Australia has beaten Ireland by 42 runs, improving their net run rate and keeping their T20 World Cup hopes alive.
The victory may have come at a cost though, with three players, including skipper Aaron Finch, absent during Ireland's chase and set for scans in the morning.
After being put into bat, Australia made 5-179, with player of the match Finch leading the way, scoring 63 off 44 balls.
With an imposing total to chase, Australia's bowlers promptly ended the match as a contest with a blistering assault on the Irish top order.
Andrew Balbirnie (6), Paul Stirling (11), Harry Tector (6), Curtis Campher (0) and George Dockrell (0) all fell inside the opening four overs, leaving Ireland teetering on 5-25.
Lorcan Tucker though saved Ireland's blushes with a brave 48-ball 71, frustrating Australia's hunt for a vast improvement on their perilous net run rate.
The equation for Australia heading into this match was simple — win first and improve net run rate later.
Losing the toss and then David Warner for just 3 inside three overs was not part of the plan, but some big hitting from Mitch Marsh (28) and Finch helped settle the Aussies into their innings.
Glenn Maxwell came and went for just 13, one of Josh LIttle's two victims in his excellent figures of 2-21.
Marcus Stoinis hammered 35 from 25 balls before he also fell to Little, with Tim David (15 not out) and Matthew Wade (7 not out) helping Australia to its impressive total.
Barry McCarthy also impressed with the ball, taking the wickets of Warner, Marsh and Finch.
Pat Cummins, Maxwell and Mitchell Starc then took centre stage, ripping through Ireland's attack in a devastating display of bowling to eviscerate Ireland's hopes of a third underdog victory at this tournament.
Australia may have had designs on wiping out their net run rate deficit in one fell swoop, but that did not take into account the hitting of Tucker.
"First and foremost that was our main goal, to win the game," Finch told ABC Sport.
"You do have dreams when they are 5-35 that you can really blow it apart, but they played brilliantly well during that middle part of the innings.
"They come back at us, they fought fire with fire."
Tucker was inventive in his innings, hitting nine fours and one massive six straight down the ground off Hazlewood to bring up his fifth T20I fifty.
"He played a really smart innings," Finch said.
"He got away early then he manipulated the field really well.
"It's one of those innings really good players can have in T20 cricket."
He had precious little support though, with only Gareth Delany (14) and Mark Adair (11) lasting more than ten balls in the middle.
There are injury concerns for Australia as Finch (hamstring) and Stoinis (side) exited the field during Ireland's batting innings, while David never came out after batting.
"It's not too bad," Finch told ABC Sport.
"I'll have a scan tomorrow and get the full picture of it but hopeful I'll be right for Friday [against Afghanistan in Adelaide]."
All will require scans.
Finch being off the field may have played a role in Australia's foot being taken off Ireland's throat, with Matthew Wade thrown into an unfamiliar captaincy role and three sub fielders on the ground.
Australia will now pay close attention to the match between England and New Zealand at the Gabba on Tuesday, as Group One continues to take shape.
Look back on how the action unfolded in our live blog.
Key events
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Live updates
By Simon Smale
Australia wins by 42 runs
The early flurry or wickets ensured that Ireland were never really in this chase, but a brave unbeaten 71 from Lorcan Tucker gave Australia a little bit to sweat on.
Eventually though, Ireland were all out for 137.
A comfortable win, but Australia would have hoped to get those wickets earlier, especially given they had Ireland at 5-25 after 4 overs.
By Simon Smale
RUN OUT!
Little bought out the reverse sweep, took off for a single.
There were two men back there and he's been run out at the non-strikers end by a mile.
By Simon Smale
Over 18: Cummins continues
Little tries the ramp over the keeper off a short wide ball. Doesn't make contact.
Little swings, it hits him on the back, there's no run as gully fields and cocks his arm ready to throw.
Another dot.
And now Little gets a single AND THEY TAKE IT! Why!?
Little farms the strike and Ireland get just one off the over.
IRE 9-137
By Simon Smale
OUT! BARRY McCARTHY HOLES OUT TO SMITH AT LONG OFF
Oh that's a shame. McCarthy swung lustily, but picked put Smith on the boundary, who did not need to move.
Any faint, faint hopes have now been extinguished.
Little will be on strike next ball.
By Simon Smale
Over 18: Pat Cummins returns
Ireland need 44 from 18 balls.
Surely not...
Wide bouncer and Barry McCarthy, who just needs to get off strike really, swings and misses.
By Simon Smale
Over 17: Mitchell Starc comes back into the attack
He's been switched to the Stanley Street end.
LOVELY SHOT! He's scooped that back over his head for four runs!
Aaron Finch has just thrown a white towel onto the pitch... I think for Hazlewood to dry his hands as I can't imagine he'd want to concede this...
Four more! That's a lovely shot to long off. One bounce and over the rope.
Two more runs for Tucker there off his pads. Intelligent batting.
Wide, very wide, Lorcan Tucker would have needed a stepladder to get close to that one.
