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Kenya's Shem Ngoche is trapped LBW by George Dockrell of Ireland yesterday. ©INPHO/ICC
Cricket

Momentum: Ireland win again on Twenty20 trail

Ireland left it late, but narrowly scraped past Italy by two wickets with two balls to spare.

ANOTHER SOLID INNINGS from Gary Wilson drove Ireland to a 104 /8 win over Italy this morning.

Wilson’s 30 not out came in the middle order as the boys in green were beginning to sweat, chasing a target of 100 set by the Azzuri.

Underdogs, Italy, put in a feisty display and the bowling of Damian Crowley put them in with a real chance of the upset.

The young South African bowled out William Porterfield, Trent Johnston and Max Sorenson late on.

Porterfield was Ireland’s second highest scoring batsman with 19, but Johnson, Ed Joyce and Kevin O’Brien were kept under five apiece. The latter two getting caught out by Hayden Patrizi.

Boyd Rankin took three wickets with the ball in hand, but as the pressure of avoiding an embarrassing defeat loomed large, the day belonged to Wilson.

The result leaves Ireland sitting second in group B, behind Namibia who beat them on day one.

The top three teams from the two groups will progress to the knock-out stage, where only two can ultimately qualify for the World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka later this year.

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