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DUBAI, UAE – The runs were flowing initially for Ireland’s opening pair of Ross Adair and Paul Stirling, who had walked out to the middle after being put into bat by the UAE.

Adair became the UAE’s first Irish victim, gloving a Junaid Siddique bouncer to the wicketkeeper. Stirling capitalised on the opportunity of facing spin in the powerplay, crunching Dhruv Parashar over the rope for the first maximum of the day. The Irish skipper fell shortly after, playing around a delivery from Muhammad Arfan, who’s varying pace proved a challenge to the Irish batters, that went on to hit the stumps.

As the innings progressed beyond the powerplay, the run rate began to fall, Irish batters were using the ramp shot on numerous occasions to bring the whole field into the game. Tector’s innings came to an end when he chipped a cover drive to the UAE captain Muhammad Waseem from the bowling of Haider Ali.

Curtis Campher came to the middle at the Dubai International Stadium and nearly went back to the sheds after sweeping his first ball to backward point, who couldn’t hold on to the catch. Campher and Tucker began to form a stable partnership, before taking on the left armer Muhammad Jawadullah, but getting caught on the boundary by Harshit Kausik at deep cover for 12. Ben Calitz’s innings was short but sweet, as the left hander came out with aggressive intent, striking a 4 and a 6 before being bowled by a Muhammad Arfan delivery that moved away.

Ireland appeared to be in trouble after both Gareth Delany and George Dockrell got out in quick succession, bringing Mark Adair to the crease with Curtis Campher, with Ireland being 101-7 at the time. Adair was taking on the Emirati bowlers effectively, hitting 3 sixes. Curtis Campher brought up his 3^rd half century in T20Is off 35 balls. Adair and Campher continued until the end of the Irish innings, ending with an unbeaten partnership of 69 runs off just 40 balls. Captain Paul Stirling would be pleased with the recovery at the interval.

The UAE openers had a good start to the powerplay, keeping up with the required run rate, before skipper Waseem was struck on the pads by Barry McCarthy, and given out by the umpire. Aryansh Sharma and Muhammad Zohaib put on a decent partnership of 35, before Zohaib picked out Curtis Campher at long on off the bowling of Gareth Delany, who was arguably the pick of the Irish bowlers. Shortly after, young left arm spinner Matthew Humphreys picked up his first victim as Alishan Sharafu came down the wicket to no avail, after Lorcan Tucker quickly dislodged the bails to stump the UAE batter.

Delany picked up another wicket shortly after, as Harshit Kaushik found Curtis Campher in the deep, in a very similar way to Delany’s first wicket. The UAE were beginning to collapse, and it continued as George Dockrell’s spin picked up another wicket for the Irish as Lorcan Tucker claimed the stumping of Mayank Kumar.

Ireland quick Mark Adair had varied his pace and length well throughout the innings, and deservedly got the wicket of Dhruv Parashar caught and bowled after the 21-year-old all-rounder chipped the ball right back into the bowler’s hands. Barry McCarthy returned for his second spell, and clean bowled Haider Ali, all but securing a win for Ireland. Junaid Siddique and Muhammad Arfan put on an unbeaten partnership of 29, breaking the UAE record for the 9^th Wicket partnership in the process, before the UAE ran out of overs, with the men in green securing a 30 run win, and a whitewash in the series.

Ireland now look ahead to the upcoming T20 world cup in Sri Lanka, as they prepare for their opening game against the hosts on the 8^th February.

MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Men v UAE Men, 2nd T20I, Dubai, 31 January 2026

IRELAND 170-7 (20 overs; C Campher 54*, M Adair 34*; H Ali 2-30)
UAE 140-8 (20 overs; A Sharma 54; G Dockrell 2-12, G Delany 2-24)

Ireland won by 30 runs

Scorecard here