Morning all and welcome to TheScore.ie’s over-by-over liveblog of Ireland v Australia as the 2012 World T20 swings fully into action on day two in Sri Lanka.

Five years ago in the West Indies, lowly Ireland stunned the world when they shocked Pakistan and qualified for the Super 8 round of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Since then the game in this country has gone from strength to strength, with more than a few highlights along the way, but it would still be something of a shock if Phil Simmons’ men turn over the Aussies in Colombo this morning.

Then again, this is a side which certainly doesn’t shy away from their underdog status, so who knows what the morning has in store.

The action begins at 11am Irish time and we’ll have over-by-over coverage right into the afternoon. Stay with us.

As Ireland’s Call rings out around the Premadasa Stadium, I can tell you that Ireland have won the toss and elected to bat first.

Here’s the Irish order. As expected, it will be captain William Porterfield and Paul Stirling to open.

Ireland: William Porterfield (c), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O’Brien, Gary Wilson (wk), Kevin O’Brien, Trent Johnston, George Dockrell, Nigel Jones, Boyd Rankin, Alex Cusack.

WICKET! Ireland 0/1 (Porterfield c Starc b Watson) Disastrous start for Ireland as captain William Porterfield goes on the first ball. Shane Watson opens the bowling for Australia and pitches it up half way. Porterfield just catches the ball off the top of his bat and it’s a comfortable catch at long leg for Starc.

Ed Joyce is next in for Ireland…

1st over –Ireland 4/1: Ireland’s nervy start very nearly gets worse before it gets better. Facing his third ball from Watson, Stirling was very nearly run out but Mike Hussey just missed his direct hit on the stumps. Stirling follows it up with his first boundary on the final ball of the innings and Ireland are up and running.

2nd over — Ireland 6/1: Mitchell Starc is up for Australia and his first delivery is flicked away on leg side by Ed Joyce. Barring one other run conceded to Stirling on off side, it’s a tight and tidy over for Starc. No more hairy moments for Ireland though, which is to be welcomed.

3rd over — Ireland 13/1: A new over means another new bowler for Australia and it’s their rising star Pat Cummins who steps in to share the ball. He’s left shaking his head in disgust as the video ump gives Joyce the benefit of the doubt with a four that looked to be stopped right on the boundary.

Much better from Stirling and Joyce. They’ve settled a bit now.

WICKET! Ireland 15/2 (Stirling c Watson b Starc 7) That is a huge blow for Ireland as danger man Paul Stirling is caught by Watson at third man. It wasn’t a bad shot by Stirling but the height killed him and let Watson step in underneath to make the catch.

4th over — Ireland 16/2: Stirling’s loss has really dented any sort of momentum Ireland were starting to build up and, much like Bangalore 2011, they’ll probably be looking at some middle-order heroics to salvage this one. Niall O’Brien is next into bat and he starts his knock by leaving the final two balls of the over.

Here’s a message of support for the Boys in Green from one man who has his own reasons for wanting to see them win:

5th over — Ireland 24/2: That’s easily the best over of Ireland’s innings as they tack on two more fours through Ed Joyce. The second is hit with such power that mid-on doesn’t have much of a chance to stop it from hitting the ropes.

WICKET! Ireland 25/3 (Joyce c Warner b Maxwell 16) This is getting pretty grim pretty quickly for Ireland. Just as Ed Joyce looks like he might become the cornerstone of a solid enough innings, he’s fluffs a poor one to mid off and David Warner can hardly believe his luck.

6th over — Ireland 29/3: Gary Wilson starts his innings his style, driving his first ball clean through for four. That’s the end of the powerplay.

7th over — Ireland 33/3: Daniel Christian comes into the Australian attack to bowl his first over and holds Ireland to four runs. O’Brien beats Matthew Wade off inside edge for two before himself and Wilson add singles apiece.

WICKET! Ireland 33/4 (Wilson lbw b Hogg 5) Aussie veteran Brad Hogg ambles up — at the sprightly age of 41, no less — and he too takes a wicket in his first over. It’s Gary Wilson who goes, caught lbw as a full toss straightens up. A replay confirms the decision and Ireland lose their fourth wicket.

8th over — Ireland 36/4: This is in danger of becoming an absolute massacre. Kevin O’Brien comes in to join brother Niall and opens his account with a push off the second ball. How Ireland could do with another rapid-fire century from KOB now.

Highlight of the match so far from David “Bumble” Lloyd on SkySports: “I’ve got an iPhone and my wife’s got an iRon.” Ah, misogyny…

9th over — Ireland 41/4: A big lbw call to finish the over but Niall O’Brien survives, much to Watson’s disappointment. It looked like it was pitching outside leg stump so the right call from the umpires.

