Canada clinches thrilling victory over Ireland in T20 World Cup Nail-biter

New York, June 8: Following the surprising upset by the United States against Pakistan, Canada delivered another shocker in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup by defeating Ireland in a gripping encounter at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Canada showcased nerves of steel in a tense final over to secure their maiden ICC T20 World Cup triumph, edging out Ireland by 12 runs in a fiercely contested group stage match.

Building their innings around a crucial 75-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Nicholas Kirton and Shreyas Movva, Canada posted a modest total of 137-7. They then displayed disciplined bowling to thwart Ireland's chase, bouncing back from their earlier defeat to the United States on June 1 in Dallas. Ireland, too, had suffered a setback in their opening match against India in New York.

Despite having only one previous victory over a full-member nation, Canada outclassed Ireland in all facets of the game, producing yet another upset in a tournament already filled with drama. The exceptional partnership between Kirton and Movva propelled Canada to the highest score seen at the venue in three tournament matches.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Canada faced early trouble with opener Navneet Dhaliwal departing for just 12 runs. However, Kirton's blistering 35-ball 49 and Movva's composed 36-ball 37 steadied the ship, forming Canada's highest fifth-wicket partnership in T20Is. Aaron Johnson and Pargat Singh contributed valuable runs as Canada posted 137/7 in their allotted 20 overs.

Craig Young led Ireland's bowling attack with two crucial wickets, keeping Canada under pressure in the initial overs. Despite occasional boundaries, Ireland's tight bowling restricted Canada from posting a daunting total. Barry McCarthy's late burst, claiming two wickets for just two runs in the penultimate over, further dampened Canada's scoring momentum.

In response, Ireland stumbled in their chase, losing half their side for just 53 runs at the halfway mark. Despite a valiant effort from George Dockrell (30 not out) and Mark Adair (34), Ireland found themselves needing 17 runs from the final over. However, Jeremy Gordon's double strike in the crucial over dashed Ireland's hopes as they fell short by 12 runs.

Gordon, with figures of 2-16, and Dilon Heyliger, with 2-18, were instrumental in Canada's triumph.

Brief scores:

Canada 137/7 in 20 overs (Nicholas Kirton 49, Shreyas Movva 37; Craig Young 2-32, Barry McCarthy 2-24) beat Ireland 125/7 in 20 overs (George Dockrell 30 not out, Mark Adair 34; Jeremy Gordon 2-16, Dilon Heyliger 2-18) by 12 runs.