T20 World Cup 2026: Ellis, Zampa fashion Australia’s clinical 67-run win over Ireland
By the time Ellis finished his first spell, Ireland was already 27 for four, and the rest of the Australian attack only had to keep things tight. Ellis returned later to finish with four for 12 as Ireland was bowled out for a mere 115 in a 183-run chase.
Ireland suffered a blow off the very first ball when Paul Stirling pulled up while taking a single and walked back. Yet, in the same over, Ross Adair signalled intent with a four and a six off Xavier Bartlett. Australia responded immediately as left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhneman had Harry Tector caught trying to loft over cover.
Travis Head then turned to Ellis, and the move paid off instantly. The pacer began with a back-of-the-hand slower ball to castle Adair and, two deliveries later, had Curtis Campher caught at short midwicket. In his next over, Benjamin Calitz chopped on to another cutter, leaving Ireland reeling at 28 for four.
The required rate rose, and Ireland’s chances dipped further as the pitch became tougher to bat on.
Lorcan Tucker (24) and George Dockrell (41) briefly resisted, adding 46 runs for the sixth wicket. The duo rotated strike and also found the fence occasionally. Tucker was eventually caught in the deep, looking to go over the midwicket region off Adam Zampa, who had Dockrell stumped later to also finish with a four-fer.
Stirling never returned to bat as Ireland lost its second successive game of the tournament.
Earlier, Australia was dealt a setback when skipper Mitchell Marsh was ruled out with a groin injury, leaving Head to lead. He chose to bat and struck a crisp cut for four before surviving a dropped chance by Calitz at backward point. The reprieve was short-lived, though, as Calitz ran him out in the next over after a mix-up with Josh Inglis.
Inglis then counterpunched, cutting and pulling Matthew Humphreys for three fours in an over. Cameron Green injected momentum with lofted hits over mid-off and midwicket before holing out.
Once the field spread, Ireland’s spinners took control with flatter trajectories and looping deliveries as a change-up. Inglis chipped Dockrell to cover, where Stirling completed a stunning catch, and Glenn Maxwell fell caught behind attempting to cut Tector.
Matt Renshaw (37 off 33) and Marcus Stoinis (45 off 29) rebuilt with a 61-run stand, rotating strike smartly while Stoinis found boundaries square of the wicket. Both fell just as acceleration beckoned.
Australia found a late push. Mark Adair and Barry McCarthy’s slower deliveries sat up enough for Bartlett to strike one past long-off, while Cooper Connolly muscled a full toss into the midwicket stand. The 62 runs in the last six overs pushed Australia past 180, enough for Ellis and company to seal a clinical win.
Published on Feb 11, 2026
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