The "ICC-controlled commentators" may exult that Ireland are no longer "minnows", and to be fair they did have New Zealand momentarily worried at 189 for 7 in the 43rd over. But then Brendon McCullum and James Franklin took charge to take New Zealand to a healthy total of 263 for 8 in their 50 overs.
264 was indeed a bridge too far for Ireland. Rediff.com's expert reckoned that they would fall at least 100 runs short. Ireland started with a pressure index (PI) of 177.
As Ireland tottered to 35 for 3 one thought that even 160 was too much for Ireland to get. Kevin O'Brien and Niall O'Brien offered a semblance of resistance to take Ireland past 100 and the PI below 150 for the first time.
When Niall O'Brien perished just before the 30th over, Ireland gave up. Spinners Jeetan Patel and Daniel Vettori cut through the Irish batting order to dismiss them for 134.
Ireland are still minnows!
It's been a lousy World Cup really. In my book even a retired Inzamam-ul-Haq would have provided a significantly greater challenge to New Zealand than all the O'Briens, Morgans and Brays put together.
Sunil T and Sunil Patil of Cranes Software created this pressure map based on the details retrieved from the Rediff scorer
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