No panic from Bracewell despite loss

IRELAND coach John Bracewell insists he is happy with Ireland’s warm-up preparations ahead of their World Twenty20 campaign, despite losing their final game against Zimbabwe yesterday in Dharamsala by six wickets.

Ireland posted 155 for eight, their highest total in 14 T20 innings, but with big-hitting Hamilton Masakadza hitting 68 not out from just 49 balls, the Africans eased home with 13 balls to spare.

‘It was a damp wicket at the start so to get to 150 I was pleased,’ said Bracewell. ‘I’m happy that the batting is back on track and hopefully we can continue to strike the ball with confidence.

‘They hit 11 sixes against our five so that was the difference today, their ability and desire to hit the ball out of the park on what is a pretty small ground was impressive.’

The biggest disappointment remains Paul Stirling who hit two of Ireland’s maximums in his first seven balls but was out to his ninth and although William Porterfield and Gary Wilson, batting at No 3, both made it into the 30s, they were out immediately afterwards.

The next four batsmen scored only 18 between them and it needed George Dockrell, Tim Murtagh and Boyd Rankin to get Ireland to their barely-par total.

Bracewell identified three ‘big overs’ which accounted for 57 of Zimbabwe’s runs but ‘the rest we had them under par so I was pretty pleased with the bowlers as well’, he added.

Only Craig Young, who bowled just three overs, and Rankin, had an economy rate of less than eight and Ireland will be relying on perfect performances in their group if they are to join the top eight countries in the second phase of the World T20 tournament.

‘We have a simple approach, we have three games (against Oman, Bangladesh and Netherlands), we have to win three games and that is realistic,’ said Bracewell.

It is likely to be easier said than done.