T20 World Cup Qualifier: Ireland slump to 18-run defeat by UAE in opener

Ireland must beat Bahrain and Germany to reach the semi-finals of the qualifying tournament

Ireland's T20 World Cup Qualifier campaign got off to a losing start as they once again succumbed to spin bowling in an 18-run defeat by the UAE.

Chasing 158, Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie started well but familiar problems emerged after the powerplay.

They lost five wickets for just 35 runs in eight overs as the UAE took control of the contest in Oman.

Ireland need to win their remaining two games against Bahrain and Germany to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

They must claim a top-two finish in Group A to advance to a semi-final with the winner of that game booking their place in Australia.

Ireland will go into both their remaining group matches as favourites, but major concerns remain over their ability to face spin in T20 cricket.

On Thursday George Dockrell acknowledged that his side needed to perform better outside of the powerplay if they were to avoid the poor performances that saw them crash out of last year's World Cup, but against the UAE little improvement was displayed.

UAE decision to bat first vindicated

The UAE, who have now won the past four T20 meetings with Ireland, have put themselves in a strong position to reach the semi-finals.

On a tricky pitch they finished their 20 overs with a very competitive 157-5, anchored superbly by 19-year-old wicketkeeper Vriitya Aravind's unbeaten 97 off 67 balls.

The Irish bowling attack began brightly and removed both openers in the first six overs for just 20 runs, with Mark Adair and Craig Young picking up a wicket apiece.

However they could not claim the prize wicket of Aravind - who scored 50 when the sides met in a warm-up match earlier in the week - as he kept the UAE's run rate up with 13 fours and a six in an excellent innings.

Ireland began their response brightly with Balbirnie, dropped on one by Zawar Farid, and Stirling brought up their unbeaten 50 partnership by the end of the powerplay.

However the introduction of spin immediately saw the game swing away from Ireland who lost both openers and Gareth Delany in just 14 deliveries.

Karthik Meiyappan (3-16) was the pick of the UAE's attack, picking up the prize wicket of Stirling with his first delivery and stifling Ireland's run-rate.

Of Ireland's middle order only Dockrell (11) and Lorcan Tucker (25) briefly threatened to build a partnership to trouble the UAE, but that was ended when Junaid Siddique clattered Dockrell's stumps in the 13th over.

The final over saw Andy McBrine and Josh Little tasked with chasing 22 for the most improbable of last-over fightbacks, however there was never any real danger of the UAE blowing their advantage at that stage as they claimed a deserved victory.

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