Now it is just embarrassing. Ireland posted the highest total in 12 World League matches - and it lasted less than four hours, Canada surpassing the Irish total of 308 with two balls and six wickets to spare.

Unlike the previous two Ireland defeats, it was not one final, defining over that settled the outcome. This time it was a gradual erosion of what should have been an insurmountable target, although the 17 runs conceded in the 47th over by the team's acknowledged ‘best death bowler', Andre Botha, went a long way to deflating the Irish players.

That seven-ball over (Botha bowled three no balls in his final spell) left Canada just 19 to win from 18 balls and when John Mooney's next over went for 12 more the Canadians were, remarkably, able to ease down before crossing the winning line.

For Ireland's last game in the World League today, against the Netherlands, it will be a case of finding 11 fit players. Trent Johnston, Boyd Rankin and Paul Mooney were all, at various stages of the day, slouched in the dressing room unwell and although the captain took his place in the starting line-up - and scored 44 from 29 balls - he could not bowl. Niall O'Brien also batted but was not well enough to keep wicket and with Peter Gillespie also ruled out of the game because he was also less than 100 per cent, Ireland had only 10 fit fielders.

National Coach Adrian Birrell, however, refused to blame illness for his team's defeat. 'Ï was happy with the team on the field and they should have been able to defend 308. The loss of Trent's 10 overs was a big loss and John Mooney had to bowl his overs but he could not be blamed. We are just bowling anywhere near our potential at the moment. We gave away too many ‘four-balls' throughout the innings, especially in the middle and, as a result, failed to build any pressure,' he said.

Even Kyle McCallan, possibly feeling the pressure of captaining the team in the field yesterday, conceded 55 runs in his eight overs, while spin partner Andrew White, who ended up bowling the final over, and Mooney each conceded almost eight an over.

Dave Langford-Smith, attempting to bounce back from the tearful disappointment of his final over against Kenya on Friday, was hit for a six and a four off successive deliveries in his first over and probably everyone, including D L-S feared the worst. But, to his enormous credit, only 17 came off the next seven overs and even his comeback spell of two overs cost just 11.

Kevin O'Brien, thrust into the role of opening bowler after Johnston's speedy withdrawal, coped well, with the encouragement of a wicket in his first over, but worryingly, he was not asked to bowl his last three, with his last over experience against Scotland still fresh in the mind.

The third wicket stand of 106 between Canada's best two batsmen, Ashish Bagai and John Davison, their captain, took the game away from Ireland. When the latter played a poor shot and was bowled by Mooney, the Canadians still needed another 106 from 13 overs. Even with seven wickets left, it should have been much more difficult than the Ireland bowlers made it, but they have not adapted to conditions in Nairobi and they have only one more day to get it right.

In contrast, the batsmen continue to go from strength to strength and Eoin Morgan became the fourth Ireland century maker of the tournament with his side's fifth three-figure score.

After three wickets fell in the space of 20 balls during the second powerplay, Morgan and Kevin O'Brien added 152 in 28 overs. The Middlesex player has been conspicuous by his lack of runs in Kenya but it was just a matter of time before such a class batsman joined the party.

His second century, and first in a one-day international, came at exactly a run-a-ball and, with the help of 10 fours and two sixes, he dominated the stand with O'Brien who was caught behind just when he was starting to change gear.

The player who charged to Ireland's highest one-day individual score on Friday was cut off 90 runs short of that landmark after taking 81 balls to reach his 50. But the platform was there for another impressive finish to the Ireland innings.

Johnston got off the sick bench to come in at No 6 and hit five boundaries, including two sixes and when the 250 came up in the 45th over there was an inevitability that Ireland would reach 300 for the first time in an ODI. Even the loss of three wickets in the last two overs could not stop them and the fact that Andre Botha and Andrew White did not even have to bat underlines the awesome batting strength of this side.

Unfortunately, the bowlers are competing with Bermuda for the title of the weakest attack and that has led to three defeats and only one more game in the World League to prove otherwise.