Ireland won a desperately exciting match against the United States by two wickets with five balls remaining at the Kilat Club and should now reach the last eight, though scope remains for a slip-up in the heat and humidity.
A place in the World Cup being held in England in two years has become more than a dream with their success against the Americans, who will have to beat Kenya on Sunday to prevent being eliminated. Ireland can afford to lose to the favourites tomorrow.
The gap between them and the county professionals of England looks like closing this summer, especially with the presence of Hansie Cronje, the captain of South Africa, as Ireland's first overseas professional to stiffen their vulnerable batting for the Benson & Hedges Cup.
The downside of Irish success here has been that Mike Hendrick, their coach, has taken up smoking again - the cigarette count will soar if there are too many finishes like yesterday's - but this tournament should be the making of his team.
Neil Doak, a good off-spinner who doubles as an Ireland A scrum-half and rugby development officer in Belfast, said: ``We're not full-timers, so we have to mix and match a bit, but we're definitely improving.''
Mark Patterson, the seam bowler who was signed by Surrey last year, found the humidity too much, with eight wides in the three overs he was allowed, but he finished as a match-winning tail-end batsman, hitting two sixes just when Ireland's run-chase seemed to have petered out.
The United States were held to a total of 212 all out by the two off-spinners; Decker Curry, an abattoir worker from Derry, and Doak each took three wickets, and Doak conceded only one boundary in 10 overs.
The asking rate for Ireland rose gradually and had reached eight runs an over by the time Patterson took a hand. Until then, the spin bowling of two West Indians, Derek Kallicharran - Alvin's brother - and Faoud Bacchus, seemed to have settled the match.
The United Arab Emirates clung on to their faint hopes of defending the ICC Trophy they won in Kenya three years ago when they squeezed past Malaysia, the hosts, by two wickets.
The Emirates must now beat Bangladesh tomorrow and hope that their run-rate is better than Denmark's.
Argentina, who achieved their only victory in an ICC match when they were coached by John Carr in 1994, were clearly missing the influence of the former Middlesex batsman when they were defeated by the bottom seeds, West Africa, in the same group.