Ireland beat Nepal in final warm-up before T20 World Cup qualifiers
- Published
Pembroke seamer Barry McCarthy finished with 2-15
T20 quadrangular series, Al Amarat, Oman: |
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Ireland 127 (20 overs): Dockrell 28, Campher 20, Airee 4-21 |
Nepal 111-9 (20 overs): Airee 28, McBrine 2-13, McCarthy 2-15) |
Ireland won by 16 runs |
Ireland secured a 16-run win over Nepal in Oman in their final warm-up match before the T20 World Cup qualifiers.
All five Irish bowlers claimed a wicket, with Barry McCarthy and Andy McBrine the stand-out players in the Irish attack.
Mark Adair (2-24), Simi Singh (2-32) and Curtis Campher (1-23) all played their part in the Irish victory.
Ireland face the UAE, Bahrain and Germany in qualifying from 18-21 February.
Having been beaten by the UAE on Sunday, Monday's result will be a welcome boost of confidence before the qualifiers.
McCarthy finished with 2-15 to halt the early Nepalese progress, while McBrine - who arrived in Oman on Saturday after recovering from Covid - took two tickets to take his international tally to 99 in what was his 100th Ireland appearance in all formats.
Nepal won the toss and elected to bowl first, and reaped immediate rewards with the prize wicket of Paul Stirling in the first over for just two runs.
Captain Andrew Balbirnie and Gareth Delany managed 25 off the next 22 balls, but Delany hit a full-blooded shot straight back to the bowler, while the skipper was bowled by a ball that was kept low as Ireland slumped to 31-3 after five overs.
Campher (20), Shane Getkate (14) and Lorcan Tucker (15) all fell to good catches by Nepal.
Ireland's tail-enders added 17 from the last 17 balls to finish all out for 127 off the last ball of the innings.
The Irish begin the qualifying series against the UAE on Friday at the Al Almerat Stadium in Muscat.