Australia vs Ireland Highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Australia clinch 67-run win over Ireland

Matthew Kuhnemann to Lorcan Tucker, Pitches it up, does Matthew Kuhnemann, on leg, Lorcan Tucker tucks it to square leg. 

Matthew Kuhnemann to Lorcan Tucker, Fullish, on off, Lorcan Tucker defends it to the left of the bowler.

Matthew Kuhnemann to Ben Calitz, Short and outside off, Ben Calitz rocks back and punches it to the right of the point fielder, who dives and parries it away. Single taken.

Nathan Ellis to Lorcan Tucker, Slower again, pitched up on the pads. Tucker looks to flick it away but misses and the ball seems to have brushed the thigh pad on its way to the keeper. Five runs and two wickets off Ellis' brilliant first over.

Nathan Ellis to Ben Calitz, Short of a length and angled across the left-hander. Ben Calitz mistimes the pull as one hand comes off the handle and he gets it to deep square leg for a single.

Nathan Ellis to Ben Calitz, Back of a length, slower again and around off, nudged down to backward point.

Nathan Ellis is on a roll - W, 4, W! Ireland are unable to pick his slower, deceptive deliveries. Ben Calitz to face the music now. 

Nathan Ellis to Curtis Campher, OUT! CAUGHT! Another one bites the dust. Ireland are gifting wickets away now. A regulation back-of-a-length delivery from Nathan Ellis, bowled around off stump. Curtis Campher rocks back and looks to pull but the length isn't quite there. He ends up hitting it straight to short mid-wicket, where Cameron Green takes a simple catch. Campher departs for 4 (2) and Ireland are 17/3 or maybe even effectively 17/4 if Stirling is unable to come out to bat.

Nathan Ellis to Curtis Campher, FOUR! No team hat-trick as this one is nicely played! Pitched up fuller and outside off, Curtis Campher shuffles across and laps it over short fine leg for a boundary.

Two in two for the Aussies. Can we see a team Hat-trick? Curtis Campher to face the delivery.

Nathan Ellis to Ross Adair, OUT! BOWLED 'EM! That is a ripper of a delivery to bowl first up from Nathan Ellis. Ellis begins with the back-of-the-hand slower ball, lands it on a good length and around middle. Ross Adair hangs back to block but the ball holds in the deck and Adair is comprehensively beaten before the ball goes on and makes a mess of the middle stump. Ross is unable to make the most of life and departs for 12 (9).

Out goes Harry Tector, in comes Lorcan Tucker. Also, Nathan Ellis is into the attack, replacing Xavier Bartlett.

Matthew Kuhnemann to Harry Tector, OUT! CAUGHT! Excellent work from Cameron Green and Matthew Kuhnemann does pick up a wicket here. Tossed up, fuller and on off, grips a bit as well. Harry Tector backs away to loft it over covers but gets the timing all wrong. The ball goes high and over cover, where Green runs around and gets beyond the ball, before settling himself and pouching it safely. A three-ball duck for Tector.

Matthew Kuhnemann to Harry Tector, Good length, darted back in from outside off, Tector jams it to covers.

Matthew Kuhnemann to Harry Tector, An in-drifter, on the pads, tickled away to short fine leg. No run there.

Matthew Kuhnemann to Ross Adair, On the pads, worked away behind square leg for a single.

Matthew Kuhnemann to Ross Adair, DROPPED! Matt Renshaw has spilled an absolute dolly. Short and wide to begin with, there to be hit. Ross Adair has to reach for it and cuts it uppishly to the right of cover-point where Renshaw casually puts both hands out and the ball doesn't stick. A huge let off for Adair.

Matthew Kuhnemann to Ross Adair, Flatter armball, on middle and leg, Adair tucks it to the leg side.

Matthew Kuhnemann to operate from the other end.

Xavier Bartlett to Ross Adair, A single to end the first over and Ireland get 12 runs off it. Good length, angled into the batter, tucked away towards mid on for a single.

Xavier Bartlett to Ross Adair, Better length from Bartlett. Fuller and attacking middle stump, Adair tries to clear his front leg but has to adjust and blocks it off.

Xavier Bartlett to Ross Adair, SIX! Geez, that's a good shot! Hard length around middle, Ross Adair takes a couple of steps towards the bowler, holds his shape and clubs it over wide long off for a biggie.

Xavier Bartlett to Ross Adair, FOUR! The intent is clear from Adair. Good-length delivery, moving away from off stump, Adair smacks it up and over covers and picks up a boundary.

Xavier Bartlett to Ross Adair, Doesn't carry! Length ball wide outside off, shapes in a touch. Ross Adair has a wild swing at it but gets an inside edge that doesn't carry through to the keeper.

Ouch! Paul Stirling is looking in some discomfort and is unable to continue. A blow to the batting team as Paul Stirling is retired hurt.

Just after the run, Paul Stirling felt his hamstrings and looked uncomfortable. A big blow to Ireland as Paul Stirling has retired hurt. Harry Tector is the next batter in.

Xavier Bartlett to Paul Stirling, Speared in first up and Paul Stirling is hobbling here. Hopefully, he hasn't pulled a hamstring here. Full and straight, tails in a touch, Stirling jams it out to wide mid on and picks up a single.