If Ireland keep going at this pace (the current run rate is just over 4.5), they won’t break 100.

10th over — Ireland 46/4: Hogg comes back in to bowl his second over but it’s all still a little bit tentative by Ireland. A fumble by Cummins allows KOB to pick up two cheaply enough. He adds another single at deep cover and Niall chips in with two more.

11th over — Ireland 53/4: Wahay, a four for Niall O’Brien who goes between deep square and deep midwicket to find the ropes. Every little helps. One of Ireland’s better overs with five in total for Niall and another two singles from Kevin.

12th over — Ireland 62/4: Much, much better from Ireland. Can Kevin O’Brien spark some life into this match? He does his best to with back-to-back fours off Hogg. It’s a nine-run inning — more please!

13th over — Ireland 69/4: Kevin O’Brien is settling into his knock, hitting Christian for a double, a beautifully-struck four and a single. The Australians don’t really like that and there’s a little bit of chit-chat — “sledging”, as I believe the kids call it — which the umpire has to step in to defuse.

26 off 23 balls for O’Brien so far. A couple of sixes to take us up to a half-century would go a long way.

14th over — Ireland 81/4: Kevin O’Brien sees determined to lead an Irish revival here as the brotherly partnership nears the 50 mark. Starc comes in but he can’t stop two more fours from Kev who sends drives a beaut through off side to finish out the over.

WICKET! Ireland 85/5 (Niall O’Brien b Watson 20) Just as we were thinking about daring to dream, Shane Watson comes along to spoil the Irish party. He catches Niall O’Brien off guard with a slower full toss and it carries past a wild swing and through the stumps.

WICKET! Ireland 86/6 (Kevin O’Brien c Wade b Watson 35) From bad to worse for Ireland as Watson gets KOB with the final ball of the over. A short ball is nicked off the top of O’Brien’s bat and Wade says please and thank you.

Game over, kids.

15th over — Ireland 86/6: Not a huge amount to add there. Sigh.

16th over — Ireland 91/6: Old man Brad Hogg comes in to bowl his fourth and final over and gives up five runs to the new Irish partnership of Alex Cusack and Trent Johnston. Ireland could do with a defiant late stand here but it’s unlikely to make much difference in the final reckoning.

17th over — Ireland 101/6: Ireland bring up the 100 mark thanks to a four apiece from Johnston and Cusack.

WICKET! Ireland 101/7 (Johnston b Starc 7) Starc’s final over sees another Irish wicket fall on the first ball. Johnston is undone by a yorker and Nigel Jones will come in now to join Alex Cusack at bat.

18th over– Ireland 106/7: A few nice strokes from Jones, dodging Starc’s yorkers and picking off a couple for singles and a double. Five runs for Ireland.

19th over — Ireland 111/7: Pat Cummins throws down a few full balls in the final over but to be honest, all of the life has drained from this Irish innings. Two singles for Jones, a single and a double for Cusack is as good as it gets in the penultimate over. Ireland have not had a single six today.

20th over — Ireland 123/7: A messy final over from Shane Watson. Right at the death, Nigel Jones hits Ireland’s first six, punishing Watson for a delivery that was both too short and too slow. His next one is a wide, Jones adds a single to midwicket, and Cusack rounds out a disappointing morning by firing a double to third man.

IRELAND 123/7 —  set Australia a target of 124 to win

Not the worst finish in the world for Ireland as Cusack and Jones put up a partnership of 22 not out in less than three overs to finish out the innings. It’s a small silver lining on a disappointing morning though and the Irish attack will need to force a total collapse if they are to have any chance of defending that total on this pitch.

Our buddies at Betfair have been in touch. Ireland are 45/1 to complete mission impossible. Anybody out there fancy those odds?

Eoin Ó Nialláin: “Bowlers gonna need to put in a serious shift to match their Aussie counterparts. Only 1 extra given away in 20 overs, some performance with the ball by the Antipodeans. Come on Ireland!”

I thought I was going to have time for a cup of tea but we’re back up and running already.

Here’s the Australian order:

Shane Watson, David Warner, Mike Hussey, George Bailey (c), Cameron White, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Dan Christian, Brad Hogg, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc.

1st over — Australia 6/0: It’s a fiery start to the Australian innings with plenty of words being exchanged between Irish wicket-keeper Gary Wilson and Shane Watson, it seems. The umps have a quick word with William Porterfield, but from the perspective of the Irish players, they’re probably just giving as good as they got earlier.

