Farmane-Ilahi

HOBART - Cusack took two wickets in three balls in the final over as Ireland knocked Zimbabwe out of the World Cup with a thrilling five-run win in their Pool B match at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Saturday.

The African side, chasing Ireland's total of 331 for eight, were bowled out for 326 with three balls remaining to become the first test-playing nation to be ruled out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals.

With Zimbabwe needing just seven runs in the last over, Cusack (4-32) took a wicket on his first and third balls. Brendan Taylor (121), leading Zimbabwe in place of injured captain Elton Chigumbura, hit his seventh one-day international hundred and combined in a 159-run stand with Sean Williams (96) but their efforts were not enough. Ed Joyce hit his first World Cup century while Andy Balbirnie contributed with a 97 to help Ireland to a hefty total after they were put in to bat first.

Scoreboard 
Ireland Innings           
W. Porterfield                 c H. Masakadza b Williams  29  
P. Stirling                    c Williams b Panyangara    10  
E. Joyce                       c Ervine b Chatara         112 
A. Balbirnie                   run out (Chakabva, Taylor) 97  
N. O'Brien                     c Chakabva b Chatara       24  
G. Wilson                      c Chakabva b Williams      25  
J. Mooney                      b Williams                 10  
K. O'Brien                     c Panyangara b Chatara     2   
G. Dockrell                    not out                    5   
A. Cusack                      not out                    2   
Extras                         (lb-4 nb-3 w-8)            15  
Total                          (for 8 wickets, 50 overs)  331 
Fall of wickets: 1-16 P. Stirling,2-79 W. Porterfield,3-217 E. Joyce,4-276 K. O'Brien,5-308 G. Wilson,6-319 J. Mooney,7-322 N. O'Brien,8-326 A. Balbirnie
Did not bat: A. McBrine
Bowling                   
T. Panyangara                  9 - 0 - 69 - 1(nb-1 w-1)       
T. Chatara                     10 - 0 - 61 - 3(nb-1 w-4)      
T. Mupariwa                    10 - 0 - 56 - 0(w-1)           
S. Raza                        9 - 0 - 51 - 0                 
S. Williams                    9 - 0 - 72 - 3(nb-1 w-2)       
H. Masakadza                   3 - 0 - 18 - 0                 
Zimbabwe Innings          
C. Chibhabha                   c Porterfield b Cusack     18  
S. Raza                        c Stirling b J. Mooney     12  
S. Mire                        c Cusack b Dockrell        11  
H. Masakadza                   c Wilson b K. O'Brien      5   
B. Taylor                      c K. O'Brien b Cusack      121 
S. Williams                    c J. Mooney b K. O'Brien   96  
C. Ervine                      c K. O'Brien b McBrine     11  
R. Chakabva                    b Cusack                   17  
T. Panyangara                  c Porterfield b J. Mooney  5   
T. Mupariwa                    c Porterfield b Cusack     18  
T. Chatara                     not out                    1   
Extras                         (lb-8 nb-1 w-2)            11  
Total                          (all out, 49.3 overs)      326 
Fall of wickets: 1-32 S. Raza,2-32 C. Chibhabha,3-41 H. Masakadza,4-74 S. Mire,5-223 B. Taylor,6-259 C. Ervine,7-300 S. Williams,8-305 T. Panyangara,9-325 R. Chakabva,10-326 T. Mupariwa
Bowling                   
A. Cusack                      9.3 - 2 - 32 - 4(w-1)          
J. Mooney                      10 - 0 - 58 - 2(w-1)           
K. O'Brien                     10 - 0 - 90 - 2                
G. Dockrell                    10 - 0 - 56 - 1                
A. McBrine                     8 - 0 - 56 - 1                 
P. Stirling                    2 - 0 - 26 - 0(nb-1)           
Referees                  
Umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge                                 
Umpire: Paul Reiffel. –Reuters                                          
TV umpire: Joel Wilson                                        
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama                                
Result: Ireland won by 5 runs