 all out. Ouch!

TrueDub

All out for 71 in 13.1 overs.

A day of two performances - and the commentator on Cricinfo mentions that it's a batsman's paradise out there.

riffmongous

Bit of a turnaround that