(Football news) Ireland enjoyed a magnificent seven wicket victory over the Netherlands in their first match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with Curtis Campher making history by taking four wickets in four balls. The all-rounder’s spectacular 10th over reduced the opposition from 51-2 to 51-6 and became the first player to take four wickets off consecutive deliveries in a T20 World Cup fixture, ultimately reducing the Netherlands to a score of 106.

Pieter Seelaar won the toss and chose to bat, but the first wicket fell on the third ball of the opening over by Sterling. Ben Cooper was run out from a throw by Simi Singh who took full advantage of a mix up between the two batters. Josh Little took the wicket of Bas de Leede in the fifth over as the 21 year old failed to connect with a ramp shot over fine leg. Campher then entered the fray after the powerplay and conceded 12 runs in his first over.

However, everything changed in the second over when Colin Ackermann became the first to fall as a review showed that the ball was gloved on it’s way to Neil Rock behind the stumps. A full delivery in the next ball meant that Ryan ten Doeschate was struck in front of the stumps while Scott Edwards was subjected to the same delivery with a review showing that the ball was projected to hit the stumps. With a hat-trick already, few could have predicted that Roelof van der Merwe would be bowled after inside-edging a delivery onto his stumps. 

Netherlands kept the score ticking through O’Dowd at one end who eventually got a half century from 44 balls until Mark Adair’s slower ball was hit by O’Dowd directly onto the hands of Harry Tector at long-on in the 17th over. The right-arm quick claimed two wickets in the final three balls and finished with figures of 3-9 in four overs while Little managed 1-14 and Campher finished with 4-26.

Sterling and Kevin O’Brien got Ireland off to a solid start with 20 runs in three overs but O’Brien (9) and Balbirnie (8) fell in the space of seven deliveries. However, Sterling and Delaney’s 59 run partnership helped Ireland come close to the total. In a fitting fashion, Campher hit the winning run from his first ball in the 16th over to register a victory for his team. Ireland will next take on Sri Lanka on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Men v Netherlands Men, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Round 1, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, 18 October 2021

Netherlands 106 (20 overs; M O’Dowd 51; C Campher 4-26, M Adair 3-9)
Ireland 107-3 (15.1 overs; G Delany 44, P Stirling 30*; P Seelaar 1-14)

Ireland won by 7 wickets

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