Mark Watt’s spell of 3/26 helped restrict Ireland to 180/7 before fifties from George Munsey and Kyle Coetzer helped chase down the target with relative ease.
Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien had made fifties to lay the foundation for a big score for Ireland, but Munsey and Coetzer’s brisk 109-run stand for the first wicket laid the foundations for a breezy six-wicket victory with nine balls to spare.
Ireland’s fielders did their cause no good by putting down important catches early in Scotland’s chase. Skipper Coetzer and Munsey cashed in the reprieves by racing to 109 in just 8.4 overs when the latter was dismissed for a 27-ball 50 by Shane Getkate.
Read: Stirling 71 helps Ireland to winning start
Coetzer rallied on to score a 38-ball 74, featuring nine fours and four sixes before getting cleaned up by Boyd Rankin. Richie Berrington and Matt Cross fell for ducks in the next couple of overs and suddenly the momentum seemed to swerve Ireland’s way.
But Callum MacLeod and Craig Wallace overcame that wobble with a steady, unbroken 37-run stand to take their side over the line for their first victory in the tournament. MacLeod finished unbeaten on 35 from 29 balls, while Wallace had 19 against his name from 12 deliveries.
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Getkate was the pick of Ireland’s bowlers, the medium-pacer finishing with 2/15. Ireland’s spinners were unable to make too much of an impact, and in fact proved quite costly. Simi Singh and George Dockrell conceded runs at 54 runs between them from just five overs.
Ireland end their innings on 180/7 from their 20 overs. @KevinOBrien113 top-scored with 65 off just 38 balls ??
Will Scotland chase it down?
SCORECARD ⬇️https://t.co/4XKf0mc2ed pic.twitter.com/ZHVnUwaQx5
— ICC (@ICC) February 15, 2019
In stark contrast, Scotland’s left-arm spinner Watt proved the best bowler from his side, sapping the momentum from Ireland’s innings after a rather impressive start which saw captain Stirling (56 off 42) and O’Brien (65 off 38) put on 115 runs for the first wicket.
Watt dismissed both those dangerous batsmen and even got the key wicket of Andrew Balbirnie to reduce Ireland to 130/3.
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Ireland were never able to push on for the big finish that they would have hoped for, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Small cameos from lower-order batsmen Getkate (16 off nine) and Dockrell (15* off 7) helped the Irish to 180 but Scotland’s all-round efforts proved to be too good on the day.
