Australian captain Aaron Finch and teammate Tim David are off the field with hamstring complaints.
Finch tried to play through the pain, but eventually hobbled off the field in the seventh over.
Aaron Finch silences critics as Australia revives T20 World Cup campaign
The Australians have gotten their T20 World Cup campaign back on track, with skipper Aaron Finch finally finding the middle of his bat.
Aaron Finch is back.
Australia has toppled Ireland in Brisbane to put the reigning champions one step closer towards booking their spot in the T20 World Cup semi-finals, with Finch unearthing some much-needed form with the bat.
But a hamstring complaint for the 35-year-old has soured Australia's 42-run triumph, putting the captain in doubt for the remainder of the tournament.
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The Aussie skipper's inconsistent batting has been one of the team's biggest talking points throughout the T20 World Cup, with the Victorian struggling to find the middle of his willow this summer.
Finch copped heavy criticism following last week's seven-wicket victory against Sri Lanka, and rightly so. His 31* (42) at Perth Stadium was tough to watch, prompting calls for him to slide down the order or be axed from the starting XI altogether.
But he finally rediscovered his mojo at the Gabba on Monday evening, smacking 63 (44) against Ireland in Australia's must-win Super 12 contest.
It was his highest T20I score in 33 innings.
Finch, later named Player of the Match, admittedly was far from his best in the Queensland capital, scratching his way towards 30 before accelerating after the drinks break.
He slapped five boundaries and three sixes as Australia registered 5/179 from their 20 overs.
Maybe not as upset as he was the other night but Aaron Finch looked quite peeved as he walked off the Gabba. Was certainly striking it like the Finch of old for most parts of his innings today #T20WorldCup
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) October 31, 2022
Couldn’t be happier for Finch…looked great out there. Now for the most important aspect, to get the win!! #T20WorldCup
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) October 31, 2022
Marcus Stoinis plundered an entertaining 35 (25) during the death overs, while fellow all-rounder Mitchell Marsh scored a handy 28 (22).
Josh Little was the pick of the bowlers for Ireland, taking 2/21 from his four overs, while fellow seamer Barry McCarthy snared three wickets.
Any hope of Ireland pulling off an upset victory quickly disappeared when part-time spinner Glenn Maxwell (2/14) and paceman Mitchell Starc (2/43) each struck twice in the Powerplay to leave the Irish reeling at 5/25 after four overs.
Starc knocked over Curtis Campher and George Dockrell for ducks with a pair of trademark in-swingers that crashed into the stumps, sending the Brisbane crowd into a frenzy.
Irish wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker and teammate Gareth Delany revived the innings, somewhat, combining for a 43-run partnership before Stoinis joined the party, becoming the third Australian to take a wicket with their second delivery of the match.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa (2/19) then cleaned up the tail as Ireland limped towards 137, all out in the penultimate over.
Tucker played a lone hand in the run chase, frustrating the Aussies with an unbeaten 71 (48) that featured nine boundaries and a six. None of his teammates scored more than 14.
It wasn't enough to prevent a heavy defeat, but the 26-year-old took a large chuck out of Australia's precious net run rate.
Aust were looking at a huge net run rate boost, but Tucker's rearguard is changing that with every run #T20WorldCup
— Daniel Brettig ðŸ (@danbrettig) October 31, 2022
Australia’s performance was anything but perfect – veteran opener David Warner registered yet another low score, while Pat Cummins completely botched a regulation catch at square leg that would have sent Tucker back to the sheds for 35.
But the victory puts the reigning T20 World Cup champions in a considerably better position on the ladder, improving their net run rate to -0.304.
It means that Australia will qualify for the semi-finals if they defeat Afghanistan in their final Super 12 match and New Zealand topples England on Tuesday evening.
However, there were a couple of worrying injury concerns for the Australians on Monday evening, with Tim David going off with hamstring tightness and Finch hobbling from the field with a similar complaint.
“A little hammy twinge, so I'll get scans tomorrow," Finch said at the post-match presentation.
"Unfortunately I’ve had a history of them.
"It doesn’t feel too bad at the moment but generally overnight they can stiffen up a bit, but we’ll get a scan and get the full results.”
The full extent of both injuries will be revealed in the coming days, but young all-rounder Cameron Green and former Australian captain Steve Smith are patiently waiting in the wings if required.
Australia will next face Afghanistan at Adelaide Oval on Friday evening, with the first ball scheduled for 7pm AEDT.
Updates
Aussie injury concerns
Vintage Starc wickets
Ohhhhhh, that's beautiful.
Mitchell Starc has struck twice in his opening over of the evening, obliterating the stumps of two hapless Irish batters.
The left-armer got the Kookaburra to hoop viciously back into the right-handed Curtis Campher, with the ball evading his bat and crashing into middle stump.
Campher returned to the sheds for golden duck, but teammate George Dockrell wasn't far behind.
