World Cup: If one image has summed up the iconoclastic delight Ireland have taken in their World Cup adventure so far, it was the sight of the opening batsman Jeremy Bray - sweating, red-faced, utterly jubilant - celebrating his century during the remarkable tie against Zimbabwe in Jamaica a fortnight ago.

The St Patrick's Day victory over Pakistan 48 hours later might have produced the more breathless headlines but it was Bray's innings of 115 not out against the Zimbabweans which first suggested Ireland were not simply in the Caribbean to smile good-naturedly and endure comments about the craic. Today, as if to prove the point, they will take on England in the Super Eights.

And one thing is clear: they have no intention of being patronised out of the World Cup. "We're not kidding ourselves," says Bray. "If the big teams play to their capabilities, we might struggle. But, if we can perform to the best of our ability and be competitive, then we can create an upset and we like to think that it could come against England."

Ireland have been talked down since they arrived for what everyone assumed was a fortnight of fun, frolics and thrashings. Michael Holding publicly questioned the wisdom of allowing so many non-Test nations to compete, while sections of the local press are still not sure which pigeon-hole to squeeze the Irish into. "The Battle of Britain" was how one newspaper billed today's game.

"I can understand where Holding was coming from," says Bray. "But what he said made us more hungry to go out there and perform. After all the hard work we put into the group stages, we don't want to ruin that now. I'd hate it if the bigger teams were all over us. I just want us to show what we can do."

It is a theme that has been taken up time and again as Ireland prepare for the biggest three weeks of their cricketing lives and yesterday the captain, Trent Johnston, who has been recovering from a shoulder injury that ruled him out of the defeat by West Indies a week ago, spoke about the way his side have been motivated by the doubters.

"It's all added fuel to the fire," he said. "First we were told we didn't deserve to be in the competition. Now we are told we don't deserve to be in the Super Eights. But I can promise you that we're not here to finish eighth."

News of the reception Ireland are likely to get when they do finally get home has lifted spirits, too. They have received a congratulatory call from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, and yesterday vice-captain Kyle McCallan spoke excitedly about children suddenly picking up cricket bats. Their travelling support has even acquired its own nickname: the Blarney Army, who are threatening to out-sing England's Barmies.

Twelve of Ireland's 15-man squad are amateurs and have had to extend their time off work - Eoin Morgan, Niall O'Brien and Boyd Rankin all have county contracts - but that might change if cricket's profile back home continues to grow. These are small but significant strides as the International Cricket Council seeks to broaden the game beyond the 10 Test countries.

Yet, if one thing has threatened to turn Irish grins into scowls, it has been the constant reference to their non-Irish-born players. Bray, Johnston and Langford-Smith were born in Australia, while Andre Botha hails from South Africa. But all four have served bona fide qualification periods and bridle at the implication that they are mercenaries.

"It does make me laugh," says Bray, who represented Australia Under-19s in the early '90s before moving to Kilkenny because his Irish wife's father was ill. "England have got Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss in their team and in the past they've had the likes of Allan Lamb, Robin Smith and Gladstone Small. But nothing seemed to be made of that. It's as if people are saying we're the biggest influence in the team. They're trying to explain how we qualified by putting us down."

And what of suggestions that Pakistan might not have been trying their hardest during Ireland's now famous three-wicket win? "Why would Pakistan deliberately lose to us knowing defeat would cost them their place in the competition?" he says.

"If there was any game that was going to be fixed it would have been their first one, against the West Indies. It's very hard to believe they deliberately threw the match against us."

That, though, is in the past. Starting today, Ireland have six games to convince the cricket community that their feats in Group D strayed beyond the realms of the fairy tale and into a world that is not only brave and new but very real, too.

Ireland's major worry is the fitness of Johnston. However, the quick bowler has said he is 100 per cent sure he will play.

England's main selection dilemma is whether to continue with lively medium pace all-rounder Ravi Bopara or bring back spin all-rounder Jamie Dalrymple.

England captain Michael Vaughan said Andrew Flintoff was fit for selection after recovering from a virus which curtailed his net session on Tuesday.

Guardian Service

Ireland v England
Guyana, 2.30 On TV: Sky Sports 1

Probable teams
IRELAND:Jeremy Bray, William Porterfield, Eoin Morgan, Niall O'Brien (wicketkeeper), Andre Botha, Kevin O'Brien, Andrew White, Kyle McCallan, Trent Johnston (captain), Dave Langford-Smith, Boyd Rankin.

ENGLAND:Ed Joyce, Michael Vaughan (captain), Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Jamie Dalrymple, Paul Nixon (wicketkeeper), Sajid Mahmood, James Anderson, Monty Panesar.