Ireland Aim For Hat-Trick Of Titles

Ireland will start their quest for a hat-trick of ICC World Twenty20 Qualifying trophies with a home tie at Stormont against Namibia on July 10th.The Belfast venue hosts the Irish for four of their group games, before they switch to Malahide for the last two.

Top seeds Ireland are co-hosting the 14 team tournament with Scotland, which will be staged across eight venues from July 9th - 26th.

Ireland are in Group A along with Namibia, USA, Hong Kong, Nepal, PNG and Jersey, who secured the final qualification slot yesterday (WED) with victory over islands rivals Guernsey, to finish ahead of second placed Denmark on run rate.

Scotland are joined in Group B by 2010 winners Afghanistan, UAE, Netherlands, Kenya, Canada and Oman.

The top six sides from the 18-day tournament during which 51 matches will be played, will join the 10 Full Members for the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016, which will be held from 11 March to 3 April 2016.

USA are the Irish team's second opponents on July 12th, before taking on Nepal the following day. Papua New Guinea provide the opposition on July 15th before the squad travel south to Dublin.

Ireland entertain Hong Kong at Malahide on July 17, before the Irish conclude their group stages against fellow European challengers Jersey.

Entry to Ireland's matches will be £8 for adults & £6 for OAPs in Stormont, and €10 for adults & €8 for OAPs in Malahide; entry for under-16s is free at both venues.

IRELAND FIXTURES:

(warm-ups)

UAE, Monday July 6, Stormont, 14:15

Oman, Tuesday July 7, Stormont, 14:15

Group Games

Namibia, Friday July 10, Stormont, 10:00

USA, Sunday July 12, Stormont, 10:00

Nepal, Monday July 13, Stormont, 14:15

PNG, Wednesday July 15, Stormont, 10:00

Hong Kong, Friday July 17, Malahide, 14:15

Jersey, Sunday July 19, Malahide, 10:00

The groups and full schedule of all games for the competition is as follows:

The two groups are:
Group A Group B
A1 - Ireland B1 - Afghanistan
A2 - Nepal B2 - UAE
A3 - Hong Kong B3 - Netherlands
A4 - PNG B4 - Scotland
A5 - Namibia B5 - Canada
A6 - USA B6 - Kenya
A7 - Jersey B7 - Oman

The schedule is:

Warm-up matches
Mon, 6 July (1000-1310) - Nepal v Oman, Stormont, Belfast; PNG v Kenya, Bready, Co. Tyrone; Scotland v Namibia, The Grange, Edinburgh; Netherlands v Hong Kong, Myreside, Edinburgh

Mon, 6 July (1415-1725) - Ireland v UAE, Stormont, Belfast; USA v local side, Bready, Co. Tyrone; Canada v local side, The Grange, Edinburgh; Afghanistan v Jersey, Myreside, Edinburgh

Tue, 7 July (1000-1310) - Nepal v UAE, Stormont, Belfast; local team v PNG, Bready, Co. Tyrone; Scotland v Jersey, Goldenacre, Edinburgh; local team v Netherlands, New Williamfield, Stirling

Tue, 7 July (1415-1725) - Ireland v Oman, Stormont, Belfast; Kenya v USA, Bready, Co. Tyrone; Canada v Namibia, Goldenacre, Edinburgh; Afghanistan v Hong Kong, New Williamfield, Stirling

Tournament matches
Thurs, 9 July - Scotland v UAE, The Grange, Edinburgh (1000-1310); Netherlands v Afghanistan, The Grange, Edinburgh (1415-1725)

Fri, 10 July - Ireland v Namibia, Stormont, Belfast (1000-1310); Canada v Kenya, Myreside, Edinburgh (1000-1310); Nepal v USA, Stormont, Belfast (1415-1725); UAE v Afghanistan, The Grange, Edinburgh 1415-1725

Sat, 11 July - Hong Kong v Jersey, Bready, Co. Tyrone (1000-1310); Scotland v Netherlands, The Grange, Edinburgh (1000-1310); Kenya v Oman, Myreside, Edinburgh (1000-1310); Nepal v Namibia, Stormont, Belfast (1415-1725)

Sun, 12 July - Ireland v USA, Stormont, Belfast (1000-1310); PNG v Jersey, Bready, Co. Tyrone (1000-1310); UAE v Netherlands, The Grange, Edinburgh (1000-1310); Canada v Oman, New Williamfield, Stirling (1000-1310); Scotland v Afghanistan, The Grange, Edinburgh (1415-1725)

Mon, 13 July - Namibia v USA, Stormont, Belfast (1000-1310); Hong Kong v PNG, Bready, Co. Tyrone (1000-1310); Ireland v Nepal, Stormont, Belfast (1415-1725); Afghanistan v Kenya, New Williamfield, Stirling (1415-1725)

Tue, 14 July - Netherlands v Oman, Myreside, Edinburgh (1000-1310); UAE v Canada, New Williamfield, Stirling (1000-1310); Scotland v Kenya, The Grange, Edinburgh (1415-1725)

Wed, 15 July - Ireland v PNG, Stormont, Belfast (1000-1310); USA v Jersey, Bready, Co. Tyrone (1000-1310); Afghanistan v Oman, Goldenacre, Edinburgh (1000-1310); Nepal v Hong Kong, Stormont, Belfast (1415-1725); UAE v Kenya, Goldenacre, Edinburgh (1415-1725)

Thurs, 16 July - Scotland v Canada, Goldenacre, Edinburgh (1000-1310)

Fri, 17 July - Nepal v PNG, Malahide, Dublin (1000-1310); Namibia v Jersey, Clontarf (1000-1310); Netherlands v Canada, Goldenacre, Edinburgh (1000-1310); UAE v Oman, New Williamfield, Stirling (1000-1310); Ireland v Hong Kong, Malahide, Dublin (1415-1725)

Sat, 18 July - Nepal v Jersey, Malahide, Dublin (1000-1310); Scotland v Oman, Goldenacre, Edinburgh (1000-1310); Afghanistan v Canada, New Williamfield, Stirling (1000-1310); PNG v Namibia, Malahide, Dublin (1415-1725); Hong Kong v USA, Clontarf, Dublin (1415-1725); Netherlands v Kenya, Myreside, Edinburgh (1415-1725)

Sun, 19 July - Ireland v Jersey, Malahide, Dublin (1000-1310); PNG v USA, Malahide, Dublin (1415-1725); Hong Kong v Namibia, Clontarf, Dublin (1415-1725)

Tue, 21 July - Qualifying Play-Off 1 (A2 v B3), Malahide, Dublin (1000-1310); Qualifying Play-Off 2 (A3 v B2), Malahide, Dublin (1415-1725)

Thurs, 23 July - Qualifying Play-Off 3 (A4 v loser Qualifying Play-Off 1, Malahide, Dublin (1000-1310); Qualifying Play-Off 4 (B4 v loser Qualifying Play-Off 2, Malahide, Dublin (1415-1725)

Sat, 25 July - Semi-final (B1 v Winner Qualifying Play-off 1), Malahide, Dublin (1000-1310); fifth/sixth position play-off (winner play-off 3 v winner play-off 4), Clontarf, Dublin (1000-1310); Semi-final (A1 v Winner Qualifying Play-off 2), Malahide, Dublin (1415-1725)

Sun, 26 July - Third place play-off, Malahide, Dublin (1000-1310); Final, Malahide, Dublin (1415-1725)
ends...