Starc then nailed an in-swinging yorker that slid under Dockrell's bat and knocked over the Irishman's pegs.
Ireland are suddenly in dire straits at 5/25, and an Australian victory seems inevitable.
Boom.#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/0Wj2WGO2Qj
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 31, 2022
Those two inswingers that bowled Campher and Dockrell are the reasons why one would put up with Starc’s inconsistency from time to time. #T20Worldcup #AUSvIRE
— Kevin Yam 任建峰 (@kevinkfyam) October 31, 2022
Maxwell's double blow
Part-time spinner Glenn Maxwell has struck twice in his first over of the evening to leave the Irish reeling at 3/24 at the Gabba.
Australian captain Aaron Finch decided to throw Maxwell the ball before star paceman Mitchell Starc, which proved a masterstroke.
Maxwell dismissed opening batter Paul Sterling with his second delivery of the evening, caught at mid-off for 11, before removing Ireland No. 4 Harry Tector a couple of minutes later.
The Victorian had only taken one wicket in his previous 10 T20I matches.
Cummins strikes early
Ireland's run chase got off to a flyer, smacking 17 runs from the first nine deliveries.
But Australian quick Pat Cummins got the early breakthrough, removing opener Andy Balbirnie for 6 in the second over.
Balbirnie walked across the crease, with the Kookaburra crashing into his exposed pegs.
Ireland chasing 180 for victory
The Aussies mustered 5/179 from their 20 overs, with skipper Aaron Finch scoring 63 (44) in a much-needed return to form.
Fifty for Finch
He's back…
Aaron Finch still hasn't been at his best this evening, but this half-century will do wonders for his confidence following a rough patch with the bat.
The Australian skipper brought up his fifty with a massive six over square leg in the 15th over, reaching the minor milestone in 38 deliveries.
Finch striking them as well as any point since April. #T20WorldCup
— Scott Bailey (@ScottBaileyAAP) October 31, 2022
McCarthy, take a bow
Irish paceman Barry McCarthy has pulled off a remarkable piece of fielding in the 15th over, saving at least four runs.
After Marcus Stoinis slapped a straight drive towards the long-on boundary, McCarthy sprinted around the rope and claimed the catch above his head, flicking the ball back into play before landing on the turf.
Even Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade was applauding.
"That was stunning," former England bowler Isa Guha said in commentary.
Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson continued: "That is outrageous."
Barry McCarthy – Superman 🦸
— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) October 31, 2022
One of the best fielding efforts you will ever see 👏#AUSvIRE #T20WorldCup #BackingGreen ☘️🏏 pic.twitter.com/LFL4thLhPa
There’s being an athlete – then there’s Barry McCarthy #T20WorldCup2022 #AUSvIRE pic.twitter.com/lyxE9r2lB5
— Nina Stevens (@NinaBStevens) October 31, 2022
Watch that boundary save by Barry McCarthy of #Ireland !! Absolutely OUTRAGEOUS levels of athleticism, saves six runs for his team.
— Uday Rana (@UdaySRana) October 31, 2022
Very rarely does a fielding effort get a standing ovation from the crowd, but this was well deserved! #AUSvIRE
Maxwell back in the sheds
Irish quick Josh Little has found the outside edge of Glenn Maxwell's bat, with the Aussie powerhouse reaching for a full delivery that was feathered through to the wicketkeeper.
Maxwell is gone for 13, and Marcus Stoinis joins his skipper in the middle.
Maxwell survives LBW shout
Irish leg-spinner Gareth Delany thought he had claimed the vital wicket of Glenn Maxwell in the 10th over, with umpire Nitin Menon raising the dreaded finger after an LBW shout.
But Maxwell immediately called for the review, which showed that there was a large inside edge.
Ireland appealed for another LBW chance the following delivery, but Hawkeye suggested that it pitched outside the leg stump.
However, some commentators questioned whether the rule should apply considering Maxwell performed a switch hit, meaning he had a left-handed grip when the Kookaburra struck his pad.
Should "pitching outside leg" apply to switch hits and reverse sweeps?#T20WorldCup #AUSvIRE pic.twitter.com/rQoDDlQ0mf
— 🏏Flashscore Cricket Commentators (@FlashCric) October 31, 2022
LBW law flawed. Maxwell gave away leg stump protection when he swapped hands. Should have been out #AUSvIRE
— John Townsend (@johnt237) October 31, 2022
Is that pitching outside for a switch hit? Or is that just a change for wides… 🤨🤷🏽♂️ #CricketNuffy🤓 #T20WorldCup
— Trent Copeland (@copes9) October 31, 2022
Marsh is gone
Mitchell Marsh's entertaining knock has come to an end.
Irish seamer Barry McCarthy has snared another breakthrough, with Marsh chopping at a wide delivery that was edged through to the wicketkeeper.
Glenn Maxwell is the new man in the middle.
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