Irish coach Brian O' Rourke was clearly in an ebullient mood after Ireland Under 19's recorded a famous first ever win over a Test country, defeating Zimbabwe by 6 wickets in their final match at the Under 19 World Cup.

 

After a bitterly disappointing first week, Ireland responded in typically determined fashion, gaining wins over Bermuda and Zimbabwe, to finish 13th, exactly the same as in Sri Lanka during the 2006 competition.

 

"One of our goals was to beat an Test nation, and it's really lifted the spirits to achieve that. It was a good toss to win, and I thought Andrew Britton was superb up front. His figures of 4-14 won him a deserved Man of the Match Award, and I believe he has shown the potential to go on to bigger and better things."

 

Britton, in conjunction with 16 year old Shane Getkate (2-17), reduced Zimbabwe to 34/6 in their reduced 27 overs per side game, and from that juncture, there was never going to be any comeback.

 

Despite the best efforts of Reginald Nehone (43), Zimbabwe could only struggle to 99/9, which was to prove little challenge to the strong Irish batting line-up.

 

Skipper Greg Thompson narrowly missed out on the chance to become the leading wicket taker in U19 World Cup history, as from his final delivery, Richard Keaveney spilled a straight forward chance on the boundary. James Hall, a player who has impressed all week, took 2-11, and is destined for international recognition this summer.

 

Despite the early loss of Chris Dougherty (11), brilliantly caught at second slip, the result was never in doubt, as all the Irish batsmen reached double figures. Hall (32) was top scorer, and a driven six over extra cover will live long in the memory.

 

O' Rourke, while clearly delighted by the win, was quick to point out that there was still a significant skills gap between Ireland and the leading Test nations which needs to be addressed, "We've got to be going on more tours, playing better cricket against quality opposition. You can see our progression this last week, but that's got to continue."

 

Who then will be the stars of future Irish teams? In the batting, both James Hall and Paul Stirling have the credentials and talent to make an impact. Chris Dougherty and Ben Ackland both have undoubted ability, but struggle against spin. James Shannon looked good in glimpses, while Shane Getkate and Graham Mc Donnell have definite potential.

 

Britton, if handled correctly could be a star, but one fears he will be lost to the mediocrity of club cricket unless steps are taken. Greg Thompson looked back to his best in the last two days, but there is a real danger he will be always regarded as a four day specialist.

 

For Thompson and Stirling the focus now shifts to the InterContinental Cup game with UAE and 3 ODI's with Bangladesh this month. For the rest, who knows what opportunities await this summer?