Ireland (132/2, 17.3 overs) beat Kenya (131/7) by eight wickets
IRELAND FRANKED THE form ahead of next month’s World Twenty20 qualifiers with an eight-wicket win against Kenya this afternoon.
Two wickets and 65 runs from man of the match Paul Stirling were the cornerstone of another impressive performance as the boys in green made it two from two in their T20 tests in Mombasa.
It was the youngster from Belfast who set the tone for the day after Kenya won the toss and opted to bat. Stirling pocketed his first wicket when he clean bowled opener Duncan Allen for six runs, and again dented Kenya’s momentum towards the end of the innings when he dismissed David Obuya lbw for 28.
Rakep Patel added 27 more in the mid-order before he fell to yesterday’s hat-trick hero George Dockrell, as the hosts set Ireland a target of 132 for their run chase.
There was no repeat of yesterday’s early order collapse for Ireland as captain William Porterfield, run out on the first ball yesterday, helped build a 63-run partnership with Stirling.
Porterfield was on 23 when he was caught by Collins Obuya off Ragheb Aga’s ball in the seventh over, but by that stage, Stirling was well on his way to a fine individual total. He finished the day not out with 65 off 52 balls, including nine fours, as Ireland hit their mark with 15 balls to spare.
Ireland will now be hoping to make it a clean sweep in the third and final test of the T20 series tomorrow.