With Ireland taking on Netherlands in Malahide on Saturday afternoon in the second semi-final of the ICC World T20 Qualifiers, we caught up with Andrew Balbirnie and Stuart Thompson to get a glimpse inside the camp.
Saturday’s match, starting at 2.15pm, follows on from the first semi-final between Scotland and Hong Kong which will start at 10am. After the first three weeks of the tournament the six qualifiers for the ICC World T20 Cup have now been decided, and the focus has shifted towards the tournament itself, with Ireland looking to defend their title.
Ireland have been aiming to win the tournament from the outset, but after losing two group matches they required the results in other games to go their way to qualify.
“Ideally we would have liked to qualify winning six out of six, and not have to look at other results” said all-rounder Stuart Thompson.
“The main thing is that we are in the final stages of the tournament and have given ourselves a chance of winning the trophy, which was our aim at the beginning.”
After beating Jersey in their final group game on Sunday morning, Ireland knew that the only way to top the group was if Hong Kong and USA both won in the afternoon matches. With the squad back in the hotel players gathered around TV and computer screens watching both games closely, the sense of relief apparent as the players and staff celebrated in the corridors as results went Ireland’s way and they secured a place at India 2016.
Andrew Balbirnie commented on the feeling in the camp after that dramatic Sunday afternoon. “To go into this weekend knowing we have already qualified brings a great sense of relief and hopefully this will come across in the way we play.”
“This week has been relaxing and training has been very specific and almost like a topping up. I have just tried to be very specific with what I do in training in all three areas of the game and making sure I maximise recovery during down time.”
Training has been building up during the week and the squad have been working on their game using a variety of wickets and different scenarios. One of the challenges for the team has been adapting to different conditions, with two different venues, different start times and a combination of fresh and used wickets.
“We’ve kept our plans simple throughout the tournament, but we have had to adapt to certain pitches and conditions” said Thompson.
“On used wickets we have used slower options and then on the newer wickets we have used a bit more variation, but generally I try and bowl my best ball every ball and make the batter hit a good shot to get rewards.”
One thing that is hugely important to the team is the opportunity to play in a major international event in front of a home crowd.
“Playing for Ireland is always special, but playing at home adds a little extra especially ina global tournament.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to showcase our cricket in front of our own fans and we really hope to have a big crowd there to support us” continued Thompson.
Entry for under 16’s is free for the semi-finals, with adults just €10, with both games included. The action will get underway at 10am on Saturday morning, when Scotland face Hong Kong before Ireland take on the Netherlands at 2.15pm.
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