T20 World Cup: West Indies, Eire win to open up Group B

Two-time champion West Indies and Eire rebounded from their opening losses on the Twenty20 World Cup with emphatic victories on Wednesday to open up Group B.

Curtis Campher belted an unbeaten 72 from 32 deliveries to steer Eire to a six-wicket win over Scotland.

Later within the evening sport, quick bowler Alzarri Joseph picked up 4-16 and led West Indies to a 31-run win over Zimbabwe, which was bowled out for 122 with 10 balls to spare.

That leaves all 4 groups in Group B with two factors every from two matches. The winners of West Indies vs. Eire and Zimbabwe vs. Scotland on Friday will advance to the Tremendous 12.

Scotland upset two-time champion West Indies within the group opener on Monday and was in charge of its second sport as Eire struggled at 61-4 within the tenth over chasing 177 to win.

That’s the place Campher and George Dockrell dug in, combining in an unbroken 119-run fifth-wicket stand that turned the sport round at Bellerive Oval.

Eire steadily eroded the goal to the purpose the place the equation was 12 runs wanted from the final 12 balls. Campher ensured the victory, and posted Eire’s highest-ever particular person rating on the T20 World Cup, with three straight boundaries to raise the full to 180-4 and end off the nineteenth over. Dockrell completed unbeaten on 39 from 27 balls.

Campher stated his intention when Eire misplaced two wicket inside 5 deliveries within the ninth and tenth overs was simply to again himself.

“I had a transparent sport plan: simply take the sport deep, go along with my choices,” he stated. “Fortunate right this moment was my day.”

Eire skipper Andy Balbirnie stated his crew was motivated after getting shut too many occasions however not fairly getting the end result.

“It was fairly particular, I can’t keep in mind an essential partnership as that,” he stated of the Campher-Dockrell stand. “We began the event a bit disappointingly. To have the ability to drag it again and keep on this competitors is admittedly essential for us.”

After dropping George Munsey within the second over, Scotland’s batting was strong.

Michael Jones posted 86 from 55 deliveries with six boundaries and 4 sixes, together with one onto the stadium roof.

He shared a 59-run stand with Matthew Cross (29) and 77 with skipper Richie Berrington (37) to set the foundations for Scotland’s whole of 176-5.

“We actually put Eire underneath stress early on,” Berrington stated. “You’ve bought to offer Eire credit score. Distinctive knock from Curtis Campher.

“These group conditions are by no means straight ahead. We’ll come again robust within the final sport in opposition to Zimbabwe.”

Off-spinner Sikandar Raza picked up 3-19 and strangled the West Indies within the center overs earlier than it reached 153-7 after electing to bat first.

Opening batter Johnson Charles top-scored with 45 off 36 balls earlier than West Indies misplaced wickets in cluster and slipped to 101-6 in 14 overs.

West Indies was going alongside properly at 90-2 earlier than it misplaced 4 wickets inside two overs. Captain Nicholas Pooran gave a tame return catch to Sean Williams and three balls later Charles was run out. Raza then had Shamarh Brooks leg earlier than wicket for zero earlier than Jason Holder additionally perished by providing a easy catch again to Raza.

Zimbabwe’s aggression led to its downfall as its batters continued to search for huge hits earlier than getting dismissed for 122 in 18.2 overs.

Joseph picked up two wickets contained in the batting powerplay by means of his relentless tempo earlier than clear bowling the threatening Luke Jongwe (29) in his return spell.

“It’s not simply now however for the reason that starting of the yr he’s (Joseph) been our greatest bowler in T20 cricket,” Pooran stated. “Bowling at 140-plus, getting wickets for us and bringing that vitality, it’s an thrilling time for West Indies cricket.”

Holder additionally completed with spectacular figures of 3-12 as he claimed the final wicket of Tendai Chatara.

India’s warmup sport in opposition to New Zealand and Bangladesh’s warmup sport in opposition to South Africa didn’t get began on the Gabba due to persistent rain, certainly one of three apply video games in Brisbane that have been both curtailed or deserted.

Mohammad Nabi scored an unbeaten 51 in Afghanistan’s 154-6 in opposition to Pakistan. The second innings lasted 2.2 overs, with Pakistan on 19 with out loss, earlier than the match was stopped due to rain.

India and Pakistan are scheduled to fulfill Sunday within the Tremendous 12 spherical in entrance of a capability crowd on the Melbourne Cricket Floor. Defending champion Australia and New Zealand meet in a grand remaining rematch on Saturday to open the second section of the event.