Ireland was 61 for 4 in 9.3 overs when Curtis Campher and George Dockrell joined forces to chase down 177 against Scotland. There were tears of delight among the few Irish supporters at Bellerive Oval in Hobart when Campher scored the winning runs with one over remaining since triumph had once appeared so improbable. While speaking to the presenter, an emotional Campher, who had scored a valiant 72, appeared to be on the point of tears.
Despite the fact that Campher scored at a strike rate of 225 throughout his innings, Dockrell’s unbeaten 27-ball 39 gave him assistance. Campher was the clear leader of the chase. The greatest partnership in the tournament to yet, their 119 off 57 balls, stopped Scotland’s drive for 176 for 5, which was made possible by Michael Jones’s 55-ball 86, the best individual score in the event to date.
More competition in Group B
With all four teams having a chance to advance to the Super 12 round following Ireland’s victory, Group B has become more competitive.
Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie momentarily made an impression at the beginning of the chase, but both hitters were struck out during the powerplay. When they were about to shift gears, the Scottish spinners intervened, taking both Harry Tector (14) and Lorcan Tucker (20). Ireland required 116 runs off 63 deliveries at the time of the beverage break and had two new hitters in Campher and Dockrell.
12 to 16 Overs were brilliant for Ireland
Between overs 12 and 16, Campher and Dockrell only played two dot ball. As the cooperation grew, they engaged the fielders as the field positioning became more defensive. In the final four overs, Campher and Dockrell reduced the needed runs to 36.
With Scotland under heavy pressure, Ireland scored 23 runs in the following two overs to realise their hitherto improbable triumph. With a hat-trick of fours in the last over, Player of the Match Campher put the finishing touches on the victory, giving Ireland and Scotland a point apiece after two games.
Scotland Improved their batting
Scotland was 122 for 2 with five overs remaining, and a strong push was anticipated because they had wickets in hand. When Jones struck Gareth Delany for six and four in the sixteenth over, the pace picked up. In an effort to start the 17th over on a good note, Berrington was out for 37 to Campher, and Jones escaped a missed opportunity when Delany knocked him down at long leg in the same over. A massive six was pulled on the no-ball after McCarthy delivered Jones a high full toss after the reprieve.
Then, to overtake Sikandar Raza’s 82 and become the player with the highest individual score in this T20 World Cup, he hit Little for four down the ground to bring his total to 84. Two balls later, Jones lost on 86 when he holed out to long-on after trying a helicopter shot that combined elements of Rashid Khan’s and MS Dhoni’s strategies. Scotland had surpassed 170 points when he collapsed.
In the end, they scored 176, a winning total on most days following Scotland’s bowlers’ great start in the second innings. However, Campher’s counterattack did not suffice, meaning the team that lost the toss won the first seven matches in the tournament.
