Colombo, February 14 Oman's 38-year-old left-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmed justified his inclusion by taking three crucial wickets, but captain Lorcan Tucker produced a masterful unbeaten innings of 94 runs under pressure to guide Ireland to 235 for 5 in their T20 World Cup match here on Saturday.
Tucker's innings came off just 51 balls, with 10 boundaries and four sixes.
Shakeel returned impressive figures of 3/33 in his four overs, dismantling Ireland's top order by dismissing the Tector brothers – Tim and Harry – along with Ross Adair, as the Irish side failed to secure the solid start they were looking for in their third match of the tournament.
Tucker then combined caution with calculated aggression to score big, stitching together a crucial 101-run stand with Gareth Delany (56) for the fifth wicket, lifting Ireland from a precarious 64 for four in the eighth over, as the side sought to end a two-match losing streak.
Brief scores: Ireland 235 for 5 in 20 overs (Lorcan Tucker 94 not out, Gareth Delany 56; Shakeel Ahmed 3/33, Aamir Kaleem 1/29).
