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Ireland beat Jersey by 7 wickets
T20 World Cup Qualifier, Malahide, 19 July 2015
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Paul Stirling produced a Man of the Match display as Ireland got their T20 World Cup qualification campaign back on track with an emphatic seven wickets win over Jersey at Malahide.

Stirling - back in tandem with regular opening partner William Porterfield - top scored with an impressive 55 from just 38 balls.

Bowled playing a scoop

The pugnacious opener struck seven boundaries - many with his trademark power through the covers and square - and one imperious straight six.

Chasing a modest target of 123, Porterfield (17) shared an opening stand of 44 in 29 deliveries with Stirling - surviving a regulation slip chance off Kay when he had made just one.

Kay got his revenge when he induced a false hook shot from the Irish skipper, with Corne Bodenstein holding a difficult chance in the deep.

Andrew Balbirnie joined his Middlesex colleague in the middle and the Dubliner was content to play the anchor role, scoring at a run a ball and rotating the strike.

Heads up lads

Their stand of 47 was ended after Ben Stevens (2-20) induced a false stroke from Stirling with the total on 91, but by then the back of the chase had been broken.

Left-armer Stevens trapped a sweeping Kevin O'Brien (8), but there was no further joy for the Channel Islanders as Balbirnie (31*) and Gary Wilson (11*) saw the Irish safely home with 3.2 overs to spare.

Earlier the triumvirate of Paul Stirling (3-16), John Mooney (3-20), and Alex Cusack (3-26) had strangled the Jersey innings after they had been well placed at 88 for 1 with seven overs remaining.

George Dockrell (1-26) had provided the initial breakthrough after skipper Peter Gough (42) and Ed Farley (21) had put on 42 for the first wicket.

Teenager Jonty Jenner - on the books of English county side Sussex - looked impressive as he reached 26, and Jersey looked on course to post a total in the 140-150 region.

Steered by Balbirnie

The wheels however came off the Jersey innings in spectacular fashion in the last five overs as they lost their last eight wickets in the crucial phase while adding just 20 runs.

John Mooney - the leading wicket taker in the tournament with 14 victims - finished the innings in dramatic fashion by taking a hat-trick.

Mooney is only the fourth Irish bowler to achieve the feat - following Thomas Hanna way back in 1877, and in more recent times Peter Connell and Trent Johnston.

This was a clinical, professional display by Ireland who were obviously stung by the fierce criticism directed at the team after two below-par displays which saw them lose to Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong.

The win takes them to the top of the table for a few hours at least, and secures their place in the play-off slots. They may still gain the automatic place on offer to the group winners, but that would require Hong Kong to beat Namibia and USA to overcome PNG in the afternoon games.

If Ireland finish second in the Group then they face Afghanistan on Tuesday morning, while a third place slot would see them playing The Netherlands on Tuesday afternoon.

IRELAND SECURE T20 WORLD CUP BERTH

Ireland have secured their berth at the T20 World Cup in India next year by virtue of topping Group A.

Having beaten Jersey convincingly this morning by seven wickets, Ireland went to eight points, but a win for either Namibia or Papua New Guinea would have meant the Irish would have gone into the play-off slots.

However, USA defeated PNG by 18 runs, while Irfan Ahmed's blistering 98 saw Hong Kong crush Namibia by 83 runs and end their automatic qualification hopes.

Ireland now progress along with Scotland - who qualified yesterday - straight to the semi-finals of this competition along with a guaranteed place in India next year.

"We are delighted to have topped the group and made it through to the next qualifying phase in India," said a very happy but relieved Ireland captain William Porterfield after qualification was secured.

"It's not the way we would have liked to have done it by relying on other results. However we turned in a very solid performance today, and we'll take a lot of momentum and confidence from that going into the finals weekend."

In the play-offs Hong Kong take on Afghanistan while Namibia will face The Netherlands. The winners of these games will qualify for India and advance to play Ireland and Scotland in the semi-finals.

It won't be all over for the losers, as they will have one final chance to make it to India with sudden death matches against Oman and PNG.