So Ireland’s slow start came back to haunt them as their rather feeble total of 123 was easily chased down by Australia. Shane Watson did the damage with his bat and ball and Ireland only took three wickets when they had the ball.
Next up is the West Indies on Monday. Let’s hope for a better performance.
And that’s it as Cameron White gets a four and moves Australia up to 125.
After a flurry of runs, just a four will do it for Australia now…
Now just 14 required from 36 balls. The Aussies are getting there, slower than we thought but they’re getting there.
Just 42 balls left for Australia, and they need just 21 runs.
Johnston dropped a catch after a bit of a mishit from Bailey. Great effort by Trent but he just couldn’t contort himself to hold onto the ball. By the way, Australia are now 100/3. Just 24 needed off of eight overs.
Cameron White and George Bailey at the crease now for Australia…
Another wicket as Kevin O’Brien gets Mike Hussey LBW. 95/3 now. Too little, too late?
Just saw a replay of Watson exit. What a throw by Johnston. Probably the best bit of play by Ireland in the game so far.
Wicket! Ireland do get Watson out, a great piece of fielding catches the Australian as he dawdles just a little chasing a single. A fine bit of play by Ireland.
Watson almost run out by Joyce but survives and then he smacks yet another boundary followed by another six. The big fella is now past 50 on just 28 balls. At the halfway point, Australia are now just 33 runs away from victory.
A fine six by Watson helps Australia to reach 77/1 after nine. The Aussies look to be in the mood to get this over with as soon as possible…
It’s now 64/1 at the end of eight overs. Mike Hussey in for the now departed Warner. If, and it’s a big if, we can get rid of him and Watson quickly you never know… Paul Stirling now bowling for Ireland.
Wicket! Dockrell gets Warner, caught by Kevin O’Brien. It’s a start, as they say…
Ireland were 33/3 at this stage of their innings, in case you wondered.
Seven overs down and Australia are almost halfway to their target, sitting on 60/0. They are strolling at the moment.
George Dockrell’s over was not great, and Australia are now at 53/0. Six overs gone, still no wicket and the hopes of the Irish fans in Colombo are fading.
Australia need 80, from 90 deliveries. That’s very attainable, isn’t it?
A better over from Ireland. Still no wicket but kept the Aussies to just 4 this time. The bookies haven’t repoened the betting just yet though. 44/0
We’re hearing that some bookies have stopped taking bets on Australia to win this one now. That can’t be a good sign. Not surprising either.
A very bad over from the Irish perspective, with the Aussies racking up a crushing 19. We need to get rid of one of Warner or Watson if we are to have any chance in this game. They are well ahead of the required run rate now. 40/0.
Rankin is being a bit sloppy this over, yielding 12 runs for the Aussies. 21/0 after three overs.
Second over ends 9/0. Ireland keeping the run rate down but we need wickets to really put pressure on the Aussies.
Good bowling by Trent Johnston in this second over. Let’s hope the rest are as good. Australia at 8/0
Umpires having a go at Irish wicketkeeper Gary Wilson for how he is speaking to Watson. The mood out on the pitch is pretty dark.
The Aussies need just over six an over to beat us. They got six in their first. This could be nervy, especially if we can get an early wicket.
Boyd Rankin is our first bowler and there are words between the Irish and Aussies already. Good stuff
Okay, the Aussies are about to start chasing 124. Fingers crossed we can get at them early…
Right, time for a little break to grab some lunch and rub our lucky rabiit foot/find a four-leaf clover/sprinkle holy water on our laptop in the hope that we can realy rattle the Aussies.
Australia are obviously one of the big names of world cricket but at T20 they had been struggling a little in the rankings, just one ahead of Ireland. Now we know those numbers are a bit misleading as the Aussies looked far better than us.
Still, anything can happen in T20 so a few early wickets and the mood will improve. The Aussies will need just north of six an over to beat us. We’ll be back for the Aussie innings when they kick off.
Twelve off the final over. 123/7 is the final tally. Better than we hoped for much of the innings.
