Lorcan Tucker sets up Ireland win as T20I series ends with honours even

USA fielders gave the Ireland batter two reprieves, which made the difference in the end in a seesaw contest

Ireland 150 (Tucker 84, Netravalkar 3-33, Vaghela 2-16) beat USA 141 for 7 (Modani 27, Campher 4-25) by nine runs

Having been asked to bat, Ireland struggled through much of their innings for the second day in a row, barring Tucker, who posted a second consecutive fifty after being dropped twice in what turned out to be a match-winning knock.

After looking uncomfortable against the pace of Ali Khan in the last game, Tucker feasted on him this time, starting in the fourth over in a 180-degree turnaround in the wrong direction for USA’s bowling ace. Tucker clattered Khan for six and four, a portend of another key sequence to come at the tail end of the innings. Another two boundaries were taken off Netravalkar in the sixth over as Ireland finished the powerplay at 59 for 2.

Tucker was first dropped at extra cover off Yasir’s bowling by Nisarg when on 39, and Vaghela then spilt a straightforward chance off his own bowling with Tucker on 50 as a mistimed drive fluttered gently back to at knee height only to be juggled and dropped. While Tucker was reprieved, the middle-order was not, as wickets tumbled during a six-over stretch from the 11th to the 16th in which Ireland went without a boundary.

Behera opened the chase for USA in a reshuffled batting order and was lucky to be given not out first ball on a strong lbw shout to a back-of-a-length ball from Mark Adair that skidded on to hit him in front of middle stump. But Behera could not make much of the extra chance, struggling to find rhythm in an innings of 16 off 23 balls before he was caught hooking Adair in the eighth. With fellow opener Ryan Scott run-out by sharp work from Campher off his own bowling, USA were behind the eight-ball after a slow start to the chase at 42 for 2 after eight.

At 109 for 4 after 17 and 42 needed off 18 balls, victory seemed an outlandish thought for USA before momentum shifted back and forth in a wild 18th over bowled by Campher. It started with a chest-high no-ball, which was heaved for six over midwicket by Modani. Though he missed out on the free-hit, another straight drive for six followed to bring the equation down to a very manageable 30 off 16. But Campher swung the pendulum back Ireland’s way by taking three wickets in four balls. Modani skied a drive to Tucker at sweeper cover for 27 before Marty Kain was bowled for 11 by a back-of-a-length delivery that skidded past a pull. Mohammad’s attempt at innovation failed when his attempt at a ramp over fine leg resulted in a cue shot off the toe back to Campher for a second-ball duck.

USA entered the final over needing 17 to win against Adair. After conceding 23 to Kain off the 20th a day earlier in which he erred horribly with his lines, Adair redeemed himself on Thursday night by getting his wide yorkers spot on. Three dots and a bye came off the six legal deliveries in a seven-run over to clinch victory as Tucker took home both Player of the Match and Player of the Series honours.