WELLINGTON, New Zealand — After recording two wins in its first three matches, Ireland could reach the knockout rounds of the Cricket World Cup for the first time if it can win one of its remaining three games.

In the previous two World Cups, Ireland defeated Pakistan, Bangladesh and England. This year, it opened with victories over West Indies, a two-time champion, and the United Arab Emirates before losing Tuesday to South Africa, considered one of the three favorites for the World Cup.

While the Irish cricket team is on an upward trajectory, perhaps the biggest wonder is why it has taken the country so long to make it this far, considering the country has excelled in other sports with British roots, like soccer and rugby.

An easy answer: history.

“In terms of field sports being participated in, if you exclude athletics, then by the 1870s cricket is without question the most popular field sport in Ireland,” said Paul Rouse, a specialist in Irish sport and a lecturer at University College Dublin. There were over 300 cricket clubs in Ireland, and the game bridged class and sectarian divides.