Canada's middle-order batter Nicholas Kirton played a masterful innings of 49 and shared a half-century stand with Shreyas Movva, who stayed unbeaten on 37 as they huffed and puffed to a total of 137-7 in 20 overs in the T20 World Cup 2024 clash against Ireland. It eventually proved to be a match-winning total as Canada toppled Ireland by 12 runs for their first win in T20 World Cups.
With Ireland captain Paul Stirling sending Canada into batting first, the Irishmen had dismissed the top 4 cheaply, with only two managing double-figure scores and none going past 20. The turning point of their innings came when Movva joined Kirton in the 9th over.
The pair struggled intially, but began picking their spots on their way to a 75-run partnership that ended in the 19th over to give themselves 137 to defend.
Canada bowlers leave Ireland's top-order teetering:
On what was not so much a amicable surface to bat on, the Irishmen equally struggled, capped by Paul Stirling's painstaking 9 off 17 deliveries. Having slipped to 59-6 in the 13th over and defeat almost written in the stars, Ireland found some semblance of fight from George Dockrell and Mark Adair.
The pair ran Canada closer with some timely boundaries, giving themselves 17 to muster in the last 6 deliveries. However, Jeremy Cordon bowled an outstanding final over and gave away only 4 runs to seal Canada's first victory in T20 World Cups.
It is also the 2nd time in two days of this year's tournament that an associate nation has beaten a full-time one.