Ireland need 51 from 21.
Wide yorker, Starc saw him go to the leg side and bowled it to the off. No run.
SHOT! Inside out from Tucker and that's another four, this time a two-bounce four over mid off.
Attempted yorker misses down the leg side. Another wide.
Tucker will take two by punching the ball to wide long on - a well placed shot.
IRE 8-136
By Simon Smale
Over 16: Josh Hazlewood is back
McCarthy hammers a ball to Starc at mid on, who flings at the stumps, but cannot hit the target.
Tucker swings, misses at a bouncer. Wade has to dive forward to take it and it falls short anyway, so pace off from Hazlewood.
SIX! TUCKER HAS 50!
That flew up over our head and into the tier above us in the press box. A big hit.
Great innings from Tucker, 50 off 40 balls.
It's been a singular effort for Ireland, but a decent one.
Slashed away, edged really over gully for four more!
He gets off strike with a mishit shot into the off side that came off his leg.
Ireland need 62 runs, by the way, from 25 balls.
Wide yorker from Hazlewood reduces that to 24 balls.
IRE 8-118
By Simon Smale
Over 15: More from Zampa
Barry McCarthy took a wicket with his first ball of his first two overs.
He survives the first he gets with the bat, scoring a single to long off.
Tucker heaves and gets a single to midwicket.
McCarthy pushes down to mid on for another single to end the over.
IRE 8-106
By Simon Smale
BOWLED HIM! HAND GOES!
He looked for the pre-meditated sweep, stepped a long way across his stumps and was bowled on middle and off.
He departs for a run a ball 6.
Australia are two away.
By Simon Smale
Over 15: Zampa to continue
Tucker gets a single to rotate the strike.
By Simon Smale
Over 14: Pat Cummins is back
Tucker, who is now on 40 from 33, misses with a wild swing. No run.
That's lofted away to mid off, falls safe and they run a single.
Hand fends into the off side, and gets a single as well.
Cummins just misses his length on an attempted yorker, and Tucker gets the full toss away for a single.
A bouncer outside off, Hand attempts to dab the ball over the keeper.
Hand throws his appendages at this outside off and gets four! Lovely shot.
IRE 7-102
By Simon Smale
Over 13: More from Zampa to complete his over
Hand fends the first backward of square to gully.
He takes a single down to long off after Zampa strays long with that ball.
A quick couple for Tucker there out to the midwicket boundary,. Good running.
He takes a single off the last ball into the same midwicket region.
IRE 7-95
By Simon Smale
STUMPED HIM! ADAIR DEPARTS FOR 11
Adair came, Zampa saw, Wade conquered.
Lovely stuff from the Aussie spinner, who pushed the ball past the advancing batter and Wade made no mistake.
Ireland 7-91 and not long for this match, or tournament.
By Simon Smale
Over 13: Zampa may well bowl through here
A single off the first to Tucker.
By Simon Smale
Over 12: Starc is back
Adair tucks the first away off his pads for a single.
There's a Mexican wave going round the ground now.
But now everyone is up applauding another excellent shot from Tucker, pulling a ball from outside off to the midwicket boundary with consumate ease.
SHOT! Four more! Tucker backs away, gives himself room and just hammers the ball through mid off for four more!
A slower ball bouncer and despite getting in a good position, Tucker can't get it away. He hammers the bat in frustration with his gloved fist. He is making a decent effort of this fruitless chase, is Tucker.
That ball squirts off his bat backward of square to third man for another couple of runs.
Field change. square leg comes up, midwicket goes back.
AND THAT BALL IS HAMMERED STRAIGHT INTO THE AIR! Cummins is underneath it! AND HE DROPS IT!
Wow! Tucker fell into the trap but managed to wiggle his way out again, running a single as he does.
IRE 6-90
By Simon Smale
Over 11: Zampa will continue
Great stop by David Warner at cover, and then a good throw at the non-strikers end would have had Tucker short had it hit! Nice work. No run.
Runs here though! Four of them! Adair leans back and cuts backward of square for a boundary.
Straight back to Zampa now. No run.
Another cut, this one goes square and earns Adair a single.
Zampa gets down well to stop another run down to mid off to end the over.
Stoinis has just disappeared down the tunnel as well - a few changes in personnel for the Aussies - let's hope none of them are serious.
IRE 6-78
By Simon Smale
Over 10: Stoinis still has four to bowl
That's gone straight up too off a top edge from Adair! It will fall safe though despite Matthew Wade scurrying after it as quick as his padded legs will carry him.
They ran two.
They run another two now as Adair helps the ball backward of square on the leg side.
Adair tries to help the ball up over Wade's head but does not make contact. No run.
Adair baseball-strikes the ball down the ground for a single.
IRE 6-73
By Simon Smale
STOINIS CAN MAKE THE BREAKTHROUGH! DELANY GOES!
It's a tame ending really, George Delany hitting the ball straight up in the air, two fielders converged but it was it was well taken in the end by Maxwell.
We'll take this opportunity to have a drink.
