Nottingham: Ireland beat Bangladesh by six wickets Monday to advance to the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup and knock their opponent out of the tournament.

Niall ’Brien hit 40 and his brother Kevin ’Brien made 39 not out as Ireland overhauled Bangladesh’s modest total of 137 for eight with 10 balls to spare at Trent Bridge.

Ireland opening bowler Trent Johnston had earlier taken three for 20 from four overs. Mashrafe Mortaza, who smashed 20 runs off the final over, with 33 not out and Tamim Iqbal with 22 led the scoring for Bangladesh.

Niall ’Brien hit three sixes and shared in a 55-run stand with Will Porterfield (23), while Kevin ’Brien cracked two sixes and four boundaries in 17 balls as he and John Mooney (17 not out) added 49 to steer Ireland home.

Ireland play India at Trent Bridge on Wednesday in a meaningless Group A match as both teams have now advanced.

Porterfield won the toss and sent in Bangladesh, a decision vindicated by a suffocating fielding display.

Bangladesh struck 10 off the first over but Junaid Siddique, having scored 13 from four balls, was out in the second after offering a high catch to Jeremy Bray off Johnston.

Kevin ’Brien then dropped Bangladesh captain Mohammed Ashraful at first slip off Johnston, but he redeemed himself in Johnston’s next over by catching him for 14 to make it 40 for two.

Johnston struck again in his final over, claiming the key wicket of Shakib Al Hasan, who was caught for seven by Gary Wilson at long on with 10 more added to the total.

Iqbal was unlucky to be run out on 22 when wicketkeeper Niall ’Brien fumbled the ball onto the stumps, but there was nothing fortunate about the way the gloveman then stumped Mahmudullah off Alex Cusack for seven to leave Bangladesh on 66 for five.

Raqibal Hossain was bowled for 13 by Kyle McCallan, and John Mooney caught Mushfique Rahim for 14 off Regan West.

Boyd Rankin bowled Naeem Islam with the final ball of his spell, until the final over gave Bangladesh’s score some respectability.

Mortaza struck early in the Irish innings, having Bray caught by Raqibul in the third over with the total on six. That brought Niall ’Brien to the crease and he struck three sixes from five balls.

Niall was batting with a runner after injuring his knee during Bangladesh’s innings, but his stand with Porterfield came from only 33 balls.

Niall was caught by Rubel Hossain off Al Hasan in the 10th over to make it 61 for two. Two overs and 10 runs later, Abdur Razzak took a sharp return catch to dismiss Porterfield. Gary Wilson was caught by Ashraful for 10 off Mortaza in the 15th over. (PTI)