The Irish players celebrated the moment with their fans.
The Ireland men’s cricket team defeated the West Indies by nine wickets on Friday (October 21) in Hobart, confirming their position in the Super 12 round of the ongoing mega-event in Australia.
To proceed to the second round of this year’s tournament, the Andrew Balbirnie-led team chased down the target of 147 runs in 17.3 overs for the loss of just one wicket.
The European team began its campaign with a 31-run loss to Zimbabwe on October 17 in Hobart, but immediately rebounded to defeat Scotland by six wickets in their second encounter. The game against the West Indies was a must-win for the team if they were to advance to the Super 12 round, and all of the players delivered a solid performance to get the team there.
Paul Stirling played up to his reputation as one of the top T20I batters in the world for the Irish team. He batted first and went unbeaten till the end. He led his team in scoring with 66 runs off 48 balls. His innings featured six fours and two sixes. In 7.3 overs, he added 73 runs for the first wicket with skipper Balbirnie (37) and, after his departure, joined hands with wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker (45 not out) to get his side home.
Ireland easily chased down the target of 147 runs, and when Tucker smacked Obed McCoy for a boundary on the third delivery of the 18th over, the Irish dugout erupted. The players were seen hugging each other in celebration of the historic event, as well as thanking the spectators who were cheering them on at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval.
The ICC’s official Instagram handle shared the video of Irish players celebrating the success with the fans and appreciating their support.
Ireland will be part of Group 1 in the Super 12 stage, alongside Australia, England, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka advanced to the Super 12 stage earlier on Thursday after winning Group A in the opening round of the competition. The other two teams who have qualified for the Super 12s are the Netherlands and Zimbabwe.
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