CAN vs IRE T20 World Cup Highlights: Canada beat Ireland by 12 runs for first win in Group A

Right then, we have now seen three T20 World Cup debutants win a game and the last two wins have been truly remarkable. Such is this format that the minnows have a real chance of beating the big guns and it makes for such an entertaining and exciting watch. Next up, we have a couple of teams who will be playing their first games of the tournament. First up, it will be New Zealand getting their campaign underway against Afghanistan in Guyana. That clash will begin on Saturday, 8 June at 5 am IST (11.30 pm GMT). Also, Bangladesh will play their fist match against Sri Lanka in Dallas beginning at 6 am IST (12.30 am GMT). You can join us early for the build-up of both those games but until then, take care and goodbye.

Saad Bin Zafar, the captain of Canada says that it's a proud moment for his team. Credits Shreyas Movva and Nicholas Kirton for their great batting. Adds that the bowling unit stepped up and delivered. Shares that they gambled with an extra spinner and both him and Junaid Siddiqui did a good job. Ends by saying that they want to enjoy the win and go with confidence against Pakistan in their next game.

Ireland's skipper, Paul Stirling says that it is a tough loss and they were slow to begin with. Adds that it was certainly gettable and it was just a slow start with the bat that cost them and need to improve in all aspects of the game and hopefully put on a better performance in Miami. Mentions that they don't want to look too far ahead and want to focus on the next game which is a big one.

Nicolas Kirton is the Player of the Match for his attacking and momentum shifting knock 49 runs. He says that it was important to get over the line after the first game. Adds that it was crucial for him to get in the middle and the wicket was pretty good to bat on except for an area in the middle. Shares that the partnership with Shreyas Movva was very important. He hopes to grow from strength to strength and to do well in the next game. Mentions that the spinners got some purchase off the pitch and they executed the plans well. Ends by sharing that they want to take one day at a time and not think too much further.

Presentation time...

Having opted to bowl first, Paul Stirling and his men seemed to be in control as they suffocated the Canadian batters in the first 10 overs but didn't biowl particularly well. This eventually cost them as it allowed Canada to post a defendable total. Still, 138 to win and one would back Ireland to chase it down but their openers once again failed to give them a positive start. Andy Balbirnie looked decent but Stirling was just not in the game at all and soon enough, the top order crumbled. They were down 59 for 6 at one point before George Dockrell and Mark Adair led the fightback. It was always a bridge too far and in the end, they ended up a few runs short and have now gone on to lose back-to-back games.

Defending 137 runs on a pitch that wasn't the easiest to bat on, Canada started brightly with the ball as they managed to stop Paul Stirling from getting away and eventually, that brought them his wicket as well. tThey were miserly in the Powerplay and then their spinners ruled the roost in the middle overs. Skipper, Saad Bin Zafar and especially Junaid Siddiqui bowled really well and picked up a wicket each to pile on the pressure. Dilon Heyliger too bowled a lovely spell in the middle overs and picked up two wickets and the pacers closed things out pretty nicely when things got a bit tight towards the end. They will now look to build on this and go into their next match against Pakistan full of confidence.

HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE ONCE AGAIN IN THE 2024 MEN'S T20 WORLD CUP! On back-to-back days, two associate nations have defeated two Test-playing nations, both in Group A and Canada have picked up their maiden win at the Men's T20 World Cup. This is also the second-time they have beaten a Test-playing nation in a T20I game, both of those wins coming against Ireland who will be gutted and have been handed two successive losses here.

Jeremy Gordon to George Dockrell, That's it, CANADA HAVE DONE IT! A first-ever win in the Men's T20 World Cup main event for Canada and their players are ecstatic. Another one that is dug into the pitch but this is slower and outside off. George Dockrell forces the pull in front of mid-wicket fn picks up just a single. Canada win by 12 runs!

Jeremy Gordon to Barry McCarthy, Bye! Dug into the pitch around off and this one takes off after putching, Barry McCarthy can't get bat to ball but the batters manage to scamper through for a bye.

Jeremy Gordon to Barry McCarthy, A golden dot ball and that should seal it for Canada! Good length right around the top of off stump, Barry McCarthy clears thye front leg and swing across the line but misses.

Jeremy Gordon to Barry McCarthy, Short again and bowled at the batter, Barry McCarthy swings it away off the top edge and gets it over the square leg region for a couple of runs.

Barry McCarthy is the new man in.

Jeremy Gordon to Mark Adair, OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Jeremy Gordon keeps up his excellent work and picks up a vital wicket in the final over. Gordon bangs it into the putch again and bowls it a bit straighter this time. Mark Adair looks to take on the pull but the ball gets big on him and ends up getting sliced up high off the top edge. The ball comes back down on the deck and Gordon himself takes the catch.

Jeremy Gordon to Mark Adair, Swing and a miss! Banged in short and outside off stump, Mark Adair looks to back away and pull it in front of square but fails to connect.

17 needed off the final over and Saad Bin Zafar has tossed the ball to Jeremy Gordon to defend it.

Kaleem Sana to Mark Adair, Oh, that could have gone anywhere! Kaleem Sana misses his mark with the yorker again and serves a low full toss on the pads, Mark Adair flicks it straight to short fine leg for a single.

Kaleem Sana to Mark Adair, FOUR! Oh, that's too straight and Mark Adair has picked up another boundary. Looks to spear in the yorker but gets it on leg stump, Adair walks across a touch and just gets an inside edge off the pads and the ball goes quickly past the diving keeper into the fine leg fence.

Kaleem Sana to Mark Adair, Comes from over the stumps now and nails the yorker around off stump, Mark Adair squirts it off the inside edge back to the keeper.