Our first six, courtesy of Nigel Jones. Then Watson bowls a wide. Every little helps at this stage.
Okay, 111/7 with one over left…
Two overs left, Ireland are at 106/7. Our bowlers and fielders are going to have to play out of their skin later today.
Sterc gets Johnston, 101/7. Great piece of bowling unfortunately.
Great top edge by Johnston gets us to 100. Three overs left
91/6 with just 24 balls left…
Cusack and Trent Johnston now in for Ireland. They are running at every opportunity now but we need a few big hits. No sixes yet in the Irish innings.
And now Kevin O’Brien follows his brother out after edging one off Watson. 86/6 now with just five overs left. Ugh.
Shouldn’t have said anything. Watson clean bowls Niall O’Brien. Partnership over and it’s Alex Cusack in next
Run rate now at 6 while O’Brien partnership hits 50.
Irish run rate up over 5.5 now and the O’Briens are now chasing singles at every chance. Another Kev boundary takes us to 81/4. Keep it up until the end of the innings and we might be in with a shout yet.
Another big lash by Niall O’Brien but it only yields a single. We’re up to 71/4 right now…
Accusations from the commentary box that the Aussies are sledging. No surprises there.
Another great shot by Kevin O’Brien. He hits 25 now. Much better stuff. Let’s hope we can rack up a decent score now as the run rate goes up.
Another four, this time from Kevin, but a bit lucky with his shot. And then Kev gets a better connection and gets another boundary. Better from Ireland.
Ireland get past 50, now at 53-4 after a fine four by Niall O’Brien. Only nine overs left now.
Halfway point at Ireland are at 46-4. On pace to finish well short of 100 here. Not good.
41-4 at the end of nine overs. Aussies dominating us at the moment. T20 is not really a sport to start slowly in and we have. Disappointing.
A vicious Watson bouncer almost claims Kevin O’Brien. If he goes we could be in really big trouble. Aussies fielding and bowling very well.
At the end of eight overs it’s 36-4. Hmmm…
Here’s Kevin O’Brien. We need Kev to have one of his big bashing days…
Now Hogg gets Wilson LBW after he managed just five off five balls. Not the best 30 minutes of cricket Ireland have ever played.
Bumble on comnmentary duty is saying that the bounce in the pitch is causing Ireland to struggle. Something is up, we’re struggling. After seven overs it’s 33-3.
A lovely four by Gary Wilson off Glenn Maxwell. We need a lot more of them.
Yes, plopped is the right word.
Oh no, now Joyce is gone as well. Plopped one straight to the fielder. We’re now 25-3. Run rate only 4.29…
Okay, the bits you missed were Stirling being bowled by Mitchell Sterc after he swung at a shorter ball and was caught by Watson. Joyce has settled in well and if we can not lose a wicket for a bit now and get Niall O’Brien to start lashing the ball around we can get a decent total up yet.
Okay, given the laptop a kick and it seems a bit better now. Ed Joyce and Niall O’Brien are in and Ireland are now 24-2 as we approach the end of the fifth over.
Sorry about the lack of updates. Techy problems. Another wicket gone now 16-2…
End of the second over it’s 6-1. Slow start for Ireland.
Okay Paul Stirling smacks the ball for four and Ireland are off the mark.
Yep, Shane Watson took out the Irish skipper first ball and then Stirling was almost run out., Nervy start for Ireland here.
Oh no, Porterfield gone first ball!
Okay, just before we get going, and with Ireland winning the toss and electing to bat, here are the teams…
Ireland Will Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 Niall O’Brien, 5 Gary Wilson (wk), 6 Kevin O’Brien, 7 Trent Johnston, 8 George Dockrell, 9 Nigel Jones, 10 Boyd Rankin, 11 Alex Cusack.
Australia Shane Watson, 2 David Warner, 3 Mike Hussey, 4 George Bailey (capt), 5 Cameron White, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade, 8 Dan Christian, 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Pat Cummins, 11 Mitchell Starc.
