Colombo: Ireland skipper Lorcan Tucker produced a masterful unbeaten 94 under pressure to power his side to a 96-run victory over Oman in their T20 World Cup match Saturday.
Riding on Tucker’s entertaining 51-ball knock, studded with 10 boundaries and four sixes, Ireland piled up a formidable 235 for five before dismissing Oman for 139.
It was Tucker who steadied the innings after Oman’s 38-year-old left-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmed (3/33) had jolted Ireland with three top-order strikes, leaving them reeling at 64 for four in the eighth over.
The Ireland skipper stitched together a vital 101-run partnership with Gareth Delany (56) for the fifth wicket before George Dockrell smashed an unbeaten 35 off just nine balls, studded with five sixes, to propel the team to an imposing total.
Oman attempted to keep pace with Ireland’s scoring rate but lost wickets at regular intervals, with opener Aamir Kaleem (50 off 29 balls) and Hammad Mirza (46 off 37) the only batters to offer resistance.
However, slumping to 108 for five in the 13th over with a daunting target still looming, their chase gradually lost momentum and eventually fizzled out.
Brief scores:
Ireland 235 for 5 in 20 overs (Lorcan Tucker 94 not out, Gareth Delany 56; Shakeel Ahmed 3/33, Aamir Kaleem 1/29).
Oman 139 in 18 overs (Aamir Kaleem 50, Hammad Mirza 46; Matthew Humphreys 2/27, Josh Little 3/16).