Unless Ireland panicked, or the mighty Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis magically re-appeared for Pakistan, it always seemed a lost cause for Pakistan.

The Rediff.com expert didn't think Pakistan had a chance, and reckoned that Ireland could score much more than the 133 required.

Ireland's pressure index (PI) opened at about 70. It rose to about 85 as Mohammad Sami trapped Jeremy Bray leg before wicket, and briefly touched 100 as Sami followed up with another lbw dismissal.

At 15 for 2 in the sixth over, Pakistan looked to have an even chance, but Niall O'Brien and William Porterfield put together a stubborn partnership that virtually sealed it for Ireland.

Even after Andre Botha's improbable dismissal (PI 80), and three quick wickets around the 35th over (PI 53), Ireland still had enough resources to take this game away.

When rain briefly interrupted play, Ireland's PI was just 75; this almost certainly meant that they would have won by the Duckworth-Lewis method if the match had been abandoned at that stage.

Data retrieved from the Cranes-Rediff scorer room. Chart prepared by Sunil T of Cranes Software.