We are back for the all-important run chase. The umpires are back out in the middle as the stand-in captain, Travis Head, leads the Aussie players out in a huddle, before they spread out onto the field. Paul Stirling and Ross Adair are out to open the innings for Ireland as well. The artificial lights are slowly starting to take effect as well. Xavier Bartlett will start proceedings with the ball here. Let's go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

A mixed day in the field for Ireland - It was a mixed-bag bowling effort from Ireland, and while they took a few good catches in the field, they dropped a few as well, taking their tally into double digits in this World Cup. However, the spinners were decent through the middle phase, keeping the runs in check as much as possible. Adair picked up a couple, while Tector, Humphreys and Dockrell chipped in, but they could have avoided a few expensive overs and used their off-pace deliveries better to keep Australia to a much lower total. Now, it is up to their batters to step up and go out there with a positive intent, and if a few things go their way, they might just chase this down. Join us in a bit for the second essay.

A composed rebuild and a strong Australian finish - Australia lost Head early to a run out, but Inglis and Green did not let that get in their way and kept scoring at a brisk rate before the latter departed, with the Aussies still managing 64 in the Powerplay. Inglis played a handy knock of 37 off 17, but it was Renshaw who held one end firmly, showing why he is in the side. Stoinis then joined him and provided the impetus as they added a 61-run stand, which did not include many boundaries, but the running between the wickets was superb. Stoinis scored 45 off 29 before a few lusty blows from the lower order pushed Australia past the 180-run mark.

Australia mix patience with power - An all-round batting effort from Australia has taken them to a good total here, especially in the heat and tricky conditions in Colombo. It showed they have learned from the Pakistan series, choosing not to go attack, attack, attack, but instead being smarter about how they built the innings. Ireland are still not out of it, but they will feel they could have done much better with the ball, especially by taking a few of the chances that proved to be their downfall in the first game.

Mark Adair to Cooper Connolly, Nips away with extra bounce, outside off, short in length. Cooper Connolly plays a half-hearted pull shot and doesn't complete the follow-through. The ball is sliced over the leg side and lands in thereabouts of mid-wicket. The fielder from square leg runs across and collects on the bounce. Just a single. 13 runs from the final over. AUSTRALIA FINISH AT 182/6.

Mark Adair to Xavier Bartlett, In-dipping full toss on the pads, this is whipped to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Mark Adair to Xavier Bartlett, FOUR! Unlucky for Ireland. A deceptive off cutter, outside off, on a good length. Xavier Bartlett tries to fetch it from the wide line and looks to pull, but gets in an awkward shape due to the lack of pace. Only manages a thick inside edge as the ball rolls to the keeper's left and beats him on the dive before racing to the fence behind.

Mark Adair to Cooper Connolly, Full and outside off, Cooper Connolly looks to go for an expansive drive to the off side but inside edges it past the stumps to short fine leg for a quick single.

Mark Adair to Cooper Connolly, SIX! CLUBBED! Mark slips in a full toss, outside off, and goes pace on this time around. Cooper Connolly waits for it to arrive, stands tall and nails the pull shot over the leg side. It is hit with the wind and it sails into the stands behind deep mid-wicket.

Mark Adair to Cooper Connolly, Not a wide! Adair pushes the line outside off, bowls a slower one, Cooper lets it go, but the ball flirts with the tramline and stays within before bouncing back to the keeper. Good execution.

Last over coming up now. Can Mark Adair keep Australia under 180 here?

Barry McCarthy to Xavier Bartlett, Big heave and a miss! Barry runs from around the stump and hurls it across the batter, taking the pace off, on a length. Xavier Bartlett swings for the hills, only to connect a handful of air. 10 from the penultimate over for Australia. 20 from the last 2.

Barry McCarthy to Xavier Bartlett, FOUR! POWERED AWAY! An off cutter, outside off, on a hard length. Xavier Bartlett plays with a flat batted angle and spanks it gun-barrel straight down the ground, beating long off's dive to his right for a cracking boundary.

Barry McCarthy to Xavier Bartlett, WIDE! Tries to keep far from the arc, but misfires it beyond the tramline, outside off. Xavier is happy to see that off. Wide called.

Barry McCarthy to Xavier Bartlett, Takes pace off again, short and on top of the stumps. Xavier Bartlett stands tall and swats it towards long on and they hare back for the second run.

Barry McCarthy to Cooper Connolly, Slowish short ball, on leg, Cooper Connolly swivels and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a run.

Barry McCarthy to Cooper Connolly, On back of a length, over middle and off, Cooper Connolly gets on the toes and bunts it to short cover.

Barry McCarthy to Cooper Connolly, Back of a length around the fourth stump, driven off the back foot to the right of deep point for a brace.

Will Paul Stirling continue with Matthew Humphreys? No, he brings back Barry McCarthy to bowl the penultimate over.

Mark Adair to Xavier Bartlett, Good length, on the stumps, nudged off the back foot to mid-wicket.

Ireland manages to hold on to a catch. Xavier Bartlett is the next man in.

Mark Adair to Marcus Stoinis, OUT! CAUGHT! Massive blow for Australia. A low full toss by Adair, on the pads. It is there to be hit, but Marcus Stoinis fails to get underneath it and whips it off the inner half of the bat. The ball dips towards deep backward square leg, where Ben Calitz runs a few yards ahead, gets crouched and takes it with a reverse cup. He doesn't look comfortable, but he balances himself up eventually. A well-constructed 45 off 29 from Marcus Stoinis as he is extremely frustrated with himself for not putting that all the way. Australia are 159/6.