Match Report – IRE vs PAK 1st T20I, May 10, 2024

Ireland 183 for 5 (Balbirnie 77, Tector 36, Abbas 2-36) batting Pakistan 182 for 6 (Babar 57, Ayub 45, Young 2-27) for five wickets

The chase came to a screeching halt, with Ireland needing 40 from the last four overs as Pakistan banked overs from Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, and two from Abbas Afridi. Abbas started the 17th over with the wicket of Dockrell and conceded just three from the first four balls. But then began the recurring theme of the bowler getting off to a good start before dropping a late boundary and bringing down the asking price.

Next up, Ireland needing another 28 off 17 balls, Shadab Khan couldn’t hold on to a tough chance, giving Balbirnie life. Naseem bowled a couple of yorkers to bring the game back into balance. But Delany made room and smashed a low full toss through cover to make it 11 overs.

Shaheen was next to lead in the penalty over, which started with Ireland needing 19 more. He bowled some wicket yorkers, hitting Balbirnie with a skidding, low full toss. But a quick reverse first ball from Camper over the keeper left Abbas with 11 to defend the last over.

Camper was bowled by the first ball as Abbas rose to short length, but managed to get it outside the wicketkeeper and short third for four. He used a missed yorker to level the scores before sneaking through leg to win.

Balbirnie, Tector set the chase

Ireland made a poor start to their chase with Naseem dismissing Paul Stirling cheaply. Shaheen got out in his opening two overs but Abbas, who replaced him, struck the first ball after being bowled in the powerplay.

But going in at 27 for 2 didn’t stop Tector from looking for early boundaries. It allowed Balbirnie to combine at the other end, as the pair lifted Ireland from 43 for 2 in the powerplay to 84 for 2 after ten overs. They went for Shadab Khan after Imad Wasim braced his length to keep him from moving.

Babar five, Iftikhar cameo lift Pakistan

Babar and Ayub had mixed success when trying to get the ball together in the powerplay, as they hit two fours and sixes, but were again beaten by the strong Mark Adair and Barry McCarthy.

After the powerplay, the two batsmen took over in Ben White and Curtis Camper, as they sped up and added 53 in the next five overs. They punished anything that was too full or too short, but Ayub stepped outside to pull it down from Delany, who completed a stand of 85 runs from 57 balls.

Babar brought up his fifty off 39 balls in the 13th over, but the scores continued to fluctuate as he continued to hit and miss, as Fakhar Zaman could not get out of the blocks.

Young’s return in the 13th over held Pakistan back as Babar fumbled the short ball to long-on to end his 43-ball 57, while Azam Khan, trying to drive over deep square leg, fell for a duck with two balls.

Pakistan went on to lose 3 of 7 in six legal balls in the middle of the 15th over. Fakhar then fell to the 18th in 20 overs from 18 balls, but Iftikhar was undaunted. He loved Adair, hitting him for three sixes and two fours in eight legal balls.

Iiftikhar, who finished with 38* from 15 balls, helped by two sixes from Shaheen off McCarthy in the 19th over, when Pakistan scored 44 in the last three to reach 182, Ireland chased the ball that is left.