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Ireland still hope to cause Twenty20 shock

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Ireland Cricket team
Ireland captain William Porterfield believes his side still have a World Twenty20 shock left in them when they take on Pakistan on Monday.

Porterfield's men have taken heart from running Sri Lanka so close at Lord's on Sunday - they went down by just nine runs - in their bid to sign off the Super Eights in style.

The Irish, who knocked Pakistan out of the 2007 World Cup, still have the slimmest of hopes of progressing in this competition but it would take a landslide win on Monday afternoon at the Oval and victory for Sri Lanka over New Zealand tomorrow.

That scenario is not being contemplated but Porterfield, one of three men to hit 31 in the failed pursuit of 145 against the Sri Lankans, said: "We came into the Super Eights targeting at least one win.

"We haven't won a game yet and it is no motivation to knock someone out or keep someone in the tournament, we are just worried about what we do when we get on the pitch and we will be going out there to get a victory for ourselves.

"We will take positives from running a side like Sri Lanka so close.

"The way we have progressed game by game, we are really confident we can win."

Wicketkeeper Niall O'Brien, undoubtedly Ireland's player of the tournament, is a fitness doubt after aggravating his ankle injury during a 59-run opening stand with Porterfield at Lord's.

"It's unlikely," said Porterfield, of O'Brien's participation. "But if he is fit enough and willing to play he will play."

Ireland scented the chance to throw Group F wide open at the halfway stage after Alex Cusack claimed four wickets to limit Sri Lanka's total.

© Press Association

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