Ireland hold their nerve to stay unbeaten at T20 qualifier

Ireland claimed a second thrilling last-over victory at the World Twenty20 Qualifier in Abu Dhabi on Sunday as they beat the United Arab Emirates by five runs to make it three from three in their group games.

The hosts needed nine runs from the final over for victory or eight to tie the scores and force a super over to decide the result.

With three wickets in hand it looked on for the UAE, with Trent Johnston taking the ball for Ireland.

Niall O’Brien ran out Nasir Aziz off the first ball, with Johnston restricting the UAE to two singles before Max Sorensen’s brilliant throw from long leg helped run out Shadeep Silva.

Crucially that kept Rohan Mustafa off strike and Johnston ended the game with his next delivery as he yorked number 11 batsman Manjula Garuge to seal the win.

Sorensen and Paul Stirling has earlier stemmed the tide after the UAE made a great start in chasing down their victory target of 139, giving away just 38 runs and taking three wickets between them in eight overs.

Wicket-keeper Gary Wilson had earlier kept up his fine batting performances so far in the tournament, making 53 not out off 44 balls in Ireland's total of 138 for five.

Kevin O’Brien was the other big contributor on a slow pitch, making a run-a-ball 47 and sharing a 92-run fourth-wicket stand in 77 deliveries with Wilson.

The win puts Ireland two points clear at the top of the Group A table, with victories over arguably their three strongest rivals in the opening three days of the qualifier.

They will now have two days off before facing the United States in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Both group winners automatically qualify for next year’s first round of the World Twenty20 finals in Bangladesh, with four other places on offer through a series of play-offs when the group stages are concluded.