Ireland Scrape Past Bermuda

Connell - picked up three wickets.

Ireland scraped through to the latter stages of the World Twenty20 qualifiers by the skin of their teeth as they defeated Bermuda by four runs in an unusually low-scoring encounter at Stormont.

The Irish won the toss and batted first with the intention of lasting the full 20 overs but were left reeling after torrential rain forced the umpires to restrict the match to a nine-over affair.

They were able to make only 43 - a modest score even given the curtailed nature of the innings - with Gary Wilson top scoring with just seven.

Bermudan trio George O'Brien, Stefan Kelly and Irving Romaine all taking three wickets but eight extras meant Ireland's score was not quite as desperate as it could have been.

Bermuda, chasing a revised target of 46, lost two wickets - including skipper David Hemp - without a run on the board before Stefan Outerbridge and James Celestine added 14 for the third wicket.

Amazingly, Outerbridge's eight made him the top scorer in the match as Peter Connell, with three for eight, and Andre Botha, with two for four, bowled Ireland into a winning position.

Kevin O'Brien held his nerve in the last over to ensure victory was achieved as Bermuda closed on 41 for eight.