Porterfield calls for improvement ahead of England showdown

IRELAND captain William Porterfield says his team have a point to prove when they face England tonight in their final ICC Twenty20 group game at Guyana National Stadium.

The Irish will be aiming to bounce back from a 70-run defeat in their opening match last Friday night to West Indies, a game that saw them bowled out for a tournament record low of 68 having kept the tournament hosts to 138 for nine in front of their own fans.

“We are better than that. We know we’re better than that and that’s why it was a really disappointing show, that second half on Friday,” Porterfield said. “We know ourselves, everyone knows we’re better than that and so we’ve got to go out and prove that.

“This is a one-off game, like a play-off, to get into the Super Eights and I think we’ve just got to go out there and give it our all. If we do that and go out and enjoy our cricket and take some of that pressure off then we’ll put on a better performance.”

Opening batsman Porterfield said the defeat to the West Indies was out of his team’s system now but having lost their first three wickets for eight balls and then four after 12 balls, the over-riding message being preached to him and the rest of the Ireland batsmen by coach Phil Simmons was to be patient at the crease.

“We can’t go about changing a lot at this stage but it’s a matter of just getting back to basics,” the captain said.

“It’s knowing there’s still time to play a few balls and get ourselves in. We came out and played a lot shots and made a lot of mistakes early doors so we’ve really got to cut out those mistakes and realise we have got time.

“We came out after the first rain break and needed 120 in 18 overs but we were three down.

“So that was what set us on the back foot. We need to keep those wickets in hand and maintain at least the scoring rate, especially when you’re chasing 130-odd. We need to have that bit more patience and be a bit more cricket-smart.”

Ireland are likely to go with the same team that started against the West Indies and Porterfield reported no injury problems among the squad after a training session at the Everest Cricket Ground in Georgetown that concluded just before a torrential downpour.

The Irish then travelled across the city to watch England play West Indies in their opening game at the Guyana National Stadium ahead of their own date with the English on Tuesday, a contest which Porterfield said would hold no fears for his team.

“I think the belief has built up over the last couple of years that no matter who we play against, if we got out there and play to our potential and do the things we want to do and follow the plans we want to execute then we’ll give anyone a run.

“The lads know and the belief’s there and whenever you step out on the field in a World Cup game, you’ve got a crowd and you’ve got atmosphere and the whole occasion’s built up.

“There’s not much more to be said at that stage and if we can’t get up for that game we can’t get up for any game.

“The adrenaline will take over and as long as we keep our heads under pressure we’ll be all right.”