At bat, Warner takes an opening over four as Rankin drops an early delivery short.

2nd over — Australia 9/0: Great opening over from Trent Johnston who holds Watson and Warner to two singles and leg bye. It goes without saying that Ireland really need a few early wickets and to keep the boundaries to a minimum.

3rd over — Australia 21/0: That’s exactly the type of over Ireland can do without. Watson opens with a four off Rankin, who bowls four wides in total. The over goes for 12 and Australia are already motoring towards their target.

4th over — Australia 40/0: After all of those wides comes a slew of boundaries. Warner opens with a four before Watson takes two of his own and finishes with a perfectly-timed six from Johnston. Australia don’t really seem to be forcing the issue but they’re making hay during their powerplay innings anyway.

5th over — Australia 44/0: “Boyd Rankin having a shocker out there,” Eoin Ó Nialláin pops in to say. After that wide-fest, Rankin is given a rest as Alex Cusack comes in to bowl his first over. It’s marginally tighter as Cusack gives up just four runs, but still no wickets.

6th over — Australia 53/0: That’s the end of the Australian powerplay and they’re cruising towards a quick, bloodless win. George Dockrell’s first delivery is sent for four between cover and mid-off by Warner. But for some dogged fielding, the last would have as well.

7th over — Australia 60/0: A seven-run over off Cusack and the Australian openers look like they’re really starting to enjoy themselves here.

WICKET! Australia 60/1 (Warner c K O’Brien b Dockrell 26) BOOM! It might be too little too late but David Warner is outta here. He tries to dig Dockrell’s ball out to midwicket but Kev O’Brien is there to take it with a diving catch.

Before Warner was dismissed, he did become just the third person to rack up 1000 international runs in  T20. Here’s the list, courtesy of the good folk at Sky Sports.

8th over — Australia 64/1: No more casualties but Dockrell keeps it tight for the rest of that eighth over. Michael Hussey starts with two singles and Shane Watson adds two of his own to edge Australia past the half-way point in their run chase.

9th over — Australia 77/1: Goodnight Colombo, Shane Watson is not in the mood for hanging around. There’s no sympathy for Paul Stirling who looks to bring a bit of off spin to the party. Watson launches the final two balls of Stirling’s maiden over for a four and six to close in on the half-century mark.

10th over — Australia 91/1: Did somebody say something to Shane Watson? Yes, probably but he really seems to be gunning for an Ireland side that’s already well beaten. Another four, another six off Dockrell and he moves to 50 off 28 balls. A single and a Hussey double make that a 14-ball over. Ouch.

WICKET! Australia 91/2 (Watson run out 51) I was getting a little bit bored of Shane Watson bashing everything into the stands, for obvious reasons, so that wicket has come at just the right time. Kev O’Brien is in with the ball and when Watson plays to third man, Trent Johnston is in position to catch him a dead-eye run out. Wonderful fielding by Johnston.

WICKET! Australia 95/3 (Hussey lbw b K O’Brien 10) Another one with the last ball of that 11th over. Just as KOB lifted the gloom with the bat, so he comes to do likewise with the ball. A straight delivery comes off Hussey’s pads and Mike is on his way out for 10.

12th over — Australia 100/3: Oooh, that really should have been another wicket for Ireland. Cameron White pulls Rankin’s delivery high into the sky but Johnston drops it. He has two bites at the cherry, taking the sting out the ball initially with a dive but unable to pull it in again as it drops.

13th over — Australia 103/3: White adds three in another tidy over from Kevin O’Brien. Australia need 21 runs to win and have 42 balls in which to get them.

14th over — Australia 110/3: Ireland aren’t rolling over for this Aussie middle order but the good work of Boyd Rankin’s stingy over is undone when George Bailey pulls the last one for four. Australia need 14 runs from 36 balls

15th over — Australia 121/3: Barring something crazy, that will be our penultimate over. Cameron White opens with a beauty of a four, doubles down with another, singles, doubles and Australia need just two more runs for the win.

Australia 125/3 (15.1 overs) beat Ireland 123/7 by seven wickets

One more ball is all that Australia need. Cameron White sends Dockrell’s ball out to deep midwicket and the Aussies win by seven wickets.

So that’s it on a morning/afternoon to forget for Ireland. If they’re going to keep their tournament alive, they’ll need to do something they haven’t done since June 2009 when they meet the West Indies next Monday — win a match at the World T20.

We’ll have reaction later on but that’s all from Colombo for now. Thanks for reading.