Ireland vs Italy: Harry Tector’s 96 not out ensures T20 series win

Harry Tector’s career best 96 not out Ireland He led Ireland to a 24-run win over Italy and gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 series in Dubai.

With Ireland losing the toss and putting in to bat, Tector started the final match of his side’s innings on 88 as he bid to become the fourth men’s player to reach a century for Ireland in the format.

After a pair of boundaries put him four runs shy, he ran a bye leg off the third delivery up and did not return to strike.

The 26-year-old, who also led the way with 41 in Friday’s win, had reached the gap when Ireland were 13-1 up after opener Ross Adair was run off when Grant Stewart caught him off the bowling of Thomas Draka.

Tector and opener Paul Stirling injected some life into the Irish innings by smashing a quick 28 off the next 19 deliveries before a 62-run stand for the third wicket with Lorcan Tucker helped them out in relief.

While no Irish player other than Tector faced more than 22 balls, their final tally of 190 was a challenge for Italy.

Despite a 125-run partnership between Anthony Mosca (69) and Wayne Madsen (61) for the third wicket, they struggled to score at the required rate and their chase eventually ended 24 runs shy.

The three-match series in the UAE, which forms part of both teams’ preparations for the T20 Cricket World Cup in February, concludes on Monday (14:00 GMT).

Co-hosts Ireland will face Sri Lanka in their World Cup opener on February 8 and will also meet Australia, Oman and Zimbabwe in Group B.

Italy, which qualified for the first time, will open its campaign against Scotland on February 9 after it was confirmed on Saturday that the 14th-ranked team in the world will replace Bangladesh in the tournament.

England, West Indies and Nepal are the other teams in Group C.