Scotland must beat Ireland in both ODIs to qualify for CWC 2015

Double-win will knock Netherlands and the UAE out of the race for automatic qualification; WCL Championship matches to be streamed live on ICC website www.icc-cricket.com and ICC YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/CricketICC while photos will be available on ICC ftp site.

Scotland will be seeking a clean sweep of its Pepsi ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Championship double-header against Ireland to stay in contention for automatic qualification to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 when the two sides face-off on 6 and 8 September in Stormont, Belfast.

Currently in fourth position on equal points with Afghanistan (15 points) and three points behind Netherlands (18 points), a double-win against the competition leader will see Scotland pick up the maximum four points and move into second place, one point ahead of Netherlands.

Ireland has already won the tournament and become the first of two sides to earn automatic qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, and Scotland needs to secure, at least three points to keep itself in the hunt for the crucial second spot, while four points will strengthen its claim by knocking Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) out of the race.

Should Scotland secure a double-win, it can still be overtaken by Afghanistan if Afghanistan wins both its fixtures, to be played against Kenya on 2 and 4 October in Sharjah.

However, if both Scotland and Afghanistan drop points, fifth-placed UAE could overtake them to snatch second place if it defeats Namibia 2-0 in its 50-over WCL Championship matches on 27 and 29 September in Sharjah. In this scenario, two wins would see UAE join Netherlands on 18 points, but be ranked ahead of the Dutch based on the number of matches won.

Ireland captain William Porterfield says that his side will be fighting just as fiercely as Scotland for final-round victory. “This is a fresh round of games for us, and we are focused on playing good cricket and finishing the competition strongly. For us, it doesn’t matter that we’ve already won the competition – we will approach these games just like any other.”

Ireland’s leading run scorer, Porterfield will celebrate his 29th birthday while playing the first ODI on Friday, and says that victory would be the perfect birthday present. “Without a doubt, we are looking to win both games. We want to keep showing people that Ireland is the leading Associate side, and that Ireland deserves to be in every global event.”

Scotland captain Preston Mommsen, speaking after his side’s one-off ODI against Australia in Edinburgh on Tuesday, said his team was confident heading into the crucial WCL Championship clashes. “The guys are still confident, the bowlers are bowling good sets and the batters are hitting the ball well, so it’s all about putting an all-round performance.

“We’re going to have to be savvy against the Irish. The key part of us is our planning and how we approach each individual. We have built up a lot of knowledge of the Irish players and implementing the plans will be key,” said the 25-year-old all-rounder.

The off-spinner added that the ODIs will provide a good opportunity to measure Scotland’s standing against the leading team in Associate cricket. “The two World Cricket League Championship matches against Ireland is the real test for us to see where we are; obviously they have been touching ahead in recent years but, we still believe we are strong enough to take them down,” he remarked.

While the top two sides from the Pepsi ICC WCL Championship will qualify automatically for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, the bottom six teams will receive a second chance to advance at next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand, when they lock horns with Hong Kong, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Uganda for the final two spots.

The upcoming matches between Ireland and Scotland, UAE and Namibia, and Afghanistan and Kenya will be streamed live at www.icc-cricket.com and on the official ICC YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/CricketICC.

Following the two ODIs, Ireland and Scotland will also go head to head in the four-day, first-class Intercontinental Cup from 11 to 14 September in Clontarf, Dublin. Ireland currently leads the competition and has already secured its spot in the final, to be played in December in Dubai. The side leads its closest rival and defending champion Afghanistan by 12 points.

Ireland will finish on top of the ladder if it acquires nine points or more against Scotland, while a maximum of 20 points for Scotland could see it leapfrog Afghanistan into second position. However, Scotland will only qualify for the final if Afghanistan finishes pointless against Kenya in its final match, which will be played in October.

Pepsi ICC WCL Championship (remaining seventh round fixtures)

Ireland v Scotland (to be streamed live at www.icc-cricket.com and ICC YouTube Channel, http://www.youtube.com/CricketICC)
6 Sep – 1st ODI, Stormont, Belfast, Northern Ireland
8 Sep – 2nd ODI, Stormont, Belfast, Northern Ireland

UAE v Namibia (to be streamed live at www.icc-cricket.com and ICC YouTube Channel, http://www.youtube.com/CricketICC)
27 Sep – 1st 50-over match, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
29 Sep – 2nd 50-over match, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

Afghanistan v Kenya (to be streamed live at www.icc-cricket.com and ICC YouTube Channel, http://www.youtube.com/CricketICC)
2 Oct – 1st ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
4 Oct – 2nd ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

Pepsi ICC WCL Championship points table (after Canada-Netherlands seventh round fixtures)

* Ireland has already sealed a place in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, regardless of how the seventh and final round matches of the competition pan out

Some possible scenarios
Scotland beats Ireland 2-0
Afghanistan beats Kenya 2-0
UAE beats Namibia 2-0

Ireland 20 points, Afghanistan 19 points, Scotland 19 points, Netherlands 18 points, and UAE 18 points. Net run-rate to decide which team from Afghanistan and Scotland finishes second and qualifies for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

Scotland draws with Ireland 1-1
Afghanistan beats Kenya 2-0
UAE beats Namibia 2-0

Ireland 22 points, Afghanistan 19 points, Netherlands 18 points, UAE 18 points and Scotland 17 points. Afghanistan (on 19 points) finishes second and qualifies for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

Ireland beats Scotland 2-0
Afghanistan beats Kenya 2-0
UAE beats Namibia 2-0

Ireland 24 points, Afghanistan 19 points, Netherlands 18 points, UAE 18 points and Scotland 15 points. Afghanistan (on 19 points) finishes second and qualifies for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
Ireland beats Scotland 2-0, or a 1-1 draw
Kenya beats Afghanistan 2-0, or a 1-1 draw
UAE beats Namibia 2-0

UAE and the Netherlands finish on 18 points. UAE (with more wins) finishes second and qualifies for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
ICC Intercontinental Cup (remaining seventh round fixtures)

11-14 Sep – Ireland v Scotland, Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland
22-25 Sep – UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
6-9 Oct – Afghanistan v Kenya, GCA 1, ICC Global Cricket Academy, Dubai Sports City

Intercontinental Cup points table (after Canada-Netherlands seventh round fixtures):

* Ireland has already qualified for the final of the Intercontinental Cup, regardless of the remaining seventh round match results

For more information on the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship, please click here.

For more information on the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2011-2013, please click here.

Umpire and match referee appointments can be found here.