Bridgetown: Over the last month, Ireland has taken the cricket world in a storm of shamrocks, leprechauns, and the Guinness-downing Blarney Army.

Everywhere the side that put Pakistan out of the World Cup has played, it's been festooned in green and toasted with dry wit.

Barring an Australia report, which referred to them as "stooges," Ireland's men have impressed with their spirit if not their skill.

The run hasn't gone unnoticed in Ireland. An Irish journalist's bristly moustache can't hide his grin as he says cricket clubs in Dublin are struggling to cope with the unprecedented numbers turning out for pre-season practice in April.

On Friday, Ireland's group of bald-pates and ginger-heads plays Australia in a Super Eight match here at the Kensington Oval.

"If you can't be up for a game against Australia you shouldn't be playing cricket," said captain Trent Johnson, one of four men in the squad not born and bred in Ireland. "That's all the motivation the other 14 members of the squad need."

Obvious problems

Seen in the context of minnows, Ireland's progress into the second round of the World Cup is exceptional.

Strip that context away for a moment — however unkind or unfair it seems — and the problems are apparent. In six games, there have been just three scores (Jeremy Bray's century and Niall O'Brien's half-centuries) over 50.

The new-ball bowling has had its moments. The spinners did well on a slow pitch against New Zealand. But the side hasn't quite put a cohesive bowling performance together.

"Bowling-wise we've had great starts up until New Zealand and we have got to close out the innings," said Johnston. "These are things we are learning but it's professionals against amateurs."

The match allows Australia to acclimatise on a ground the side believes it will occupy on April 28.

"I think it's a good trial run just to see it first and foremost and get a feel for the ground," said Matthew Hayden. "It has certainly changed since we were here last time. That's going to be important for our campaign, to get a bit of a feel for the ground and leave the ground and come back hopefully in a few weeks time."

Wednesday's evidence of a re-laid track showed it had pace and bounce. There's a theory though that these re-laid trucks have excellent top-soil crusts, but haven't quite subsided beneath.

They are expected to slow down in the short term before the repeated compression of rolling settles them.

Arduous challenges

Should the strip hold for Friday's game, Australia's tall pacemen will pose arduous challenges. Shaun Tait's success has given Australia the menace many thought Brett Lee's injury will deprive the side of. Only once in his ten ODIs has he gone wicketless.

Tait currently is largely a bowler of two lengths, and at his pace both are deucedly tough. He offers Ricky Ponting options with the new ball up front, an ageing ball through the middle, and the old ball at the death. Crucially for Australia, Tait is beginning to think he belongs.

"When you're a young player it can be quite hard sometimes in your own mind," said Tait. "The players welcome you but in your own mind you're worrying about settling in and becoming a regular fixture in the team.

"I feel a lot more confident bowling now than a few months ago."

Ireland needn't despair: in the 6' 8'' Boyd Rankin, the side has just the bowler that can trouble Australia's batsmen early.

Rankin, as the story has been told by now, helps with sheep lambing in Londonderry when he isn't driving nearly 150 miles to practise. But, it's a story worth repeating, for many of us take much for granted.

The teams (from):

Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Adam Gilchrist (wk), Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Symonds, Brad Haddin, and Shaun Tait.

Ireland: Trent Johnston (capt), Kyle McCallan, Andre Botha, Jeremy Bray, Ken Carroll, Peter Gillespie, David Langford-Smith, John Mooney, Paul Mooney, Eoin Morgan, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien (wk), William Porterfield, Boyd Rankin, and Andrew White.

Umpires: Billy Bowden and Rudi Koertzen. Third umpire: Steve Bucknor. Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Hours of play (IST): 7 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. and 11.15 p.m till close.

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