The humiliating defeat against Australia motivated us: Johnston

Bridgetown, Barbados, Apr 16 (UNI) Terming their vicotry against Bangladesh as 'memorable', Ireland catain Trent Johnston said the humiliating drubbing at the hands of Australia last Friday motivated the debutants to prove their mettle before the cricketing world.

''It was a big emotional moment for us coming after such a humiliating defeat against Australia. Many people said many things about us and we were disturbed but it actually motivated all of us.

Even in our team meeting also we discussed the same thing,'' said Johnston, who himself led from the front, first scoring breezy 30 runs which eventually helped his team to set a competetive target of 244 before the Tigers and later picked up two wickets with the ball.

Dedicating their second upset victory of the mega event to the their fans, an emotional Johnston said, ''I owed this victory to the fans who spent hell lot of money to support us. We let them down in the last match and that was why we took the victory lap. It is a thank giving one.

In their first World Cup outing the Irish boys have entered the record books by qualifying for the second round of the mega event upsetting the 1992 champions Pakistan during the group stages. Since then they have been playing well throughout the tournament, except for the match against the mighty Aussies.

After crushing the Tigers yesterday, the Irish skipper's eyes are now set at the Lankan Lions in their last match of the tourney on Thrusday.

''Now we have Sri Lanka in the last match and who knows we can beat them also. A bit of luck it would not be impossible,'' Johnston said.

Meanwhile, a modest Ireland coach Adrian Birell said he would cherish this moment all his life. ''I am leaving the job after another match and I am ready for that moment. It is emotional after spending five years with the team. But looking back, we were behind Denmark all this five years and now we are perhaps in the sixth or seventh position in the world. It is not bad,'' he said.

UNI