WHERE was Alex Cusack when you needed him? Ireland skipper William Porterfield would have looked in vain for the recently-retired Mr Reliable on Wednesday night in Dharamsala when he was deciding who would bowl the final over with Oman needing 14 to win.

Time and again Cusack came up with the goods in much tighter finishes but, sadly for Irish hopes of reaching the next phase of the World T20, on this occasion he was on the other side of India helping coach the women's team.

Porterfield could have turned to Andy McBrine or Paul Stirling but the heavy dew would have made gripping the ball an issue for his spinners, so he plumped for Max Sorensen and the rest is history in so much as a wild over from The Hills paceman gave Oman their first win on the world stage.

The two-wicket defeat left Ireland needing to beat Group A favourites Bangladesh today (FRI) to avoid elimination and a flight home with Scotland who became the first team to be knocked out after losing to Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in Nagpur.

Former Ireland international David Langford-Smith, who followed Sorensen's nightmare back home in Dublin, knows better than anyone the agony of being in the spotlight as a victory slips away, having suffered a similar fate in Nairobi nine years ago.

"I got a huge sense of déjà vu - I've been in Maxi's shoes and it's terrible," Langford-Smith said. "I still remember having to bowl the 49th over with Kenya's last-wicket pair needing 20 to win from 12 balls - let's just say the game didn't get as far as the final over.

"You get a feeling that you've let everyone around you down and last night I wanted to give Maxi a big hug. It's important he has mates around him and people supporting him. I was lucky that Trent spent a lot of time with me afterwards and reminded me that it's a team game.

"It's a bit like being in a car crash. The next time you get in the car, there'll be nerves, but you've just gotta get on with it. Maxi is a tough guy and a tough cricketer. He would've been upset last night but he'll bounce back."

Whether Sorensen gets a chance to bounce back against Bangladesh at the same venue today (FRi) is another matter, although coach John Bracewell was pleased with "90 per cent" of the Ireland performance and will not be changing too much.

"These things happen. It's the nature of T20 cricket that a couple of overs can decide the game," Bracewell said, before praising the role that skipper Porterfield had played in lifting the squad in the immediate aftermath of the shock.

"William came back into the dressing room after doing his press stuff and he hit reality straight away. He said 'Look, this isn't over fellas, it just means we have to beat Bangladesh and see where we are after that.' It set the right tone and showed great leadership."