On a cloudy day that matched the Irish gloom, Ireland suffered their second consecutive defeat in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup owing to 4-fers by Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa, losing in empathetic fashion by 67 runs vs Australia despite George Dockrell heroics. 

Coming off a demoralizing defeat plagued by seven dropped catches, Ireland’s fielding remained under the microscope, the theme continued in this match as Travis Head was dropped in the first over at point, yet they couldn't have asked for a better comeback when Mark Adair capitalised on a moment of madness. Catching Head short as the first ball of the second over as Travis Head miscue a shot and run for a single that never was as Adair moving sharply dismissed the stand-in captain

With Mitchell Marsh sidelined through injury, Josh Inglis was promoted to the top of the order and immediately looked to dominate. Alongside him was Cameron Green 21 (11), the pair launched a counter-attack that threatened to take the game away from the Men in Green. 

The "dropped catch" ghosts of the previous match briefly returned to haunt the Irish in the fifth over. Gareth Delany appeared to have claimed a brilliant boundary catch to dismiss Inglis on 19, his foot brushing the rope. Instead of a wicket, it was a six and a lifeline. It was a mistake that cost Ireland 18 additional runs before Paul Stirling took a spectacular leaping catch off Dockrell to finally end Inglis’s charge at an impressive 37 (17). 

Despite the breakthrough, Australia finished the Powerplay in a strong position at 64-2 but the Irish spinners found their rhythm in the middle overs, with Harry Tector finding the outside edge of Glenn Maxwell’s bat straight to Lorcan Tucker, to keep Ireland firmly in the hunt, continuing the trend of strong spin performances in the middle overs.

Matt Renshaw and Marcus Stoinis put up a gritty 61-run partnership from 44 balls, Rennshaw was beaten by Matthew Humphreys who picked up his first World Cup wicket by bowling a quicker one and knocking over the stumps.

Delany dropped a sitter putting down Stoinis and taking the number of dropped catches this tournament to double digits, but Mark rectified the mistake and took his second wicket of the innings taking Stoinis at 45 runs in 29 balls, after he found Ben Calitz in the outfield, finishing with figures of 2-44 as Australia finished with a fighting 182-6 after 20 overs.

Skipper Stirling had to retire hurt after a single on the first ball of the second innings, he hobbled off the field, leaving Ireland without their most experienced batter.

Things went from bad to worse as Tector was dismissed for a duck, and the misery continued as on the next ball, Ellis struck with the first off the tournament, an incredibly slow ball that bamboozled Ross Adair, as he was clean bowled after a promising start departing for 12 runs in 9 balls. 

Curtis Campher struck a boundary on the first ball, but Ellis was not done yet, and came back strong on the next as the ball flew to Green at mid-wicket who completed his second catch. 

Ellis completed three wickets in seven balls as Calitz played the ball onto the stumps and was dismissed for two runs. The end of the powerplay saw Ireland at 40-4, and the introduction of spin. 

Zampa struck in his first over as Delany found the edge and Inglis made no mistake, as the game appeared to have slipped out of Irish reach. Tucker 24 (27) attempted to stay put at the crease, anchoring the innings before he got caught at deep mid-wicket as Zampa’s second. 

Dockrell’s remarkable stand where he accumulated 41 runs to an end as Zampa picked up his third, with Inglis catching him outside the crease and whipped off the bails. Zampa ended with figures of 4-23 as he picked up Mark as his final wicket to top off a great outing. 

Ellis decided to match that, and took his fourth as well, wrapping up the innings as Barry McCarthy hit the ball into Green’s hands for his third catch of the day, and Ireland finished at 115/9 as Stirling was unable to continue.

Ireland now face a very tough task of qualifying for the next stage, having to win both their upcoming fixtures and relying on other results, they will take on Oman on Saturday, 14 February.