Pakistan pace shines after Porterfield ton

The biggest game in Ireland's history and their captain, William Porterfield, stood tall with his seventh ODI hundred but Pakistan's quicks, who have led the team's revival after back-to-back losses at the start of the tournament, dominated the closing overs in Adelaide to keep Ireland to 237.

When West Indies' result was confirmed in Napier, the scenario for this contest became simple: winner takes all, barring a tie which would send both teams through. At the half-way mark there was a sense of what might have been from Ireland; they had reached 182 for 4 with 11 overs remaining with a batsman set on a hundred, another, Gary Wilson, bedded in and Kevin O'Brien to come.

Instead, the last ten overs of the innings brought 49 for 5 with just three fours and a six against outstanding death bowling from Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan and Wahab Riaz. However, Ireland would also ponder the number of well-struck shots that hit fielders - more than half the deliveries in the innings were dots - and they struggled to rotate the strike. Ireland's bowling is comfortably their weakest suit, but there was a suggestion of the pitch gripping which could help their spinners and medium-pacers.

Porterfield's hundred was the first by an Associate captain at a World Cup and it was an innings of immense character and composure. He scored at a consistent pace throughout, the fifty coming off 59 balls and his hundred from 124. He could have been caught on 84 had Rahat moved faster at third man to intercept an upper cut or run out on 94 with a better throw from Sarfraz Ahmed, but the three-figure moment came when his punchy drive burst through Wahab's left hand in the follow through. .

The early passage of Ireland's innings was a case of Porterfield dominating the scoring but not finding a long-term ally. Paul Stirling has been unable to build on the aggressive 92 he made in the opening match against West Indies. This time he was caught on the crease playing across a full delivery from Ehsan Adil - who was playing his first match of the tournament in place of the injured Mohammad Irfan - to make it 67 runs in his next five innings.

Porterfield's pulling was a stand-out feature, but Ed Joyce did not find the same success when he was caught out by the extra pace of Wahab and top edged to point. Then, with another stand starting to build, and the run rate very acceptable, Niall O'Brien drove to cover when a ball from Rahat stopped in the surface.

Andy Balbirnie, who has lived up to his burgeoning reputation during the tournament, consolidated alongside Porterfield as the pair added 48 at a sedate pace, trying to ensure wickets remained intact for the later push.

Although Pakistan's catching was generally safe, their ground-fielding left plenty to be desired. But a misfield in the deep played a role in the fourth wicket when Porterfield made the most of a fumble in the deep to take three which gave the strike to Balbirnie, who top edged a sweep off Haris Sohail's fourth delivery to short fine-leg.

Porterfield went into the 90s with a sweet drive wide of mid-off but his demise, pulling low to Shahid Afridi at mid-on the over after reaching his hundred, began Ireland's slide as Pakistan's expertise in the late overs shone through.

There was a hint of reverse swing and astute use of the short ball as Ireland's batsmen struggled to find the boundary. Wilson upper cut to third man two balls after saving himself with the DRS - replays confirmed a massive inside edge after he had been given lbw.

Ireland's last chance of a strong finish rested with Kevin O'Brien but the accuracy of Sohail and Wahab kept him quiet save for one drive through mid-off. He was dropped three balls later by Ehsan at deep square-leg but fell next delivery when he spliced a pull to midwicket. One of the rare occasions a Pakistan bowler erred was when Wahab offered length to George Dockrell in the final over and was hoisted over deep midwicket.