Ireland’s Lorcan Tucker plays a shot (AP Photo)
Ireland’s stand-in captain Lorcan Tucker stepped up in Paul Stirling’s absence with a scintillating 51-ball 94, keeping their Super Eights hopes alive and sealing a comprehensive 96-run victory over Oman in their Group B encounter in Colombo on Saturday.
Ireland piled up 235/5, the highest total of the tournament so far, before bowling Oman out for 139 with two overs to spare. The first 14 overs of the Ireland innings was all about adjusting to the slow surface. It was their late assault that was staggering.
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Ireland smashed eight sixes in the final three overs alone, as the last five overs yielded 93 runs. The Irish innings, however, began shakily. Oman’s left-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmed struck three times in the Powerplay to leave Ireland reeling at 45/3 after five overs.
His dismissals showcased variety. Tim Tector fell to an arm-ball; Ross Adair miscued a flighted delivery; and Harry Tector was undone by dip and turn. It went from bad to worse when Aamir Kaleem removed Curtis Campher in the eighth over, reducing Ireland to 64/4. Tucker adjusted smartly on a sluggish wicket to rebuild the innings alongside Gareth Delany (56 off 30b; 3×4, 4×6). Then George Dockrell plundered 35 from nine balls, with five of them sailing over the ropes.
It fuelled Irish hopes, turning a commanding total into a match-winning one.For Tucker, it was another statement of intent in a career that keeps galloping forward. From being Ireland’s highest run-scorer at the 2022 T20 World Cup to becoming the nation’s first wicketkeeper to score a Test century on debut against Bangladesh in 2023, he has grown into a multi-format match-winner. In reply, Oman dazzled briefly, buoyed by the 44-year-old Aamir Kaleem.
He blazed a 29-ball 50, bludgeoning five boundaries and two sixes. At 97/2 in 11 overs, Oman were in with a chance. Then came the meltdown.Barry McCarthy removed Kaleem, and Oman unravelled in a blur. Josh Little ran through the lower order with 3/16, while Matthew Humphreys chipped in with two scalps, as Oman lost eight wickets for 42 runs. Bowled out for 139 with two overs remaining, their early defiance dissipated into inevitability.Ireland’s net run rate received a turbo boost with this commanding win. They now hang on to mathematical hope.Brief Scores: Ireland 235/5 (Tucker 94*, Delany 56, Shakeel 3-33) beat Oman 139 (Kaleem 50, Little 3/16) by 96 runs.
