Paul Stirling
IF ONE of the 14 support staff with the Ireland squad knows how to use a calculator, skipper Paul Stirling will already be aware of the size of the challenge that lies ahead this weekend in Florida as his side try to qualify for the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup.
After two defeats in Group A, the Boys in Green will not only have to beat the USA at Lauderhill on Friday and prevail at the same venue against Pakistan on Sunday, they will have to do so by substantial margins to sneak through via a superior nett rate.
How substantial?
Those calculations do vary a little depending on which side bats first, and the number of runs scored, but as a rule of thumb Ireland need to beat the USA by around 40 runs, or with more than five overs to spare, to nullify the hosts’ current advantage.
A 20-run victory, in itself a big win in T20 cricket, would mean having to beat Pakistan by a highly unlikely 40 runs or so to extend their tournament.
It’s a massive task but there is a precedent, and one that Stirling will remember well, if painfully.
At the 2014 World T20 – the first global tournament after the retirement of Trent Johnston – the Netherlands needed not only to beat Ireland to qualify, but to chase down 189-4 in 14.2 overs, or fewer, and unbelievably got the runs with three balls to spare.
The Lauderhill pitch, where the USA and Ireland shared a T20 series at the end of 2021, should at least provide a better surface for the batters than New York as they look to ‘go big or go home’.