Lauderhill (USA), Jun 16 (PTI) Pakistan’s pace battery, led by Shaheen Afridi, fired in unison to restrict Ireland to 106 for nine in the inconsequential T20 World Cup game here on Sunday.
In a sensational display of seam and swing, the pace trio of Afridi (3/22), Mohammad Amir (2/11) and Haris Rauf (1/17) exploited the conditions well to reduce them to 32 for six in powerplay.
Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim (3/8) then used his guile to claim three late wickets as Pakistan produced a dominating bowling show.
Top-scorer Gareth Delany stuck three maximums and a four during his 19-ball 31, while Mark Adair (15) and George Dockrell (11) also reached double digit figures.
The number 10 Joshua Little (22 not out) then threw his bat to take Ireland across the 100-mark.
Ireland had a nightmarish start as Afridi and Amir left them tottering at 4 for three in the second over.
The left-arm pacer Afridi struck twice in three balls, removing Andrew Balbirnie (0) and Lorcan Tucker (2) in the opening over. Amir then had Ireland skipper Paul Stirling (1) caught behind to leave the top order in disarray.
Tector survived a caught-behind appeal but was trapped by Afridi in the next ball with a fuller delivery that hit his back leg to reduce Ireland to 15 for 4 in 3 overs.
Dockrell blasted two fours to ease the pressure a bit but he fell to a caught and bowled by Amir, who deceived him with a slower ball, as half of the Irish side returned to the hut within powerplay.
Rauf then joined the party, getting rid of Curtis Campher who went for a pull only to see the top-edge landing in the safe hands of Saim Ayub.
Delany clobbered the first six of Ireland innings off Rauf in the 9th over, before hammering spinner Shadab Khan for a six over long-on to bring up the team fifty. Delany ended the over with a four after Rauf missed an overhead catch at the boundary.
Abbas Afridi was next in line for Delany as he smoked a pitched up delivery from the pacer over deep square leg for another maximum.
Imad was then introduced into the attack and he dismissed the dangerous-looking Delany with a ball that bounced and spun as the 44-run stand was broken with Ireland at 76 for 7.
Imad then had Adair caught by Afridi. PTI ATK UNG
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