ICC World Cup Qualifiers, IRE vs SCO | Match Preview, Pitch Report, Predicted XIs, Fantasy Tips & Prediction
Paul Stirling in action in WC 2023 Qualifiers (Twitter)
Ireland and Scotland will compete in match number seven of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023 in Zimbabwe. The contest marks the third fixture from Group B of the tournament.
Team Preview: Ireland
Ireland lost their opening game of the competition to Oman at the Bulawayo Athletic Club on June 19. Andy Balbirnie and co. were left stunned by the world number 18 side, despite charting a competitive 281-run total upfront.
George Dockrell hit 91 and was assisted by Harry Tector’s crafty 52 in the middle overs. However, the Irish bowlers failed to contain Oman’s batting charge in the run-chase. Ireland eventually faced defeat in the penultimate over of the game, and sustained a huge blow to their hopes of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup in India.
Despite the surprising defeat, all is not lost for Ireland as they still have three more games left to play this tournament. Under Balbirnie’s leadership, the team has pulled off remarkable comebacks before and they continue to remain one of the heavy contenders to make it to the playoffs.
Team Preview: Scotland
Scotland players celebrate a wicket in 2022 T20 WC (Twitter)
Scotland lost both of their warm-up games in the lead up to the 2023 World Cup qualifier. For starters, they lost to West Indies and later, were flattened out by hosts Zimbabwe with a heavy margin at the Harare Sports Club.
The upcoming match marks their first of the competition, and their return to ODI format after four months. Earlier, they participated in a tri-series in Nepal, where they emerged as runners-up.
Match Details
Date and Time: June 21, 12:30 PM IST
Venue: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Live Streaming and Broadcast: Star Sports Network & Disney+Hotstar
Pitch Report
The conditions at Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club are generally known for assisting pacers. The average first innings ODI total at the venue has been 233. Chasing sides have a better track here, in comparison to team’s batting upfront. Considering the ground record, captain winning the toss might be tempted to bowl first.
Probable Playing XIs
Ireland: Paul Stirling, Andy McBrine, Andy Balbirnie (c), Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Graham Hume, Joshua Little and Benjamin White.
Scotland: Richie Berrington (c), George Munsey, Matthew Cross (wk), Christopher McBride, Brandon McMullen, Michael Leask, Mark Watt, Adrian Neill, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Greaves and Chris Sole.
Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
Wicketkeeper: Lorcan Tucker
Batters: Paul Stirling, George Munsey, Andy Balbirnie, Harry Tector
All-Rounders: Andy McBrine, Michael Leask
Bowlers: Mark Adair, Mark Watt, Josh Little, Adrian Neill
Captain: Andy Balbirnie
Vice-Captain: Paul Stirling
Prediction
The Ireland team is considered as favourites to defeat Scotland in their must-win 2023 World Cup Qualifiers game.
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