Canada stun Ireland in T20 World Cup

Canada won their first match at any Twenty20 World Cup when they stunned Ireland by 12 runs in a Group A game in New York on Friday.

Defending a target of just 138, the non-test nation bowled and fielded expertly to hold Ireland to 125 for seven from their full 20 overs.

Ireland collapsed spectacularly to 59 for six and come the last five overs they still needed 64 more runs to win – a rate of more than 12 an over

George Dockrell (30 not out) and Mark Adair (34) reduced the target to 17 off the last six balls.

But Canada paceman Jeremy Gordon held his nerve superbly, conceding just three runs and dismissing Adair with the second ball of the 20th over when he held a skyed caught and bowled chance.

The 37-year-old Guyana-born Gordon finished with fine figures of 2-16 from his maximum four overs.

After losing the toss, Canada themselves had been struggling on 53 for four before a key stand of 75 in 10 overs between Barbados-born left-hander Nicholas Kirton (49) and Shreyas Movva (37) helped take them to a total of 137 for seven.

Victory meant Canada bounced back from an opening defeat to the USA.

But this result was Ireland's second successive loss at this tournament following an eight-wicket reverse against India.

CANADA: Aaron Johnson, Navneet Dhaliwal, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wkt), Dilpreet Bajwa, Saad Bin Zafar (capt), Junaid Siddiqui, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Jeremy Gordon

IRELAND: Paul Stirling (capt), Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker (wkt), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little, Craig Young