Ireland defeated West Indies by nine wickets in Hobart to seal their berth in the T20 World Cup Super 12s stage and knocked the former champions out.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Windies could only manage 146 for five, with Brandon King getting an unbeaten 62.
Ireland’s spinners played their part with Gareth Delany taking three for 16 and Sami Singh one for 11 from his two overs.
Odean Smith added a rapid 19 late in the innings, but the 147 targets always looked modest.
Ireland, who had bounced back from a 31-run loss to Zimbabwe with a dramatic comeback against Scotland, achieved their target with 15 balls to spare. Paul Stirling hit 66 not out and had a first-wicket stand of 73 with Andy Balbirnie before being caught at point by Akeal Hosein for 37.
Lorcan Tucker came in to bat and scored 45 not out, hitting the winning runs to seal a memorable victory for the loss of only one wicket. Ireland advanced to the Super 12s for the first time since 2009, while the two-time tournament winners are left to reflect on an ignominious first-round exit.
‘This means everything to us. We were so disappointed to miss out at this stage last year, so we had to do a lot of thinking and make a lot of changes back home,’ Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie said after Ireland’s victory.
Ireland faces England, New Zealand, Australia, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka in Group 1 of the Super 12 stage. Zimbabwe joins India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands in Group 2.