Pakistan expose Irish weakness

Despite another respectable showing in the field against top-class opposition, the minnows' limitations with the bat were ruthlessly exposed in the Super Eights contest.

William Porterfield's team restricted Pakistan to 159 for five and were competitive until the latter half of their own innings when the gulf in class was emphasised.

Paul Stirling, 18, and the more established Kevin O'Brien attempted some adventure against the new ball but the entire team managed only six boundaries between them.

They lost only two wickets in the opening 13 overs but, after captain Porterfield succumbed for 40, they collapsed in a heap.

Once again it was Umar Gul who seized the initiative for Pakistan, following his extraordinary figures of five for six against New Zealand on the same ground this past weekend.

Fast bowler Gul, whose exploits on Saturday sparked an approach from the Black Caps to the match officials to check the legality of the methods by which he obtained reverse swing, was rewarded once again for his ability to send down searing yorkers at will. New Zealand accepted the match officials' view they had seen nothing to arouse suspicion.

There was no repeat of the carnage he inflicted on the Kiwis but the runs simply dried up as the Irish slipped from 87 for two to 120 for nine.

Gul hit the timber three times - one effort was redundant as it was from a free hit - as Ireland's hitters Trent Johnston and Andrew White were meekly tamed. With Ireland's batsmen therefore forced to have a dash at the other end, off-spinner Saeed Ajmal profited with four for 19.

Pakistan now head Group F and, with a superior net run-rate to rivals Sri Lanka and New Zealand, will proceed to the semi-finals despite a slow start to the tournament.