Ireland seeking improvements ahead of tournament

‘Stand-alone’ ICC Women’s World T20…

The most-anticipated and first stand-alone ICC Women’s World T20 tournament will kick start on Friday, November 9 at the National Stadium, Providence, Guyana.
Earlier this week, the Ireland team arrived in Guyana to begin preparations ahead of their first clash on November 11, 2018 against Australia at the National Stadium. However, Ireland will play a warm-up match at the National Stadium against Bangladesh. The warm-up match will be played on Sunday, November 4 and is scheduled for a 4:00 pm start (Eastern Caribbean Time).
In Ireland’s first practice session at Providence, their uncapped Australia-born leg-spinner Celeste Raack, speaking to the media, highlighted that Ireland have been training intensely ahead of this tournament. The squad selected is well-equipped to compete against the top teams in world cricket. The leg-spinner added that she was excited to make her international debut, but she experienced competitive cricket playing for Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia.
In the previous Women’s World T20 tournament played in 2016, Ireland finished at the bottom of Group A as they suffered four heavy defeats without a win. However, Ireland’s leg-spinner noted that the Cricket Board in Ireland has provided the cricketers with a new training facility that has been greatly utilised in their preparation for the standalone ICC Women’s World T20.
Since the pitches in the Caribbean are suited for spin bowling, the Irish team were involved in a training camp in Spain, where they were exposed to similar pitches. The camp was organised with the main aim of familiarising the players and to improve the team’s performance.
This is the first time for most of the Ireland players in the Caribbean, and the squad consists of a mixture of youth and experience. The Ireland team will be led by the experienced 25-year-old Laura Delany, who made her international debut eight years ago, and one of their longest-serving cricketers, the 37-year-old Clare Shillington will offer support. The 37-year-old Shillington, who made her international debut in 1997 against South Africa Women, will be an important asset in Ireland’s World T20 campaign.
The Ireland squad reads: Laura Delany (centre); Kim Garth; Cecelia Joyce; Isobel Joyce; Shauna Kavanagh; Amy Kenealy; Gaby Lewis; Lara Maritz; Ciara Metcalfe; Lucy O’Reilly; Celeste Raack; Eimear Richardson; Clare Shillington; Rebecca Stokell and Mary Waldron. (Brandon Corlette)