Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: ‘We’ve shown we can compete’ - Ireland coach Lloyd Tennant finds positives despite England defeat
Ireland Women will take on New Zealand Women on June 19.
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Ireland head coach Lloyd Tennant has remained positive despite his side’s four-wicket defeat to England at the Hampshire Bowl, insisting that the performance against one of the tournament favourites provided plenty of encouragement for the team moving forward.
Ireland are making their fifth appearance at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and are competing in Group 2 alongside hosts England, Sri Lanka, Scotland, West Indies, and defending champions New Zealand. However, the campaign has begun on a challenging note, with consecutive defeats to Scotland and England extending Ireland’s winless streak at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to 19 matches.
"You would say that Scotland was a game that it's a 50-50 chance for us, you know, they'd expect to beat us, I would think we'd expect to beat them. You get off to a loss in the World Cup, it's a bit annoying and you're going to be a little bit down," Tennant said as quoted by ICC.
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What followed, however, appears to have transformed the mood within the Irish camp. Up against an England side widely regarded as one of the strongest teams in world cricket, Ireland delivered a spirited performance that convinced Tennant his players can compete with the very best.
Ireland made an impressive start, reducing England to 35 for 3 during the powerplay and putting the hosts under early pressure. Although experienced campaigners Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight combined to steady the innings and guide England's chase, the hosts were made to work hard for their victory, eventually reaching the target with 15 balls remaining.
"You come to play England, they're one of the best sides in the world. And I think we've shown that we can compete. So like I said, if you can enjoy a loss, we've probably enjoyed that as much as we can. And we take some positives from that and try and if we can build on it, that'd be brilliant,” said Tennant.
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With an average squad age of just 23, Ireland are among the youngest teams at the tournament, and Tennant, who took charge in June 2025, appears committed to treating every match as a valuable learning experience for his developing side. With three group-stage matches still remaining, Tennant urged his players to take confidence from their performance against England and continue believing in their ability to challenge the world's best teams.
"If we can maintain that standard in our next three games, I think we're moving forwards," Tennant concluded.
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