Join the debate at #bbccricketpublished at 06:41 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Kishin Mahtani:, external South Africa collapsing so that by the time they get to the quarters all the bad luck would have been used up.
Summary
Ireland beat Zimbabwe by five runs
Defeat eliminates Zimbabwe
Ireland 331-8: Joyce 112, Balbirnie 97
Zim 326 (49.3): Taylor 121, Wiliams 96
Pakistan beat South Africa by 29 runs (D/L)
Join the debate at #bbccricketpublished at 06:41 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Ire 281-4 (run-rate: 6.24)published at 06:41 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Gary Wilson joins Andrew Balbirnie at the crease with 320 still in sight for Ireland. The right-hander gets off the mark with a push into the leg side. Five overs to go.
Pakistan v South Africa latestpublished at 06:40 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
The old idiom that one wicket often brings another... Wahab Riaz takes a wicket with his first ball of the match, having Hashim Amla caught behind on 38 for keeper's Sarfraz Ahmed's third catch.
That brings in skipper AB de Villiers so get ready for some fireworks, but he needs to get off the mark first. Maiden over, pressure building, noise in the crowd increasing.
SA 67-3 after 11 overs
Pakistan all out for 222 (match reduced to 47 overs per side)
Click on the 'Live Coverage' tab for Test Match Special commentary
Postpublished at 06:37 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special"Slower ball this time just outside off stump, they are quite long straight boundaries here. Very unlucky for Kevin O'Brien that the ball went up and a Zimbabwean fielder managed to keep hold of it, certainly in the minority today."
WICKETpublished at 06:36 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Image source, Getty ImagesToday's not going to be the day Kevin O'Brien belts the ball around the park. A bright 22-ball innings is ended when the burly right-hander skies a slower ball to long-on.
Postpublished at 06:33 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special"Zimbabwe have just got their fields horribly wrong, trying to bowl wide yorkers with no third man out. Captain and bowler need to gets their heads together. You don't need a deep square leg if you're bowling wide yorkers outside off-stump."
Ire 271-3 (run-rate: 6.15)published at 06:33 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
300? Ireland could get 350 here. Kevin O'Brien flicks four off his hips, then three singles bring up the 50 partnership in 32 balls. With the field up, O'Brien gets another boundary when he goes inside out and chips four over extra cover. Ireland are motoring now.
Pakistan v South Africa latestpublished at 06:33 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
What's this? A wicket? It sure is. Faf du Plessis edges Rahat Ali behind and departs for 27. Hope for Pakistan: South Africa 67-2 after 9.3 overs.
"Never moved his feet," says Geoffrey Boycott dismissively on TMS.
Ire 260-3 (Balbirnie 86, O'Brien 14)published at 06:29 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Image source, APAndrew Balbirnie has really come to the fore in this tournament - backing up his half-century against South Africa with another one in this match. He has big shots to go with his finesse, and he drags the ball outside off stump and clobbers it over mid-on for six. He repeats the trick by getting hold of a full toss and hitting it into the stands behind backward square. It went so far, the ball is temporarily lost. That's 21 in total from a very profitable over.
Postpublished at 06:27 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special"Balbirnie has played a gem of an innings. I know Alan Lewis was waxing lyrical about him but he has played beautifully."
Pakistan v South Africa latestpublished at 06:24 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Image source, Getty ImagesHashim Amla and Faf du Plessis have settled South Africa's nerves after losing a wicket in the first over.
They have put on 61 after eight overs, chasing a Duckworth/Lewis revised target of 232 to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Click on the 'Live Coverage' tab for Test Match Special commentary
Postpublished at 06:22 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Alan Lewis
Ex-Ireland captain on BBC Test Match Special"Kevin O'Brien has been involved in a few run outs. Because he is such a hitter of the ball I think sometimes he thinks he doesn't have to run."
Ire 239-3 (run-rate: 5.69)published at 06:22 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Another mistake in the field costs Zimbabwe a potential run-out. Not that it upsets Kevin O'Brien too much, with the all-rounder stepping aside to make room and then belting Raza back down the ground for four. Don't bother chasing after that one.
Ire 233-3 (Balbirnie 66, O'Brien 8)published at 06:19 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Image source, AFPEverything about Kevin O'Brien screams biffer. He's built like the proverbial, stares intently at the bowler with fiery eyes to match his red hair and all while he bangs his bat into the ground between deliveries. It's Andrew Balbirnie who is hitting the six in this over though - dispatching Sean Williams to the adjacent grass banking.
Postpublished at 06:19 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Alan Lewis
Ex-Ireland captain on BBC Test Match Special"These are regulation catches at this level. Another life for an Irish batsman."
Postpublished at 06:15 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Image source, BBC SportDropped catchpublished at 06:15 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
If it's in the slot, it's disappearing. Tawanda Mupariwa offers up a tasty treat to Kevin O'Brien who tucks in and creams four through the covers. Next ball up, however, he is dropped at short cover. Zimbabwe could pay for that.
Join the debate at #bbccricketpublished at 06:12 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Amber Young:, external I wonder how I'll function post World Cup, it'll be weird having a sleep pattern again.
Ire 218-3 (Balbirnie 59, O'Brien 1)published at 06:12 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Here comes the big man. Kevin O'Brien walks to the crease wielding willow. Prepare for fireworks.
Postpublished at 06:10 Greenwich Mean Time 7 March 2015
Alan Lewis
Ex-Ireland captain on BBC Test Match Special"Probably one of the worst balls he's faced, a slower full toss he could have hit to any part of the ground, but a wonderful contribution."