BRIDGETOWN (Barbados), April 14: Australia captain Ricky Ponting says his team are looking forward to the next two weeks in the World Cup after qualifying for the semi-finals.

Australia became the first team to make it to the last four when they crushed debutants Ireland by nine wickets in a Super Eights game at the Kensington Oval here on Friday.

The defending champions will now meet Sri Lanka and New Zealand in their last two matches in Grenada.

“Sri Lanka and New Zealand are shaping up well and we look forward to their challenge. The next two weeks are going to be crucial,” said Ponting, whose side maintained their unbeaten run with a seventh successive win in the Caribbean.

“The next two games are big for us and we will get more of an idea then about just where we are. As long as we keep testing ourselves at every opportunity we get, I will be pretty happy when the big games come around.”

Stephen Fleming's New Zealanders and Mahela Jayawardene's Sri Lankans have virtually qualified for the semi-finals with eight points from five games.

Ponting said his team achieved what they had wanted from the game against Ireland, but would have liked to see some of his batsmen spend more time in the middle.

“As I said on Thursday, it would be nice if Michael Hussey and Andrew Symonds got a bit of time in the middle, but I probably didn't think they (Ireland) would get bowled out for 90,” he said.

“I thought if they had got 150 or something like that, then those guys would have got some more time out there.”

Ireland were shot out for 91 on a lively track, with Australian fast bowlers Glenn McGrath and Shaun Tait each grabbing three wickets.

Australia raced to the target off 12.2 overs, with Adam Gilchrist (34), Hussey (30 not out) and Symonds (15 not out) being the main scorers.

“Our batting, especially the top order, has been very good. Everything's on track. We are looking good. Hussey will be happy getting a bit of time out there. No doubt, in the next couple of weeks he is going to get some more batting.”

When asked whether Australia needed a tough game ahead of big matches, Ponting said: “I don't know. What we tried to do today is to win the game as well as we could.

“So, whether or not we need to have good, hard hit-ups leading into the big games, who knows? I am really happy with where we are and how we are playing.”

The Australian skipper believed that Ireland were probably overawed by the occasion this time after having done well in their previous matches.

“The Irish would have been a bit nervous, playing against all these guys that they've probably watched on TV. And with Tait and McGrath bowling like that with the new ball, it could have happened to any team,” said Ponting.

“They have earned their way. You cannot take anything away from Ireland being here at the moment. They did what they had to do at the start to get to this stage.”—AFP