February 11, 2026 –Australia vs Ireland T20 ICC World Cup : Australia launched their T20 World Cup quest with an emphatic victory, proving their squad depth remains unmatched. Led by stand-in captain Travis Head, Australia posted a formidable 182/6, before a lethal bowling partnership between Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa dismantled the Irish chase for just 115.
Australia vs Ireland Match Overview: Clinical and Comprehensive
The match began with a surprise as regular captain Mitchell Marsh was ruled out minutes before the toss due to a groin injury. Stand-in skipper Travis Head won the toss and chose to bat on a sluggish Colombo deck. While Ireland struck early, removing Head for 7, a blistering counter-attack from Josh Inglis (37 off 17) set the tempo.
The highlight of the Australian innings was a stabilized 61-run partnership between Matt Renshaw and Marcus Stoinis. Stoinis, the top scorer with 45, provided the late-inning muscle needed to reach 182.
Ireland’s chase was plagued by misfortune from the first ball. Captain Paul Stirling suffered a knee injury while taking a single and had to retire hurt. Without their leader, the Irish top order collapsed against the pace of Nathan Ellis. Although George Dockrell fought a lone battle with 41, the combination of Ellis’s variations and Zampa’s spin proved insurmountable.
Match Scorecard: Detailed Statistics
1st Innings: Australia Batting
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Travis Head (c) | run out (Benjamin Calitz) | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 116.67 |
| Josh Inglis (wk) | c Stirling b George Dockrell | 37 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 217.65 |
| Cameron Green | c Harry Tector b Mark Adair | 21 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 190.91 |
| Matt Renshaw | b Matthew Humphreys | 37 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 112.12 |
| Glenn Maxwell | c Lorcan Tucker b Harry Tector | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Marcus Stoinis | c Ben Calitz b Mark Adair | 45 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 155.17 |
| Cooper Connolly | not out | 11 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 137.50 |
| Xavier Bartlett | not out | 11 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 183.33 |
| Extras | (lb 1, w 3) | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| TOTAL | (20 Overs, RR: 9.10) | 182/6 |
Ireland Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Mark Adair | 4.0 | 0 | 44 | 2 | 11.00 |
| Matthew Humphreys | 4.0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 8.25 |
| Barry McCarthy | 3.0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 12.33 |
| George Dockrell | 4.0 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 7.75 |
| Harry Tector | 3.0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Gareth Delany | 2.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 6.00 |
2nd Innings: Ireland Batting (Target: 183)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Paul Stirling (c) | Retired Hurt (Knee) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ross Adair | b Nathan Ellis | 12 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 133.33 |
| Harry Tector | c Cameron Green b M. Kuhnemann | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Curtis Campher | c Josh Inglis b Nathan Ellis | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 200.00 |
| Lorcan Tucker (wk) | c Stoinis b Adam Zampa | 24 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 88.89 |
| Benjamin Calitz | c Cameron Green b Nathan Ellis | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Gareth Delany | lbw b Adam Zampa | 11 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 91.67 |
| George Dockrell | st Josh Inglis b Adam Zampa | 41 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 141.38 |
| Mark Adair | c Glenn Maxwell b Adam Zampa | 12 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 200.00 |
| Barry McCarthy | b Nathan Ellis | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Matthew Humphreys | not out | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Extras | (lb 1, w 3) | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| TOTAL | (16.5 Overs, RR: 6.83) | 115 (All Out) |
Australia Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Nathan Ellis | 3.5 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 3.13 |
| Adam Zampa | 4.0 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 5.75 |
| Xavier Bartlett | 2.0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 11.00 |
| Matthew Kuhnemann | 4.0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 7.25 |
| Cooper Connolly | 3.0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 8.67 |
Post-Match Analysis: Key Takeaways
1. Nathan Ellis: The New Attack Leader
In the absence of Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc, Nathan Ellis delivered a T20 masterclass. His career-best 4/12 included 15 dot balls, using subtle changes in pace to completely outwit the Irish top order.
2. Stoinis & Renshaw: The Rebuild
When Australia slipped to 88/4, the game was in the balance. The 61-run stand between Stoinis and Renshaw was not built on boundaries alone but on high-quality running between the wickets, turning singles into twos on a large Colombo outfield.
3. Zampa’s Middle-Over Strangle
Adam Zampa remains Australia’s most vital weapon. His 4-wicket haul in the middle overs ensured Ireland could never build a partnership, effectively ending the game as a contest by the 14th over.
4. Ireland’s Captaincy Blow
Losing Paul Stirling to injury in the first over was a psychological and tactical blow from which Ireland never recovered. Without their most experienced batter, the chase lacked the composure needed to hunt down 183.
Player of the Match: Nathan Ellis
For his incredible spell of 4/12, which effectively sealed the match in the Powerplay.