National Coach Phil Simmons has set Ireland a target of winning their next six group games, starting against Kenya this morning, after they lost their opening match in the World Twenty20 qualifying tournament in Dubai yesterday.

Namibia defended a total of 160 for eight, thanks mainly to a whirlwind start which produced 67 runs in the first six overs, and although Ireland had a storming finish, due to a sixth wicket partnership of 71 in 43 balls between Gary Wilson and John Mooney, neither could see the job through to the finish and Ireland fell four runs short.

Simmons put down the Ireland performance to first-night nerves.

He said: "We played a lot of nervous cricket and didn't think about it as much as we usually do. We'll go back and look at things we didn't do well and relax as much as we can tomorrow.

"Anything with (a run-rate of) 10s coming to the end you should win and that was disappointing as well. But we have six games to go and we have to win them all."

Ireland, surprisingly, left the in-form Max Sorensen out of their starting line-up, as the selectors went with experience, but Trent Johnston has yet to take a wicket in a T20 match on this tour and John Mooney's first (and last) over went for 24, including three sixes. Alex Cusack was the only Ireland pace bowler to take a wicket, although Boyd Rankin, was again the pick of the attack, his pace and bounce continually troubling the batsman without finding the edge. George Dockrell and Paul Stirling equally shared the other six wickets.

Ireland's kamikaze running accounted for four dismissals with captain William Porterfield and Alex Cusack needlessly surrendering their wickets in the first eight overs by which stage Ireland had slumped to 48 for four.

The fightback took Ireland within 25 runs of their target with 16 balls and five wickets remaining but Wilson was then caught in the covers for 49 and when Mooney was run out, looking for an impossible second, Ireland's hopes of scoring 18 from the last six balls were over.