Game One: Canada 137/7 v Ireland 125/7 - Canada WIN
This is the third game to be played on the pitch in Nassau County. We know it is a low scoring ground, as things currently stand. Balls struck firmly from the middle of the bat do not streak away to the boundary, the slow up and come to a halt on the Kentucky Bluegrass.
So it is to Canada's credit that they become the first team to pass the hundred run mark in a T20 innings on the ground. This record is theirs in perpetuity, and it will sit nicely with it being their first victory in a T20 World Cup match, this being the first time they have qualified for the competition.
Losing three wickets in the power play, and another at the start of the 9th over, to be 53/4 suggested the pitch was playing to type and Ireland had a firm grip on the match.
A spell of ten wicketless overs where Canada scored seventy-five suggested the grip was less secure than it appeared. Nine runs from the final two overs will have been less than Canada hoped for, but left Ireland fairly happy chasing 6.9 runs per over.
Being one wicket down at the end of the power play must have felt like the building of a good foundation for Ireland, now in their eighth consecutive edition of the tournament. Losing to India in their first game had been disappointing, but not really surprising, so now it was time to build on that tournament experience and ease past Canada.
Wickets lost in the 7th, 8th, 10th, & 13th overs gave the innings a juddering, stop/start feeling and Ireland failed to move through the gears into the steady flow of runs required. They fell behind the required run rate in the third over and, despite not losing a wicket for six overs after Delaney fell in the thirteenth, were never able to regain the upperhand.
In terms of tournament shocks this falls well short of USA defeating Pakistan, but it comfortably sits in second place for the torunament so far.
With Pakistan and India to come this may well be the high spot of Canada's tournament. For a first time team it's a creditable scalp to go home with.
Ireland now face a USA team riding high and hoping to go as far or further as Ireland managed in 2022, and then a Pakistan team who will be fighting to ensure their competition doesn't fall at the first hurdle.
| Game | 4's | 6's | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada v Ireland | 20 | 4 | 24 |
| Tournament | 234 | 102 | 336 |
In my time zone tomorrow it's another 4 match day. The tournaments last two gameless teams get under way: New Zealand play Afghanistan and Bangladesh play Sri Lanka.
The third match is another to be played at todays venue and Netherlands v South Africa may well be another sub-100 runs per side game, especially if Netherlands bat first.
Finally England play Australia. A loss for England would cast the possibility of the current trophy holders being in real danger of exiting the tournament at the initial group stage.
Check back tomorrow for reviews & updated boundary totals.
text by stuartcturnbull. graphic by Mir Rammez Raja & edited by stuartcturnbull via postermywall