'Pretty brutal' Ireland fall to shock T20 defeat by USA

Captain Andrew Balbirnie admitted Ireland were not good enough

Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie Picture: Peter Della Penna

A dramatic innings of 65 from 42 balls by Gajanand Singh inspired USA Men to overcome a poor start and power home over a “rusty” Irish side in the first T20I of the Dafabet USA v Ireland Men’s International Series.

Playing in only his fifth T20I, the 34-year old Guyanese-born batter hammered five sixes and three fours in a 52-minute blitz on the visiting bowlers. The powerful left-handed Singh was aided by some wayward bowling lines from the Irish bowling attack that drifted too frequently to Singh’s favoured legside, and the batter obliged by clearing the ropes four times between square leg and mid-wicket.