Ireland will face Germany in the 17th match of the ICC Mens T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier 2023 at the Goldenacre Sports Ground in Edinburgh on Wednesday. Ireland are currently at the top of the points table with four wins in four games, while Germany are in the fourth spot with two wins and two losses.
Ireland’s dominant bowling display
Ireland have been impressive with both bat and ball in the tournament so far, but their bowling has been particularly outstanding. They have restricted their opponents to below 100 runs in three out of four matches, and have taken 36 wickets in total. Mark Adair is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 11 scalps, followed by Barry McCarthy and Ben White with seven each. Josh Little, George Dockrell and Craig Young have also chipped in with six, five and four wickets respectively.
Germany’s inconsistent batting performance
Germany have shown glimpses of their potential in the tournament, but have also struggled with consistency. Their batting has been their main concern, as they have failed to cross 150 runs in any of their matches. Joshua van Heerden is the only German batsman to score a fifty so far, while Michael Richardson, Faisal Bin Mubashar and Sahir Naqash have also contributed some useful runs. However, they will need more support from the likes of Venkatraman Ganesan, Dylan Blignaut and Muslim Yar Ashraf if they want to challenge the Irish bowlers.
Head-to-head record and recent form
This will be the first ever T20I meeting between Ireland and Germany. However, they have faced each other twice in the 50-over format, with Ireland winning both matches comfortably. The last time they met was in the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two 2023-25 in Oman, where Ireland won by eight wickets.
Ireland have won their last five T20Is, including four in this tournament. They have beaten Denmark, Austria, Jersey and Italy by convincing margins. Germany have won two and lost two of their last four T20Is. They have beaten Italy and Denmark, but have lost to Scotland and Austria.
Predicted playing XI and key players
Ireland are likely to stick with the same playing XI that has been successful for them so far. Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie will open the batting, followed by Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher. Mark Adair, George Dockrell and Barry McCarthy will form the pace attack, while Ben White, Craig Young and Josh Little will provide the spin options.
Key players for Ireland:
- Paul Stirling: The Irish captain is one of the most destructive batsmen in associate cricket. He has scored 101 runs in three innings in this tournament, with a strike rate of 156.15. He also has a century and six fifties in his T20I career.
- Mark Adair: The right-arm pacer is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 11 wickets in four matches. He has an average of 6.54 and an economy rate of 5.27. He also has a hat-trick to his name in T20Is.
- Lorcan Tucker: The wicketkeeper-batsman is the highest run-scorer for Ireland in this tournament with 128 runs in four innings. He has a strike rate of 160 and a highest score of 94 against Austria.
Germany are also expected to field the same playing XI that lost to Scotland in their last match. Venkatraman Ganesan and Abdul Shakoor will open the batting, followed by Joshua van Heerden, Michael Richardson and Faisal Bin Mubashar. Sahir Naqash, Dylan Blignaut and Muslim Yar Ashraf will be the all-rounders, while Dieter Klein, Ghulam Ahmadi and Vishnu Elam Bharathi will be the bowlers.
Key players for Germany:
- Joshua van Heerden: The left-handed batsman is the highest run-scorer for Germany in this tournament with 106 runs in three innings. He has a strike rate of 132.5 and a highest score of 47 against Austria.
- Sahir Naqash: The right-arm medium-fast bowler is the leading wicket-taker for Germany in this tournament with five wickets in three matches. He has an average of 14.6 and an economy rate of 7.3. He also has a best bowling figure of 2/12 against Austria.
- Dieter Klein: The left-arm fast bowler is one of the most experienced players in the German squad. He has played first-class cricket for Leicestershire in England. He has taken five wickets in three matches in this tournament, with an average of 16.8 and an economy rate of 8.4.
Dream11 Prediction
Wicketkeeper: Lorcan Tucker
Batsmen: Paul Stirling ©, Andy Balbirnie, Joshua van Heerden, Michael Richardson
All-rounders: Curtis Campher, Mark Adair (vc), Sahir Naqash
Bowlers: Barry McCarthy, Josh Little, Dieter Klein
