Advancement a “Non-negotiable” for Ireland Says Abbi Harrison

Ireland are riding a rollercoaster that has tested them but taken them to the Super Six stage of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia.

Needing a result against Pakistan, Ireland found grace with the weather to get back on as rain disrupted their match.

The teams returned to play and Ireland claimed a 13-run win to advance to the next stage and set up a meeting with familiar foes South Africa.

“We were all checking the weather pretty religious the day before and the morning of the match as well and we woke up and it was pretty sunny and we thought we were going to get a game,” wicket-keeper Abbi Harrison said.

“We feel we have a really strong group this year and we absolutely wanted to get through to the Super Sixes, it was a bit of a non-negotiable for us.

“When we got out and the innings started, it just kept getting heavier and then everyone got pretty disheartened as it just kept raining and raining.

“The vibes went down and I think me, Lara (McBride) and Niamh (MacNulty) were all on our hands and knees saying ‘please, please, just let us back on the field’.

“That was definitely a low moment because we knew if we didn’t get back on, we weren’t getting through.

“When we did get back on, it was such elation and we channelled that really well.

“We were desperate to get through, we deserved to get through and I think that reflected in our performance.”

On their opening match of the tournament, Ireland began their chase against England well before both teams were thwarted by the rain.

The USA then claimed a first-ever World Cup win to leave Ireland’s hopes in the balance as they prepared to face Pakistan.

Alice Walsh scored 31 to anchor Ireland’s nine-over innings as they set Pakistan 70 to win.

With the ball, the economical Freya Sargent combined well with Ellie McGee to see Ireland claim a dramatic and crucial victory.

“It has been such a rollercoaster, the first game against England we thought we performed super well,” the 18-year-old said.

“After the first innings, we felt super confident but that is just the game sometimes that you don’t get back out there, but we definitely took a lot of confidence from that game.

“Against the USA, it wasn’t our best performance by any means, but we took a lot of learnings and there were still some positives from that game.

“With Pakistan, we were again worried that we wouldn’t get on because we were on for about three overs and went off again.

“That was a bit emotional because we needed a result from that game, but once we got out there and a few of the girls like Alice (Walsh) played really well and then our confidence was up going into the second innings.

“It was an unbelievable feeling to one, beat a team like Pakistan and two to make it through to the Super Sixes.”

Ireland’s preparation for the 2025 edition of the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup began almost as soon as the inaugural edition ended.

The bulk of the squad from two years ago is still together in Malaysia and that has meant the group have built a shared ethos and deep friendships.

They will need to draw on that when they take on South Africa on Saturday, who beat them 5-0 in a series last year.

Harrison added: “In the back of our heads, that belief was always there that we had a decent score on the board, and we knew what was to come with our spin attack and what we had to offer in the field.

“We always say one ball changes the game and we try to live in that moment. The run-outs came and then Freya came on a changed the game.

“The vibe never really dropped on the field because we had that constant belief in our bowling attack and in the field.

“It is great to watch sometimes because you see no one ever gives in, every ball is chased until it’s dead. It is great to be a part of.

“You never know what can happen. We have South Africa in the next round who are a great side and we have a lot of experience against them and if we play our best game we can definitely get a result against them.”