Porterfield excited by challenge
Ireland captain William Porterfield is excited by the Twenty20 World Cup Qualifiers, which get under way in Belfast on Saturday.
The Gloucestershire opening batsman, who has won 48 caps for Ireland, spoke during the European Championships which are currently taking place in Dublin.
"I can't wait for the tournament to begin. All the players are anticipating some fantastic cricket, and with good crowds expected, it should be a marvellous occasion."
How then would he be approaching the games?
"It's very much broken down into sections. You have the power plays in the first six overs, where you take advantage of the fielding restrictions. Then in the next 8 overs, you work the ball around more, and pick up the boundaries along the way. Then in the final six overs, you hope to have wickets in hand, and you come home strong."
"I'd like to open the batting, as it's where I've been mostly playing with Gloucestershire. I like facing the new ball, and I've had some success with Gloucestershire, where I've been given my chance, although a lot earlier than I expected."
What did Porterfield see as a par score in T20 cricket?
"It obviously depends on how the wickets play at Stormont. It's usually a good batting track, and with a big outfield, although it can be difficult to hit sixes, there are plenty of gaps for one's and two's. I'd think 160-170 would be a good score, which teams could defend."
How did he rate Ireland's chances of making it to the finals?
"We'd always back ourselves, but we know it's going to be difficult. There's so much at stake, not just in financial terms, but in terms of prestige. The competition in the finals in England is going to be an incredible experience, and we'd like to be there."
"The fact that it looks like there is going to be a third place with Zimbabwe withdrawing, then it takes a wee bit of the pressure off. It means if you lose in the semi finals, then you're going to have a second chance to qualify. That 3rd/4th place play off game will probably be the most tense in the whole competition."
William Porterfield has played 48 times for Ireland, scoring 1729 runs at an average of 37.59, hitting 8 fifties and four hundreds. His highest score is 166 against Bermuda in the InterContinental Cup in 2007.
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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