Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 21: West Indies, the only side to win the T20 World Cup twice, was eliminated from the current competition after falling to Ireland in their final Group B qualification match in Hobart on Friday by a score of 9 wickets.
West Indies made a disastrous start against Scotland, losing by 42 runs, but they bounced back to easily defeat Zimbabwe.
With one win and one loss, each of the four teams in the group, which also includes Scotland and Zimbabwe, entered a life-or-death position. Ireland, which had previously lost to Zimbabwe before coming from behind to win, put on a masterful display against the formidable Windies with both bat and ball to advance to the Super 12 round.
Ireland’s openers Paul Stirling and captain Andrew Balbirnie gave them a fantastic start as they chased a goal of 147. Neither hitter showed any signs of nerves as they entered the game with the intention of taking advantage of the powerplay.
“Incredible day for us, to get over the line in the fashion we did was amazing. Nathan Hauritz came up with the plan to keep it simple and be defensive, knowing they would come hard. Personally it’s a dream come true, delighted. Campher’s knock the other day gave us a chance and now we’re through. Look forward to the next few weeks,” said Delany.
