Women's T20 World Cup qualifier: Ireland face Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi opener

Gaby Lewis (right) and her Ireland team-mates will face Bangladesh in their opening World Cup qualifier in Abu Dhabi on Sunday

Ireland face Bangladesh on Sunday in their opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup qualifier in Abu Dhabi.

Ed Joyce's side will need to reach the final of the eight-team tournament to progress to next year's T20 World Cup in South Africa.

The Irish have beaten both the Netherlands and Scotland in recent T20 series and all-rounder Arlene Kelly says morale is high.

"The vibe within the squad is really good," said the New Zealand native.

"We've had some good wins of late and it's great to have a bit of momentum heading into these qualifiers.

The Auckland-born player, 28, took two wickets on her Ireland debut in June as she helped the Irish earn a shock 10-run victory over South Africa.

Kelly, who had a season with English county Kent in 2018, continued to take regular wickets in the subsequent contests against Netherlands and Scotland and is now expected to start in Sunday's opener at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

"Personally, it has been an unbelievable year and a bit of a whirlwind for me to be honest," said Kelly, who qualifies to represent the team in green because of her Irish-born mother, with both of her father's parents also hailing from the Emerald Isle.

Kelly, who plays her club cricket for Dublin club Malahide and also represents the Dragons in the Irish Super Series, has adapted impressively to Irish conditions but now faces the task of making an impact in the United Arab Emirates.

After Sunday's opener, the Irish will face USA at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi on Monday before Wednesday's final group game against Scotland at the same venue.

Teams need a top-two finish in their group to reach next Friday's semi-finals with the winners of the last four contests guaranteed passage to next year's tournament, irrespective of the result in the qualifier final on 25 September.

The Irish batting line-up includes Leah Paul and captain Laura Delany who both hit centuries when Ireland's women posted their record one-day score of 337-8 against the Dutch last month, plus Gaby Lewis, who played for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred this summer.

Delany and Paul are also crucial members of Ireland's bowling attack which includes another in-form all-rounder, Orla Prendergast.