Kaleem Sana to Mark Adair, FOUR! Streaky but will do nicely for Ireland. Another high full toss from Kaleem Sana, this time outside off, Mark Adair goes hard after it but gets a thick outside fine of short third and rolls away into the fence. That was almost a no ball for height as well but for now, it is just the four runs.

Kaleem Sana to George Dockrell, Nice and straight into the blockhole, George Dockrell makes room and hits it down to long on for just one more.

Kaleem Sana to Mark Adair, That should have been put away! A juicy full toss on middle and angling in, Mark Adair hangs back and fails to swing iot away on the leg side. The ball is mistimed through mid-wicket for just one.

Dilon Heyliger to George Dockrell, Just back of a length and around off stump, punched away straight to covers. 28 needed now off 12 balls.

Dilon Heyliger to Mark Adair, Banged in a bit again and outside off, Mark Adair stays back, makes some room and flat-bats it uppishly through covers. The fielder gives a brilliant chase and manages to save the boundary but the batters pick up three runs. The 50-run stand is also up between these two.

Dilon Heyliger to Mark Adair, Shorter this time and over off stump, zipping through off the deck, Mark Adair backs away to cut but is well beaten.

Dilon Heyliger to George Dockrell, Hard length, bowled into the pitch and around off, George Dockrell jams it down into the off side for a single.

Dilon Heyliger to George Dockrell, FOUR! Just wide of mid off and that has gone through for a boundary. Pitched up full and around off, George Dockrell hangs back and swats it to the right of mid off where the fielder just gets a bad bounce and the ball sneaks through for a boundary.

Dilon Heyliger to George Dockrell, Fractionally short but pushed well outside the off stump, George Dockrell is early to back away and eventually, he fails to reach it. Any bat on that one and it could have gone behind square on the off side for a boundary.

Dilon Heyliger is back on to finish his spell.

Kaleem Sana to Mark Adair, Goes back to nailing the yorker on the off stump, Mark Adair stays back and looks to heave it away but gets an inside edge onto the pads and the ball goes nowhere.

Kaleem Sana to Mark Adair, SIX! Swung away for a biggie and the 100 is up for Ireland. Too short and angling just down leg, again Mark Adair gets well inside the line and just pulls it away over deep fine leg for a maximum. Ireland in the ascendancy at the right moment.

Kaleem Sana to Mark Adair, Misses his mark and serves a full toss on middle stump, Mark Adair swings across the line and gets it towards deep mkid-wicket before speeding back for the second run.

Kaleem Sana to Mark Adair, FOUR! High and well over the infield for a boundary. Mark Adair is early to set himself up outside the off stump, Kaleem Sana tries to bowl the slower one on the leg stump but Adair picks it up and lifts it down to deep backward square leg for four runs.

Kaleem Sana to George Dockrell, Full again, gets it into the blockhole as well, George Dockrell squeezes it off the inside edge to short fine leg for one more.

Kaleem Sana is back into the attack.

Kaleem Sana to Mark Adair, Pretty full and angled into the stumps from around the stumps, Mark Adair gets across and chips it on the full throughg mid-wicket for one. Adair wants two which is never on and George Dockrell sends him back in time.

Junaid Siddiqui to George Dockrell, Top effort in the deep and Kaleem Sana has saved a couple of runs for his side. This one slides onto the pads, George Dockrell gets low, picks it up and slogs it over deep backward square leg. Sana sprints to his right and puts in a big dive to just pull the ball back in. Sana has hurt his shoulder a bit but seems fine.

Junaid Siddiqui to George Dockrell, Well bowled! Slows it right up, bringing the pace down from mid-90s to 65 KPH and floats it outside off. George Dockrell looks to go over cobvers but is well beaten.

Junaid Siddiqui to George Dockrell, SIX! Clean strike from George Dockrell and there's still hope for Ireland here. Tossed up nice and full in the slot around middle, Dockrell swings through the line and gets it over long on for a biggie.

Junaid Siddiqui to Mark Adair, Really slow and floated up around off stump, the ball almost never arrives but Mark Adair waits and taps it to point for one.

Junaid Siddiqui to George Dockrell, On the stumps, forced away from the crease and to the right of the bowler for a single.

Junaid Siddiqui to George Dockrell, FOUR! Over the fielder in the deep! Dragged well short and on middle and leg, George Dockrell rocks back and flat-bats the pull over the man in the deep who is well inside the ropes. Ireland need a lot more of these now.

Dilon Heyliger to George Dockrell, Short of a length and outside off, slapped away off the back foot towards mid off for a quick single.

Dilon Heyliger to George Dockrell, TWO BYES! Bnaged into the deck and angled well into the batter, George Dockrell makes room to pull but the ball just sneaks through a bit low and goes through the diving keeper towards fine leg. The batters collect a couple of byes.

Dilon Heyliger to Mark Adair, Back of a length and outside off, Mark Adair stands tall and swats it away to deep point for a single.

Dilon Heyliger to Mark Adair, A spicy bumper now, dug in well short and outside off stump, Mark Adair lets it through to the keeper.

Dilon Heyliger to Mark Adair, That one almost rolled back onto the stumps! Short and angled into the body, Mark Adair swivels to pull but gets it nowhere and the ball goes off the deck back onto the deck.

Dilon Heyliger to George Dockrell, Pitched up on middle stump, angling in, George Dockrell leans ahead and just pushes it to the left of mid on for a single.

Saad Bin Zafar to Mark Adair, Sees the batter coming forward and fires it in at the toes, Mark Adair is beaten in flight but manages to squeeze it behind towards fine leg for a couple of runs more.

Saad Bin Zafar to Mark Adair, Flatter delivery around off, punched away towards cover.