John Kenny's World Cup Diary
Entry 20 - 13 April
So 91 all-out - the ninth lowest total in world cup history. It doesn't make good reading for Trent Johnston's Ireland side who were given a World Cup lesson by Ricky Ponting's star stunned 11.
The feeling was that Ireland would eventually get a tonking before the Super 8's were concluded and it fell to the Aussies to inflict a heavy nine wicket defeat. The Irish must now pick themselves up to face Bangladesh at the Keningston Oval on Sunday, their penultimate game of the World Cup and the one game that that they feel they can win before this competition is over.
It is hard to be critical about Ireland's amateurs who were skittled out for less than a hundred against the Aussies, and generally they have received a good press. But this is now a world sport for Ireland and in reality they were like rabbits caught in the headlights of a car, playing against the World Champions reputation rather than concentrating on their own abilities with the bat.
There is no suggestion that Ireland would have caused an upset or anything like that, but they need now to have a good hard look at themselves, especially the top order batsmen like Jeremy Bray, William Porterfield and Eoin Morgan.
The three have shown in the recent world league and in the Intercontinental Cup that they can bat and indeed Bray made 115 against Zimbabwe and 41 against the West Indies here at the World Cup.
But time and time again in the Super 8's Ireland have relied on the likes of Niall O'Brien and Trent Johnston to pick up the pieces of a top order collapse and to win against Bangladesh requires all three opening batsmen now to step up to the mark and get in amongst the runs on Sunday.
It's time to bare their teeth and Adi Birrell, the Irish coach, also has to show leadership in his penultimate game before handing over the mantle to Phil Simmons who takes over after the World Cup.
I'm sorry to be so brutal, but this is the World Cup and Ireland are showing signs of slipping. They need to put in good performances against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in their final game on Grenada next Wednesday if the memory of that fantastic win over Pakistan is not to be soured.
There was also a big crowd at the Kensington Oval to watch Ireland and every run they scored was cheered. Trent Johnston's side have performed admirably here and they will hope that the big loss to Australia was just a blip.
I also hope it is.
