Australia beat Ireland, Australia won by 7 wickets (with 29 balls remaining)

Here's the post-match: Porterfield "We didn't have a great start, we tried to get a platform but it didn't happen. We've warmed-up well and weren't surprised by conditions. I can't fault the lads for trying."

Bailey: "I thought he started really well and finished if off with the bat. The short ball will be a good weapon for us. We were happy to see that pitch but it will probably get slower and lower."

Watson is Man of the Match. Tough call! "We knew how important the game was to make a statement. I'd been thinking about how to bowl the first over for about a day and it worked out nicely. It's been nice to hit the ball well over the last few weeks."

So, that's just about it for this match. I'll hand over to my colleagues for the India-Afghanistan match which starts shortly. Enjoy the action.

That's a cakewalk for Australia. Puts the rankings into a touch more perspective. Ireland were well below their best and they'll know that. Australia, though, looked very solid with bat, ball and in the field. Questions remain about the middle order, but they couldn't have done much more today. I'll stay around to bring you news from presentation. Suspect Shane Watson will be Man of the Match!

Here's Harsha summing things up: "A comfortable win but this middle order is a trouble.. Dan Christian is surplus and wasted at no8 bowling not needed and won't bat, pick D Hussey and Bailey play as a specialist captain and bat at 8, seems to be only way to fix this"

SU defends the middle order: "At least have a look at the strike rates of Bailey and White. Doesn't look too bad to me. And Bailey is a kind of backbone every batting team requires in T20."

15.1

Dockrell to White, FOUR runs

that's the game, lofted comfortably over the leg side out to the deep midwicket boundary

Gotcha isn't too happy: "Here lies Australia's T20 troubles. After a great start by Warner, Watson, Hussey in come Bailey and White to crawl at less than 4 an over. No pressure, no nothing and still they can't get going. That's why if a team knocks off the top quickly the Aussies have no where else to go. Why White gets a game ahead of the other Hussey is beyond us all!"

Over15

11 runs

AUS 121/3CRR: 8.06 RRR: 0.60

GJ Bailey 6 (8b 1x4)CL White 18 (18b 2x4)

KJ O'Brien1/18 (3)

14.6

•

K O'Brien to Bailey, no run

swing and a miss. Scoots past off stump, a coat of varnish job. He lifted his head on the shot.

14.5

K O'Brien to White, 1 run

driven off the back foot through the covers

14.4

K O'Brien to White, 2 runs

slower ball full on middle, punched nearly down the ground for brace

14.3

K O'Brien to White, FOUR runs

this is hurry to a finish now, dropped in short at gentle pace and he swivels onto a pull sending it fine of long leg

14.2

•

K O'Brien to White, no run

pushes this fuller and it's driven to mid-off

14.1

K O'Brien to White, FOUR runs

that's pretty dismissive from White as he picks up a fractionally short delivery outside off and cracks it away through midwicket

Over14

7 runs

AUS 110/3CRR: 7.85 RRR: 2.33

GJ Bailey 6 (7b 1x4)CL White 7 (13b)

WB Rankin0/28 (4)

13.6

Rankin to Bailey, FOUR runs

that's better, another short ball. Gets his timing and placement this time as he pulls backward of square and finds the gap

13.5

1lb

Rankin to White, 1 leg bye

fuller delivery, White hanging on the back foot and gets more of an inside edge down to long leg

13.4

Rankin to Bailey, 1 run

another short ball, this time he pulls and gets it in front of square

13.3

•

Rankin to Bailey, no run

chopped away into the off side, struggling for his timing here as he finds backward point

13.2

1lb

Rankin to White, 1 leg bye

angled into the pads, deflected into the leg side

13.1

•

Rankin to White, no run

back of a length on off stump, defended into the off side

Over13

3 runs

AUS 103/3CRR: 7.92 RRR: 3.00

GJ Bailey 1 (4b)CL White 7 (10b)

KJ O'Brien1/7 (2)

"Watching these two makes me thinks that 7 doesn't fit into 6 but David Hussey out of form is definitely a better fit than bailey or white," suggests Martin.

12.6

•

K O'Brien to Bailey, no run

opens the face and finds short third-man

12.5

K O'Brien to White, 1 run

dragged wide outside off, White drills it with a lot of power off the back foot but straight to deep cover

12.4

•

K O'Brien to White, no run

goes for the pull, but it is another unconvincing effort as he plays over the delivery

Here's Thomas: "Has anyone considered that if we want to develop cricket worldwide any test series between big nations should open with a curtain raiser against a neighbouring minnow nation. England's series against Pakistan last year had a brilliant curtain raiser against a combined minnow side. What if the next Ashes series started with a curtain raiser against Ireland instead of the England Lions?"

12.3

K O'Brien to White, 2 runs

on the pads, worked away out to deep square

12.2

•

K O'Brien to White, no run

full on the stumps, whipped firmly out to midwicket

12.1

•

K O'Brien to White, no run

full on off stump, pushed up to mid-off

Over12

5 runs

AUS 100/3CRR: 8.33 RRR: 3.00

GJ Bailey 1 (3b)CL White 4 (5b)

WB Rankin0/23 (3)

11.6

•

Rankin to Bailey, no run

mistimes another pull as he gets a bottom edge into his leg which bobbles to the off side

Ireland vs Australia, 2nd Match, Group B at Colombo, Sep 19 2012 - Match Result