Gaby Lewis is counting on the vocal support of Irish fans and a rare chance to play in ‘home conditions’ to give her side an extra edge when their T20 World Cup campaign gets underway in Manchester today.

After kicking off the 12-team showpiece against Scotland at Old Trafford, the Girls in Green will play two Group 2 matches in Southampton, and another two in Bristol.

“Having the competition so close to home is going to be really special, and it will be great to see as many fans as possible at the matches,” skipper Lewis said.

“Often when you play at World Cups they are further afield and it’s the hosts or the opposition that brings the fans to the stadiums. This time it will be nice to have a lot of Irish people travelling.”

The Girls in Green could not be in better shape going into the tournament after victories over Pakistan, the West Indies and Bangladesh in the past fortnight.

If they can get past bogey side Scotland today Lewis must know her infuriatingly inconsistent side have the ability to finish in the top half of Group 2 by also beating Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

While England and New Zealand are likely to take the two top spots and progress to the semi-finals, a third place finish would be a major step forward for Ireland.