NEW YORK: Canada won their first match at any Twenty20 World Cup when they stunned Ireland by 12 runs in a Group A game in New York on Friday.
Defending a target of just 138, the non-Test nation bowled and fielded expertly to hold Ireland to 125-7 from their full 20 overs.
Ireland collapsed spectacularly to 59-6 and come the last five overs they still needed 64 more runs to win – a rate of more than 12 an over
George Dockrell (30 not out) and Mark Adair (34) reduced the target to 17 off the last six balls.
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But Canada paceman Jeremy Gordon held his nerve superbly, conceding just three runs and dismissing Adair with the second ball of the 20th over when he held a skyed caught and bowled chance.
The 37-year-old Guyana-born Gordon finished with fine figures of 2-16 from his maximum four overs.
Canada themselves had been struggling to 53-4 after losing the toss before a key stand of 75 in 10 overs between Barbados-born left-hander Nicholas Kirton (49) and Shreyas Movva (37) helped take them to a total of 137-7.
Victory meant Canada bounced back from an opening defeat by the USA.
But this result was Ireland’s second successive loss at this tournament following an eight-wicket reverse against India.
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