Australia dominated Ireland by 42 runs in a Super 12 match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on Monday at the Gabba, putting on a masterful all-around display.
With this victory, Australia improved to second place in Group 1 with five points after four games. Ireland, on the other hand, is in fourth place with three points.
After being given the opportunity to bat first, Australia's captain Aaron Finch produced a superb innings of 63 off 44 deliveries to lead his team to an impressive total of 179/5 in 20 overs. Along with Aaron, the hosts' other all-rounders Marcus Stoinis (35) and Mitchell Marsh (28) contributed significantly with the bat.
Lorcan Tucker was Ireland's lone fighter as they attempted to chase down a difficult score but continued dropping wickets at regular intervals. With his stunning hit of 71 off 48, he appeared in command, kept the scoreboard moving, and managed to stay unbeaten.
Despite some assistance from the lower order, Tucker ultimately had too much to do as Ireland was eventually dismissed for 137-10 in 18.1 overs, suffering a 42-run defeat.
For example, Australia received two wickets each from Glenn Maxwell (2/14), Adam Zampa (2/19), Pat Cummins (2/28), and Mitchell Starc (2/43).
Australia started out slowly earlier because the Irish bowlers made good use of the pitch to keep the hosts quiet. Before Australia could gain any momentum, Barry McCarthy bowled out David Warner in the third over of the innings.
Despite their best efforts, Finch and Mitchell Marsh were unable to lead Australia to a score of 38/1 at the conclusion of the powerplay.
But soon, things began to shift. After the powerplay, Marsh and Finch began challenging the bowlers, giving the Australian innings the crucial impetus. Finch participated in two significant partnerships with Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, totaling 52 and 70 respectively, that were essential in assisting Australia in reaching such a challenging total.
Finch's innings was ended by Barry McCarthy, while Stoinis also played a solid innings, scoring 35 runs off 25 deliveries. Tim David and Matthew Wade, who were still undefeated at seven and 15, both contributed significant runs in the closing stages.
The most effective bowler for Ireland was Barry McCarthy (3/29) while left-arm pacer Josh Little (2/21) claimed two wickets.
Brief Scores:
Australia - 179 for 5 in 20 overs (Aaron Finch 63, Marcus Stoinis scored 35; Barry McCarthy 3/29) beat Ireland 137-10 in 18.1 overs (Lorcan Tucker 71 not out; Glenn Maxwell 2/14, Adam Zampa 2/19) by 42 runs.