Ireland have developed an impressive catalogue of special World Cup moments over the years. Their recent addition, a stupendous victory against Scotland at the T20 World Cup, is just as special, writes Shashwat Kumar.
Ireland entered their game against Scotland with plenty on the line. They had lost their opening fixture to Zimbabwe and another defeat would have, barring an unlikely combination of results and a net run rate swing, consigned them to an early T20 World Cup exit. Their day did not begin on a sound note, with Scotland piling up 176. Ireland then sunk to 61-4 inside 10 overs, needing more than 10 runs per over. The game seemed done
But as has often happened in World Cups, Ireland found a way. Curtis Campher, who shot to stardom at the 2021 T20 World Cup with a double hat-trick, led the way with an unbeaten 32-ball 72. He found an able ally in George Dockrell as both batters surgically dismantled Scotland’s plans, stitching together the joint-highest fifth-wicket partnership in T20I history.
Campher’s innings, in particular, was exceptional because he only played out two dot balls. When he walked out to bat, Ireland had to juggle between consolidating and taking risks. Campher did that to perfection. His first dot ball was off the eighth delivery he faced, and his next was off the 21st ball, indicating how he never let the required run rate slip out of sight, while also mitigating any rick. When boundary opportunities presented themselves, he was quick to capitalise, hitting seven fours and two sixes in a whirlwind knock. Dockrell, too, played his part. He fed Campher the strike at the right moments and ensured that Ireland never fell behind. Dockrell’s three boundaries in the 14th and 15th over also set the tone for Ireland’s final flourish.
Among the batting carnage, it must not be forgotten that Ireland only conceded 15 runs off the final two overs. Campher bagged a two-wicket haul, with Mark Adair, who bowled the final over which went for six runs, giving away 23 runs in his four-over spell. For most of Scotland’s innings, it felt that they would post a total in excess of 180. With the way Campher and Dockrell were batting, it might not have mattered. But also, it might.
Ireland came into the T20 World Cup high on experience but low on victories. Their only success during a fixture-heavy home summer was a 3-2 series win over Afghanistan, with several near misses along the way. In World Cups, though, Ireland have a knack of summoning the miraculous. They caused an almighty flutter in 2007, beating Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2011, Kevin O’Brien stunned England with the fastest century in World Cup history. In 2015, victories over West Indies and Zimbabwe were so assured they barely counted as surprises. And in 2021, Campher wrote a new chapter in cricketing folklore.
When Campher and Dockrell joined hands, it felt as if defeat was assured, and Ireland would need to catch an early flight home. By the time they finished, however, the narrative had completely been altered. It is not the first time Ireland have done something of this ilk on the biggest stage. And after what they accomplished against Scotland, they have boosted their chances of scripting another chapter in 2022.
