The Karate Kid, and the immovable bail

Krishna Chandran, otherwise known as Krishna Karate, has spawned something of a cult following already this tournament, his distinctive name having many fans clamouring for UAE replica shirts bearing the "Karate" name. Kevin O'Brien had clearly taken notice, and when Paul Stirling coaxed an edge to slip, the allrounder clasped the ball and then took on a pose recognised instantly by fans of The Karate Kid films - the Crane pose. Expect it to be replayed many a time before this tournament is out.

O'Brien was brought back into the bowling attack towards the end of the UAE innings, by which time Shaiman Anwar was giving the Irish plenty to think about with batting of verve and invention. One such gambit was to move exaggeratedly across his crease, prompting O'Brien to counter by bowling wide. However one wide called for a ball outside the tramlines despite Anwar's movement appearing to get to O'Brien, and what followed was a sequence of stops, starts, wides and an increasingly irritated bowler. When Anwar top-edged a boundary to third man from an attempted pull scoop, it appeared O'Brien would spontaneously combust from frustration, and he was withdrawn for the end the innings after his final over went for 19.

Zing bails have added playful neon to the World Cup, but early in Ireland's chase, the UAE's players were left to wonder whether they also had chewing gum attached. A full, swinging delivery from Amjad Javed slipped through Ed Joyce's drive, and the bowler roared at the telltale sound of ball disturbing off stump. But the momentary flash of the half-airborne bail was followed by the extraordinary sight of it settled back in place, a wicket all of a sudden evaporating. Javed could feel hard done by, Joyce the luckiest man in Brisbane. Belatedly there was to be some justice, Javed coaxing an edge from Joyce when the left-hander had made 37.

O'Brien has never quite outdone his hundred against England at Bangalore during the last edition of the Cup, but as Ireland's chase staggered, he provided a reminder of the destructive power within. After a relatively sedate start, he caught fire with a flurry of boundaries, and then seemed set to go into victory gear when he swung Javed for a mighty six to wide long on - nearly into the Gabba's top tier - and then another pulverising blow straight. But just as it appeared he would carry Ireland home, a shorter ball and an innocuous chipped catch ended an innings that had nonetheless changed the momentum of the match.