Five times Ireland shook the cricket heavyweights

They may not be a cricket heavyweight, but they have shaken the order of the cricket world in almost every major tournament they have been a part of.

On Friday, Ireland will become the 11th nation to play Test cricket when they take on Pakistan at Dublin´s Malahide ground. The historic occasion would be the culmination of more than three hundred years of struggle, passion and hopes.

In a country where cricket suffered from being labeled as the creation of English “colonisers” and was overshadowed by native games such as Gaelic football and hurling, a small community of cricket lovers not only kept the game alive but created history in the cricket world on more than one occasion. 

Bowling out West Indies for 25

Ireland burst into the world cricket arena on July 2, 1969 when they bundled out the visiting West Indies for just 25, on an incredible day of cricket in the village of Sion Mills.

It was a two-innings a side match scheduled for one day, with an agreement before the start that if both innings were not completed, the winner would be the one who dominated the first innings.

Ireland won that match, and the rest of the world began to take notice.

Knocking Pakistan out of World Cup 2007

Ireland were granted Associate status by the International Cricket Council in 1993. After failing to qualify for the 1996, 1999 and 2003 World Cups, they recorded their first big win against an established side when they knocked out Pakistan from World Cup 2007. 

It was March 17, 2007, St Patrick´s Day in Kingston, Jamaica. Ireland had just tied with Zimbabwe in their previous match, and thousands of Irish fans had turned up to cheer on their team.

Batting first, Pakistan were bowled out for a mere 132. The lineup consisted of big names such as Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, but the Irish didn't let anyone score above 30. 

Ireland won that match by 3 wickets (D/L), ending Pakistan's hopes and becoming a force to reckon with. 

Beating Bangladesh in World Cup 2007 

Ireland also beat Bangladesh in the Super 8 stage of World Cup 2007, recording a 74-run victory. But their best moment was yet to come, four years later.

Shocking England in World Cup 2011

On March 2, 2011, Ireland's Kevin O'Brien smashed the fastest-ever century in World Cup history as Ireland took down England in the biggest successful chase in the tournament's history.

O´Brien´s stunning 50-ball century proved decisive as Ireland chased down England´s mammoth 327 in Bangalore, India. Beating the three-time finalists and their 'big brother' England? The unthinkable had been done. 

Beating West Indies in World Cup 2015

No strangers to huge totals, Ireland came up with another stunning display of cricket against a strong West Indies team. 

Helped by Paul Stirling's brilliant 92 off 84 balls and Ed Joyce's 84 off just 67 balls, Ireland chased down 304 to win the match by 4 wickets. 

Statistics from ICC and ESPNcricinfo