GARY WILSON rescued Ireland yesterday  with two boundaries in the final over to secure a two-wicket victory over Italy with two balls to spare in a tense World Twenty20 qualifier in Abu Dhabi.

Ireland should have won with far more comfort after restricting Italy to 100-7 but from cruising at 58-2 halfway through the reply wickets began to fall with regularity, leaving Wilson to find seven to win from the last six balls.

The Azzurri were sensing a famous win on the Ides of March until Wilson audaciously reverse swept a four, drove a two to bring the scores level and then smashed a winning four down the ground.

"It was good to bring the team home but all we can really take from that match is the two points and run because it was a bit of a smash and grab at the end," Wilson said.

"A couple of our lads got starts but didn't go on - but fair play to Italy who have got good spinners and could upset some of the more fancied teams - hopefully Namibia!"

Wilson's effort was not deemed worth of the man-of-the-match award which controversially again went to big Boyd Rankin for a spell of 3-16 in the middle of the Italy innings.

Perhaps with the latter stages of the tournament in mind, captain William Porterfield experimented by dropping himself to No3 and used different bowling and batting line- ups from the previous day's thrashing of Kenya.

Paul Stirling's off-spin claimed 2-13 after being given the new ball for the first time, while Kevin O'Brien was clean bowled for four in a less successful promotion to the top of the batting order.

Ireland's second victory from three games moved them into second place in Group B, behind unbeaten Namibia, ahead of today's  match against the winless USA.