Rankin and Portferfield call shots for Ireland

Ireland’s cricketers got their ICC World Twenty20 qualification campaign back on track with an empathic 10-wicket win over Kenya.

The pre-tournament favourites slumped to a four-run defeat to Namibia in Tuesday’s Group B opener, but recovered to thrash the Kenyans and revive their hopes of making the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka in September.

Coach Phil Simmons expressed disappointment at the poor performances of his bowlers against Namibia, and the message seemed to have been received, with all fivechipping in with wickets against Kenya. Boyd Rankin set up the win with a hostile spell of 3-20 in four overs, dismissing the openers Duncan Allan and Alex Obanda, and captain Collins Obuya as Kenya slumped to 13-3 in the third over.