Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium turned into a sea of green and gold on Wednesday Australia Gave a masterclass in T20 cricket. In the 14th match of Group B ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026Australia dismantled a resilient but unmatched ireland The team achieved a big victory by 67 runs. While Irish fans had arrived expecting a historic upset, they were met by a clinical Australian outfit who excelled in every department, effectively signaling their intentions for the knockout stage.
Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis lead Australia to strong total against Ireland
Australia’s innings, which came to bat first, started with a shock as captain. travis head Due to fast fielding he was run out on just 7 runs. ben calitz. However, the early wickets failed to dampen the Australian aggression. josh inglis He immediately took up the responsibility and played a blistering inning of 37 runs off just 17 balls and ensured that the powerplay remained productive. despite the loss of cameron green (21) and glen maxwell (9), Australia’s depth proved to be the difference maker.
A stable player formed the backbone of the innings matt renshawWho scored 37 runs, and explosive marcus stoinis. Stoinis was the primary aggressor in the latter half of the innings, scoring 45 runs from 29 balls, which included four fours and two sky-scraping sixes. His ability to find the gaps during the middle overs helped Australia reach 150 by the 18th over. late cameo from cooper connolly And Xavier Bartlett Taking the total to a formidable 182/6. Irish mark adair Was among the bowlers with figures of 2/44, but the Irish attack struggled to contain the wide variety of Australian stroke play.
Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa’s bowling masterclass silences Ireland
Ireland had a very poor start while chasing the target of 183 runs. captain paul sterling He was forced to retire hurt on a single ball of the innings, leaving the middle order exposed. nathan ellisThriving in the humid conditions of Colombo, it created a magic for the ages. He struck quickly and repeatedly, removing Ross Adair And curtis kaempfer In quick succession. Ellis’ ability to get pace and bounce off the surface restricted the Irish top order to 27/4 within the first five overs.
As the match progressed. adam zampa Turned the screw. The leading leg spinner was virtually unstoppable, troubling the Irish batsmen with his subtle variations. Zampa tore apart the middle and lower order and finished with incredible figures of 4/23. He took the important wicket of Lorcan Tucker (24), who was the only Irish batsman to offer significant resistance. George Dockrell Tried a late charge with a spirited 41, but it was too little, too late.
Ellis bounced back to shine the tail, finishing with a brilliant 4/24. Ireland were eventually all out for 115 in 16.5 overs, trailing by 67 runs. This win not only cements Australia’s dominance in Group B, but also gives a huge boost to their net run rate, making them the team to beat as the tournament progresses.
Here’s how fans reacted:
: Nathan Ellis was awarded the MOTM award for his outstanding spell against Ireland. He took 4 wickets for just 12 runs at an economy rate of 3.1. #csk #IPL2026 #IPL #T20WorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/dVVb8xi1DK
– Super Kings Center (@superkingcentre) 11 February 2026
Nathan Ellis is a bowler designed for the T20 format. He is one of the best short format bowlers in the world at present.
He is accurate, he is precise, he has all the variations in the world, he can bowl in the powerplay, he can bowl in the death overs, he is very good in this format.… pic.twitter.com/6HaGRTBQ52
-Akshat (@akshatgoal1408) 11 February 2026
Dream debut for Nathan Ellis
4 wickets taken without giving any boundary
4-12-3.5 including (1 average over)
Player of the match won 🔥🧨#AUSvsIREpic.twitter.com/dAlXR5Aa46– 𝑵𝑲𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒓 (@Nkumaaaraan) 11 February 2026
– 4/12 (3.5 overs).
– Won POTM Award.What is the bowling performance of Nathan Ellis vs Ireland in this T20 World Cup. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/04aBv6VgjB
– Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) 11 February 2026
Talk about a one-two punch🌟🔥
Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa combined to take 8/35, as Australia bowled out Ireland for 115.#Cricket #ICC #T20WorldCup #nathanellis #AdamZampa #AUSviRE pic.twitter.com/vfmQoy3Zxe
– PRIME VIDEO SPORT AUNZ (@pvsportaunz) 11 February 2026
Australia made its debut #T20WorldCup Campaign with key win over Ireland 🔥
📝: https://t.co/XyF5850xB5 pic.twitter.com/UBPbPz1HRH
– T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) 11 February 2026
Player of the match: Nathan Ellis#Cricket #T20WorldCup2026 #AUSviRE pic.twitter.com/TTKoKIRtBX
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 11 February 2026
Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis have dashed the hopes of another Full Member team – Ireland.
We finally get Australia’s first game, and as usual – a one-sided match..#T20WorldCup2026 #AUSvsIRE 🇦🇺🇮🇪#AUSviRE 🇦🇺🇮🇪– Asad (اسد) 🇵🇰 (@Asad_1108) 11 February 2026
Australia cruise to victory over Ireland by 67 runs 🇦🇺🔥
– Nathan Ellis took 4/12 in 3.5 overs, including a maiden and Adam Zampa shone for Australia with 4/23 in 4 overs!
An impressive bowling performance sealed the victory! 🏏#T20WorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/VclKTWwly8
-Akaran.A (@Akaran_1) 11 February 2026
🔥Australia won big in Colombo🔥
Australia defeated Ireland by 67 runs in the T20 World Cup in Colombo.
batting hero 💥
• Josh Inglis
• Matthew Renshaw
• Marcus StoinisBowling is over
• Nathan Ellis
• Adam ZampaAustralian team’s clinical performance #AUSviRE… pic.twitter.com/e3U8jCcixS
– All about cricket (@CricHitmanTala) 11 February 2026
