Ireland spring World Cup shock

Cricket:  Wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien was the hero for Ireland as they celebrated St Patrick's Day with a famous and stunning…

Cricket: Wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien was the hero for Ireland as they celebrated St Patrick's Day with a famous and stunning three-wicket victory over Pakistan in the World Cup in Jamaica.

O'Brien held together Ireland's innings with a gutsy 72 before being stumped following an ill-advised charge against Shoaib Malik - but the party started when skipper Trent Johnston heaved Azhar Mahmood high into the Sabina Park stands to finish the game with a six.

The result one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history and ends Pakistan's chances of making it beyond the group stages after their opening-day defeat to the West Indies.

Boyd Rankin and Andre Botha had earlier starred for Ireland in the field as they dismissed Pakistan for 132 - with the target eventually downgraded to 128 from 47 overs by way of the Duckworth-Lewis system.

READ MORE

Ireland's reply got off to a difficult start as opener Jeremy Bray fell lbw to a swinging delivery from Mohammad Sami.

Bray had been Ireland's hero against Zimbabwe in their opening fixture, striking a wonderful century to set his side on the way to their dramatic tie, but he was unable to repeat those heroics and was trapped in front for three.

That brought Eoin Morgan to the crease but he did not last long as Inzamam-ul-Haq's side seized the chance to plant some doubt.

Again it was Sami who done the damage, moving the ball in the air as Morgan made an ungainly shuffle across his stumps to fall lbw.

William Porterfield and O'Brien steadied the ship for the batting side, taking the pace out of the ball and gradually chipping away at their target.

Pakistan's frustration started to show and a Mohammad Yousuf misfield followed by a glorious cut for four from O'Brien turned the momentum in Ireland's favour.

Porterfield had done a good job to nullify the Pakistan attack but when he finally went, playing on from the bowling of Mohammad Hafeez, he had made just 13 from 50 balls.

Botha, in at five, scored a six-ball duck but can count himself terribly unlucky to be given out caught at short leg despite his bat being several inches away from the ball, which struck his pad.

A lengthy interval followed, with bad light and rain all affecting conditions and when Niall O'Brien came out to bat again, with three overs and five runs shaved off the equation, his brother Kevin was at the crease with him.

The brothers put on 38 seemingly trouble-free runs and Niall looked like he would end the game early when he dispatched Malik for a huge six back over his head.

But just one ball later he lost his head, charging the spinner and allowing Kamran Akmal the simplest of stumpings to put the Ireland cause in serious jeopardy.

Rao Iftikhar took advantage of the exposed tail-end when he removed Andrew White (four) and Kyle McCallan (duck) with successive deliveries to leave Ireland seven down with 15 needed.

But any worries proved unfounded when Johnston ended the game in grand fashion with a maximum.

Pakistan's top order again failed to fire when they batted first and Ireland made the finest of starts, removing Mohammad Hafeez and Younis Khan with only 15 on the scoreboard.

Imran Nazir (24) and Mohammad Yousuf (15) saw Pakistan past the 50-mark as they threatened to regroup but some more good bowling saw Johnston account for Yousuf before Botha joined the attack to dismiss Nazir and Inzamam.

Shoaib Malik (nine) was brought to the crease but he fared little better than his colleagues and became Kevin O'Brien's first victim when brother Niall took another smart chance behind the stumps.

Akmal's 27 was Pakistan's top score but, like Azhar Mahmood, he was caught by Johnston off the bowling of Rankin after a poorly executed pull.

Ireland closed out the innings in professional fashion, with two wickets for Kyle McCallan at the end, paving the way for their dramatic chase.