With their third win from three matches at the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier on Wednesday, Canada went to the top of the points table in Group B. Skipper Navneet Dhaliwal proved his decision to bat first right by hitting a 51-ball 69 at the top of the order, taking his side’s total to 156 for five. Nitish Kumar also hit a fine fifty, a 35-ball 53, but Ireland staged something of a fightback at the backend of the innings with only 32 runs coming in the final five overs.

However, the target of 157 proved too big an ask of the Irish, particularly after losing Kevin O’Brien in the first over. Gareth Delaney and Paul Stirling’s partnership showed early promise, but it was ended in the fifth over by a sharp piece of fielding from Kumar at backward point. Thereafter, Ireland was never in the game, as Nikil Dutta's spell of three overs for just 12 runs choked the run flow entirely. Even a 21-ball 51-run eighth-wicket partnership between Stuart Thompson and George Dockrell wasn’t enough to salvage their fate. 

Hong Kong then registered their first win of the tournament, with an eight-run victory over Jersey. Jonty Jenner dropped a regulation catch in the deep off Harrison Carlyon to reprieve Nizakat Khan off the very first ball of the match. Khan took full advantage of his lifeline and hit a quickfire 48, which proved too costly for Jersey in the end. Later in the innings, Scott McKechnie's counterattacking 40 off 33, spoiled some of the good work done by the Jersey bowlers and saw his side through to 144 for 7.

Earlier, Oman had brushed aside Nigeria to keep pace with Canada at the top of Group B on three wins, albeit having played four games. The Arab nation took just seven overs to chase down Nigeria’s total of 71. As things stand, Canada, Oman, and Jersey hold the qualification spots, while Ireland in fourth face the danger of losing out. 

In reply, the opening duo of Irfan Karim and Aman Gandhi put on a 110-run stand, making light work of the Singapore bowlers. Karim remained unbeaten till the end with a Man-of-the-Match winning 71 off 50 balls, while Gandhi fell just after completing his half-century. 

Namibia set about the chase with an eye on maximising their net run rate, with opener Niko Davin’s exploding 12-ball 37, which included two fours and four sixes. Despite Kamau Leverock’s spell of medium-fast bowling returned three for 19, Namibia eventually crossed the finishing line courtesy of a flat-driven six from skipper Gerhard Erasmus’ bat. Winless after four matches, Bermuda are now almost out of contention for qualification, while Namibia joined a host of five teams with four points each in Group A. The Netherlands lead the way with six points from three matches.