News Americas, HOBART, Ireland, Friday. October 21, 2022: West Indies are unceremoniously eliminated from the Twenty20 World Cup after losing by nine wickets to Ireland in a must-win final qualifier.
The Caribbean side entered the game as one of four teams in Group B with two points, and needed to win to seal their qualification to the Super12 main draw.
However, they managed just 146 for five from their 20 overs after opting to bat first at Bellerive Oval, with Brandon King hitting an unbeaten 62 off 48 balls.
Going into the final Group B qualifier with high hopes of reaching the main draw of the Super 12, the West Indies hardly troubled a plucky Irish team, mustering a paltry 146 for five of their 20 overs and then watching as the target was repaired with 15 balls. to save at Bellerive Oval.
West Indies were tormented by veteran opener Paul Stirling, the 32-year-old hitting an unbeaten 66 off 48 deliveries to lead Ireland into the next round along with Group B Zimbabwe, the African nation who beat Scotland by five wickets in the other match. qualifying or-dies.
The aggressive Stirling posted back-to-back half-century stands – 73 for the first wicket with captain Andy Balbirnie who made 37 and another 77 in an unbroken second-wicket partnership with Lorcan Tucker who scored 45 not out from 35 deliveries.
Defeat means the two-time former champions finish bottom of their tournament group with just two points, and it follows their disastrous showing at last year’s showpiece in the United Arab Emirates, where they lost four out of five games to lose. in the semi-finals.
