Ireland book quarter-final spot with NZ

The Irish team reached the goal they set for themselves, before leaving Ireland a fortnight ago, in Delhi yesterday when they secured a place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a 182-run victory over Pakistan.

A superb all-round batting and bowling display - including outstanding individual performances by Miriam Grealey, Caitriona Beggs, Clare O'Leary, Catherine O'Neill and Adele Spence - helped Ireland to a comfortable win over a Pakistani team that completed its World Cup debut having lost all five of its matches.

Once again captain Grealey topscored for the Irish, hitting her second half-century of the tournament (62) in a 100-run partnership with Beggs, the 20-year-old Malahide player who had won only four international caps before being named in the squad for India.

YMCA's O'Leary joined Grealey at the crease, following Beggs' dismissal, and shared a stand of 80, falling just two runs short of her 50.

Ireland reached 242 for seven off 50 overs and then set about dismantling the Pakistani batting line-up, bowling them out for just 60 runs. Most of the damage was done by vice-captain O'Neill, who took four for 10 and Spence, Beggs' Malahide team-mate, who finished with figures of three for four.

It was a magnificent bowling performance by an inexperienced attack against a team who, for all their weaknesses, still managed to put up a score of 146 against England last week.

South Africa's 99-run victory over Denmark yesterday means Ireland finish fourth in their group and will play New Zealand, runners-up in the last World Cup, in the quarter-finals next Tuesday in Bombay.

Australia are now the clear favourites to win the competition after their comprehensive win over England in Nagpur yesterday left them top of Group A.

Quarter-final qualifiers: Australia, England, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and Holland.