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| Place: Zayed Cricket Ground, Abu Dhabi date: Sunday, September 18 Starting time: 16:00 BST |
| Coverage: Scorecards and match reports on the BBC Sport website |
Ireland will take on Bangladesh in their opening match of the Women’s T20 World Cup qualifier in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Ed Joyce’s side need to reach the eight-team final to qualify for next year’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.
The Irish have beaten the Netherlands and Scotland in the recent T20 series and all-rounder Arlene Kelly said morale was high.
“The atmosphere inside the team is very good,” said the New Zealand native.
“We’ve had some good victories recently and it’s great to be able to get some momentum in these qualifiers.
The Auckland-born, 28-year-old scored two wickets on her Irish debut in June as she helped the Irish beat South Africa by 10 points.
Kelly, who played a season with Kent in England in 2018, went on to play regular wickets in subsequent games against the Netherlands and Scotland, and is now expected to start in Sunday’s opener at Zayed Cricket Ground.
“It’s been an incredible year for me personally, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind for me to be honest,” said Kelly, who is eligible to represent the Greens because her Irish-born mother, her father’s Parents are also from the Emerald Isle.
Kelly, who plays cricket for Dublin club Malahide and also represented the Dragons in the Irish Super Series, has adapted well to Irish conditions but now faces the task of making an impact in the United Arab Emirates.
After Sunday’s opener, the Irish face the United States at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi on Monday before a final group game against Scotland at the same venue on Wednesday.
Teams need the top two teams in their group to advance to next Friday’s semi-finals, and the winner of the last four games is guaranteed entry into next year’s tournament, regardless of the outcome of the Sept. 25 qualifying final.
Ireland’s batting line-up includes Leah Paul and captain Laura Delany, who both played for centuries in the Irish Women’s 337-8 one-day win against the Netherlands last month, plus a stint in The Hundred. Gaby Lewis for the Northern Superchargers this summer.
Delany and Paul are also key members of Ireland’s bowling offense, which includes Orla Prendergast, another in-form all-rounder.
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