Pakistan 25 for no loss (Hafeez 14*) need 72 runs to beat Ireland 96 (Stirling 39, Junaid 4-12, Ajmal 3-6)
Bangalore seemed an awful long way away for Ireland's cricketers. Their first game since returning from the ICC Cricket World Cup was in danger of petering out in an embarrassing defeat to Pakistan in the first of the two-game series.
The weather was a typically steely grey Belfast day, with plenty of showers to keep the 2,000 spectators moving and prevent play from commencing until 2pm. A 38 over game was the plan then -- and a 36 over one after a short break -- but Ireland conspired to reduce it further when they were bowled out in exactly 20 overs.
Their total of 96 was pitiful, especially after Paul Stirling had thrilled the home fans with a startling innings of 39 from just 22 balls. The Middlesex batsman had finished off his World Cup with a match-winning 100 off 71 balls against Netherlands, and was on a similar trajectory here as he helped himself to seven fours and a six.
Ed Joyce opened, switching places in the order with William Porterfield. However, the experiment failed, as Joyce edged Tanvir Ahmed to the wicketkeeper and was replaced by the Ireland captain. Stirling took a liking to Tanvir, who bowled too short. His next over went for 19, including an enormous six over mid-on.
Stirling took 12 off Umar Gul's next over and clipped Junaid Khan's first ball to the fence when he came on to bowl the sixth over. Four balls later he was gone, skying the ball to cover where Mohammed Hafeez sprinted 20 yards, and dive full length, to perfectly judge a two-handed catch.
From 44 for one, Ireland steadily lost wickets as left-armer Junaid made good use of the seaming conditions. The 21 year old plays with the now-famous Abbotabad and didn't need any special forces to run through Ireland's middle order.
Alex Cusack, promoted to no.4 in the absence of the injured Niall O'Brien, was bowled in the last over of the eight-over Powerplay that yielded 49 runs and three wickets. Porterfield followed for four, caught behind trying to fend off a rising ball from Umar Gul.
Kevin O'Brien, having exchanged his dyed pink hair for his natural orange, gave his fans a small taste of his World Cup pyrotechnics. But, on 15, he tried to cart Junaid through the covers and saw his stumps demolished. Andrew White nicked the next ball through to Mohammed Salman and Ireland were floundering on 66 for six.
After a 20-minute break the innings was recalculated as 36 overs, but there was little chance that many overs would be required as Ireland failed to cope with a disciplined attack in tricky conditions. It was all over 30 minutes later as Saeed Ajmal came on to claim 3 for 7 off his three overs, including Trent Johnston and Boyd Rankin in successive balls.
Younis Khan, who had taken two wickets in his previous 221 ODIs, induced John Mooney to carve to cover and a three-figure score was beyond Ireland.
Rankin and Johnston bowled nine overs before the interval, which were negotiated safely by Taufeeq Umar and Mohammed Hafeez. The large Pakistani contingent went off to the break buzzing after a short ball from Rankin was dumped into the trees at square leg.
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