Harare, June 30 Three wickets from fast bowler Craig Young, followed by a belligerent half-century from opener Paul Stirling helped Ireland beat USA by six in their seventh-place playoff semi-final at the Men's ODI World Cup Qualifiers, here on Friday.
For the USA, Saiteja Mukkamalla and Sushant Modani scored half-centuries, but Young's three-fer and support from other bowlers meant they were 196 all out. In reply, Stirling smashed nine fours and two sixes in his 45-ball 58 to take Ireland over the line with 94 balls to spare.
Asked to bat first in the first-ever ODI meeting between the two teams, opener Steven Taylor played with plenty of freedom early on, before a double-wicket maiden from Young in the seventh over took out both Taylor and captain Monank Patel.
Mukkamalla and Modani then combined for an 88-run partnership before the former was run out in the 23rd over by McBrine catching him short of his crease. Ireland’s bowlers ran through the lower order with McBrine, Barry McCarthy, and Mark Adair all taking wickets to keep USA four runs below 200.
In reply, an opening partnership of 84 off 83 between Stirling and McBrine put Ireland's chase on cruise mode. Stirling brought up his 28th career ODI fifty in the eleventh over through a reverse sweep going for a boundary, apart from being dropped twice on seven and 27.
Most of Stirling's boundaries came through the off side -- punching cover drives or flashing cut strokes behind point. But his two sixes stood out, hit in a stand-and-deliver mode of pulling over the legside boundary, before eventually falling for 58 when he was trapped lbw trying to sweep in the 14th over against Nosthush Kenjige.
Captain Andrew Balbirnie, playing in his 100th ODI, shared a 39-run partnership with McBrine before the latter was caught and bowled off Kenjige. Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker made 25 before being dismissed, before Balbirnie and Curtis Campher guided the side home, with the Ireland skipper remaining unbeaten on 45.
Brief Scores: USA 196 in 42.4 overs (Saiteja Mukkamalla 55, Sushant Modani 55; Craig Young 3/35, Andy McBrine 2/19) lost to Ireland 197/4 in 34.2 overs (Paul Stirling 58, Andrew Balbirnie 45 not out; Nosthush Kenjige 2/41, Nisarg Patel 1/20) by six wickets.
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