IT’S nearly a decade since Ireland took their first tentative steps on cricket’s world stage. It was mid-March 2007, and the opening game in the ICC Cricket World Cup, against Zimbabwe, had ended in a thrilling tie.

Two days later the side captained by Trent Johnston returned to the same Sabina Park to take on Pakistan. It was to be the greatest day Irish cricket had ever seen.

“For many, that St Patrick’s Day win was where it really all began,” says current Ireland captain William Porterfield. “It’s hard not to think of that game without smiling. It was just the most incredible fairy-tale story that day. It had all the elements of a real thriller, with us bowling and catching superbly. We then lost early wickets before Niall played the innings of his life to get us close. Trent then sealed the win with a six to spark the mother of all parties!”

The first surprise of that day came when the players arrived at the ground and saw the pitch, which was as green as Larry’s leprechaun suit. “It’s time for you to win a toss me old mucker,” manager Roy Torrens told Johnston.

The captain called correctly and Pakistan were fairly rapidly on the back foot, losing Mohammed Hafeez in the first over. From 15-2 there was a recovery before four quick wickets reduced them to 72-6. “Andre Botha’s spell was in the top three I have ever seen”, recalled Johnston: “8-4-5-2 – Glenn McGrath or Shaun Pollock class.”

With Boyd Rankin at his fiery best, Pakistan were reeling and the Bready man bounced out Azhar Mahmood and Kamran Akmal, the latter to a diving catch by Johnston.

The final catch, by substitute John Mooney, had the 2,500 Ireland fans in raptures, and the large contingent from the Cayman Islands GAA club particularly enjoyed his ‘solo’ with the ball.

There was still a target of 133 to chase, and Ireland themselves were soon 15-2 with Jeremy Bray and Eoin Morgan out. But again there was a recovery, with Porterfield and Niall O’Brien taking the score past 50 before the Killyclooney man was bowled and Botha adjudged caught off a ball he was 10cm away from.

In came Kevin O’Brien to join his big brother.

“We were 70 for 4 when I went in and there was loads of time left so I just decided to stay with Niall”, he recalled. “I faced 52 balls for just 15 runs, which is not the way I usually play!”

“We needed about 25 when Nialler was out, but then we lost Andrew White and Kyle McCallan in successive balls and I started to wonder whether we could do it at all. I asked TJ who was in next, and when he said ‘Lanky and Boyd’ it didn’t make it any better.”

But the tail-enders weren’t needed, and Johnston smacked Azhar’s slower ball into the stand.

“Everything went crazy”, remembers Kevin O’Brien. It didn’t hit me immediately. I was shaking hands with the Pakistanis and the umpires while everyone else was going mad.

“They stuck a microphone in front of me on live TV and Tony Cozier asked me what it was like to hit the winning runs. ‘I didn’t hit the winning runs!’ I told him.”

His brother’s battling 72 pipped Botha to the man-of-the-match award and Ireland were still unbeaten after two games and – after an epic all-night party – on their way to the Super Eights.

The world’s media wanted to know all about this amazing Irish team: “Leprechauns, laughter and good luck are symbols of St Patrick’s Day for the Irish and there was no shortage of that at Sabina Park yesterday”, wrote the Jamaica Gleaner correspondent. “Add liquor and you get a passionate nation who goes wild when luck goes its way.”

For those involved it was a game never to be forgotten.

“The Pakistan game will always be the biggest game of cricket Ireland has ever played in”, insists Mooney. “Even though we’ve beaten England since then, it would never have happened without beating Pakistan.”

It had an enormous impact on the sport here, and its players.

“Apart from my two kids being born, [it was] the greatest day of my life,” Johnston recalls. “To change the fortune of a sport in a country where it’s very much a minority sport and put it on the front pages and on every radio station and media outlet around the world that Ireland had beaten Pakistan… It was a very special moment.”

Ger Siggins writes about cricket for the Sunday Independent