batted up top was brilliant, and the two guys who made their debuts looked very comfortable at this level.” He also praised Cade Carmichael’s performance in the ODI series against the West Indies, stating that “Carmichael played beautifully with the bat – he made his debut in ODIs during the summer against the West Indies and I thought he looked very at ease there against a high-quality pace attack at home. And then to come out here in totally different conditions to back home and look as comfortable as he did, scoring 50 in the first innings was brilliant.”
However, Tector noted that Jordan Neill, who is still learning his craft, showed promise with his batting, adding that “he’s got lots of brilliant attributes as the all-rounder – he’s a seriously talented batter, and we saw that with the runs he scored quite naturally.”
Team Morale and National Pride
The Ireland cricket team was not oblivious to events in Budapest on Sunday where the Republic of Ireland’s footballers secured a historic 3-2 win over Hungary. This result kept their hopes of World Cup qualification alive, bringing a sense of national pride that carried into the cricket squad as they watched the match victory. Tector reported, “When the second goal (equaliser) went in, we were excited, but when the third went in it was just pandemonium.” He further explained, “Football in the Republic of Ireland is probably the only sport that can galvanise the entire country and it brings a real sense of national pride. The fact they still have a chance to do it is an incredible achievement, so I was really proud.”
The cricket team will be looking forward to using this positive momentum as they prepare for the second Test in Dhaka on 18 November 2025.
