Cricket World Cup: Bowling the only blip on Ireland's claim for test status

Ireland are on the cusp of pressing for test status. Photo / Christine Cornege

A compelling debate awaits post-World Cup: do Ireland deserve test status?

The teams ranked 9-14 have sustained their competitiveness for much of this tournament. Before last night's Ireland-India result, 10 games out of 21 involving those six teams had finished with a margin of less than four wickets or 62 runs.

Ireland have provided a resilient presence. It's reflected in their relative experience despite being an International Cricket Council "associate member". They are on the cusp of pressing beyond that frontier. All but three of last night's starting XI had played for English counties; all but four had played 50 or more ODIs; and all but five had played 30 or more first-class matches.

That pedigree has manifested itself with three of Ireland's 12 highest ODI totals coming at this tournament, including their best - 331 for eight - in the five-run win against Zimbabwe.

They successfully chased the West Indies' 304 for seven in Nelson, hauled in the UAE's 278 for nine in Brisbane and set 259 against India.

All the recognised batsmen, except captain William Porterfield, have a strike rate exceeding 97 this tournament and three players - Ed Joyce, Andrew Balbirnie and Niall O'Brien - average more than 43. The only failure has been wilting for 210 in the face of South Africa's 411 for four.

That result, and what was witnessed from India's openers last night, hints at their biggest vulnerability - bowling.

They have only bowled out Zimbabwe. Pace bowler Alex Cusack and spinners George Dockrell and Paul Stirling had each conceded less than six runs an over before last night but sustained venom appears absent.

Still, that's how most test teams start. New Zealand were considered fodder for more than 19 years until the drawn four-test series against England in 1949; Sri Lanka got clobbered after their test introduction in 1982 but won a World Cup within 14 years; Bangladesh have advanced since graduating to the longest form in 2000. Of the three most recent inductees, Zimbabwe's test record since debuting in 1992 is the only one which has been erratic.

Seasoned squad
William Porterfield (30) Gloucestershire/Warwickshire, 78 (ODIs), 107 (1st class matches)
Paul Stirling (24) Middlesex, 56, 26
Ed Joyce (36) Middlesex/Sussex, 50, 215
Niall O'Brien (33) Northants/Kent, 142, 68
Andrew Balbirnie (24) Middlesex 16, 9
Gary Wilson (29) Surrey 57, 60
Kevin O'Brien (31) Somerset/Glouc/Notts/Surrey 89, 30
John Mooney (33) - 59, 14
George Dockrell (22) Somerset, 47, 39
Stuart Thompson (23) - 8, 5
Alex Cusack (34) - 57, 19