Match Preview: New Zealand v Ireland – Match 18

Match Preview: New Zealand v Ireland – Match 18

Date: November 17, 2018

Venue: Guyana National Stadium, Providence, Guyana

It has been disappointing campaigns for both New Zealand and Ireland. While their aspirations going into the ICC World T20 would have been vastly different both have every reason to be disappointed how things have gone.

New Zealand were confident that they could have qualified for a semi-final spot. They were handicapped by having their most difficult games upfront. So far the White Ferns have a solitary win against Pakistan. It is their defeats though that are cause for concern. It is a marker that they are starting to fall behind the very best in the world.

For Ireland, their concern is keeping up with the other teams in the competition. They are the only side competing in the Caribbean that does not have professional contracts.

When they played New Zealand in the summer the gap between the two teams was gigantic. An improved performance against India in their last game shows that Ireland does have the raw materials to compete at the top level and a win against New Zealand isn’t against the realms of possibility.

It will be the last chance for Clare Shillington and Ciara Metcalfe to shine on the world stage before they retire from international duty and how fitting would it be if they could cause an upset against New Zealand.

 

Players to watch out for:

Amelia Kerr

The spin bowler showed her potential with the bat against Ireland on their tour during the summer scoring 232 not out. It will be with the ball that she will work her magic. At only 18, she is already a regular in the New Zealand side and has proven that she deserves her place there. A bowler who keeps things tight that is an important aspect in this form of the game.

Clare Shillington

It will be Ireland’s highest run scorer’s last match for her international side. There have been glimpses of what she is capable of doing in the group games so far. A player that likes to play shots and get on top of the bowling it would be a wonderful way to bow out if she was to score a match-defining innings.

Conditions:

Some good conditions for batting but the spinners could still dominate.

Numbers to look out for:

• Suzie Bates is 4 runs short of 3000 international T20I runs.


• Suzie Bates needs 1 more wicket to have taken 50 wickets in T20 internationals.


• Isobel Joyce needs 56 runs to score 1000 runs in T20 internationals.

 

Who said what:

"To be honest I’m trying not to think about the fact it’s my last game too much." - Clare Shillington

 

Teams:

New Zealand: Suzie Bates, Jess Watkin, Sophie Devine, Amy Satterthwaite (c), Katey Martin (wk), Maddy Green, Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Leigh Kasperek, Hannah Rowe, Amelia Kerr, Lea Tahuhu

Ireland: Clare Shillington, Cecelia Joyce, Gaby Lewis, Eimear Richardson, Isobel Joyce, Laura Delany (c), Kim Garth, Shauna Kavanagh, Mary Waldron (wk), Lucy O’Reilly, Ciara Metcalfe