By Cathal Dervan

IT will go down as one of the biggest sporting upsets ever the Irish cricket team celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in style in Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday when they beat Pakistan and sent one of the favorites crashing out of the World Cup.

The traveling Blarney Army of fans painted the Caribbean green as captain Trent Johnston led the Irish to an incredible win on their first appearance at the finals.

Just days after draw-ing with Zimbabwe, Johnston and his team pulled off a victory that sent shock waves around the world of cricket.

Their three wicket victory was tinged with sadness on Sunday, however, when the Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer collapsed and died at his team’s hotel after complaining of feeling unwell overnight.

The Irish team ex-pressed their condolences to their Pakis-tani counterparts and Woolmer’s family after the tragedy.

But Johnston and his players, who meet the West Indies on Friday with a place in the Super Eights now on the cards, are guaranteed a heroes welcome when they eventually return to Ireland after their World Cup triumph.

And skipper Johnston has admitted he is at a loss to explain his side’s sensational three-wicket victory as they successfully chased a rain-revised target of 128 at Sabina Park to knock the 1992 champions out of the tournament.

Wicket keeper Niall O’Brien was the hero with the bat as he hit 72 runs after Boyd Rankin had taken three for 32 in Pakistan’s disappointing 132 all out.

Johnston said, “I didn’t do too well in English at school, so I don’t have a word for it. It’s amazing. We had a huge advantage in winning the toss. We bowled the ball in very good areas and we were lucky they snicked off and we held our catches. We had a total of 133 to chase, which was unbelievable.

“It’s magnificent. The support out there also was amazing for us. That was another thing which carried us to the victory. It was those 1,500 Irish supporters up there in the stands.”

Ireland showed huge character to bowl the Pakistanis out for 132 just two days after a nerve tingling tie with the Zimbabweans in their opening game.

“I just think we kept plugging away, and I never thought Pakistan gave up,” added Johnston after the Group D match.

“With the quality of their bowling attack, and the experience they have in one-day international cricket, 130 on that pitch is like 270 on a flat pitch, and they always had the bowlers to bowl the balls in good areas and get us out.

“We are not used to that sort of pressure, but they are accustomed to it day in, day out but our guys just stood up, and I can’t say enough about the two O’Brien brothers, Niall and Kevin, and how they batted it was outstanding. Their guts and courage got us over the line.

“The batting was awesome against a first-class attack on a pitch that was doing stuff. I can’t put enough praise on all the guys. It was a great victory.”

Irish cricket fans are relishing the news from the Caribbean and see it as the breakthrough their sport needs on a national as well as an international level.