Dublin Guardians assistant coach Ed Joyce believes the ingredients are in place for the capital franchise to make a strong impression when the inaugural European T20 Premier League gets under way in the Netherlands this week.

Ed Joyce with Vikram Rathour - Pic courtesy of Alex Davidson/Dublin Guardians

The former Ireland and England international has been encouraged by what he has seen during the Guardians’ preparations, with the squad now assembled in Holland ahead of their opening game against Belfast Wolves on Thursday.

For Joyce, one of the immediate challenges of franchise cricket is turning a collection of players drawn from several countries into a cohesive unit in a very short space of time. Dublin attempted to get a head start on that process with a pre-tournament camp last week.

“We had a camp in Dublin for quite a few of the players in the team and it went really well,” said Joyce. “We had a game against a Leinster XI, a couple of training sessions and did a bit of team-building stuff as well. We’ve been looked after really well by the owners and the other coaches, so I think it’s looking really positive at the moment in terms of the Dublin team.

“All the players are together now. We’re in the Netherlands, the whole squad of 17 is here along with the support staff, and we play our first game in a couple of days. We’ve had quite a few training sessions now, so we’re looking forward to actually getting into the matches.”

The Guardians are one of six teams involved in the new competition, with two franchises each from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. The opening section is being staged at Voorburg before the tournament moves to Malahide for its concluding phase, a venue Joyce and the Irish members of the squad know particularly well. Early impressions of the new venture have been positive.

Josh Little and Harry Tector-Pic courtesy of Alex Davidson/Dublin Guardians

“The competition itself seems to be really well organised here in Holland,” said Joyce. "Everything has been on time, the hotel is excellent and there’s a good vibe around the place. All the teams are here and ready to go. Hopefully the weather stays decent because there looks like there might be a little bit of inclement weather around and you don’t want that to interfere with the competition.

“I’d imagine the weekend games will be well supported and there are some really good players involved, so hopefully people get behind it.”

Joyce has also received encouraging reports about conditions at Voorburg, with Dutch player Noah Croes able to provide some local knowledge.

“We haven’t been down to the match ground yet because we’ve been training somewhere else, but Noah plays his club cricket there and says the pitch is excellent,” said Joyce. “He thinks it should provide a really good contest between bat and ball, which is exactly what you want.”

Dublin’s squad contains considerable international pedigree. New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell has linked up with the group in the Netherlands, while experienced English pair James Vince and Chris Wood have also joined preparations. Harry Tector, meanwhile, has been appointed vice-captain, a decision Joyce believes could prove particularly important.

Andre Botha talks with Rahul Dravid- pic courtesy of Alex Davidson/Dublin Guardians

“I really like our squad and everyone is getting on very well,” he said. “We’ve got some great overseas players and a lot of experience. Harry Tector being made vice-captain is a great move. He’s spoken really well and has been a real leader around the group, which is super. James Vince and Chris Wood joined us for training and Daryl Mitchell has linked up with the squad here in the Netherlands, so there is a lot of quality there.”

The Guardians have also embraced the multinational nature of the ETPL. Alongside their Irish core are players from the Netherlands and Scotland as well as American internationals Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Harmeet Singh, giving Joyce confidence that the squad has most situations covered.

“We’ve got a good mix of Irish lads, one Dutch player, one Scottish player and a couple of Americans,” he said. “Sanjay and Harmeet are really good cricketers, so I think we’ve got a lot of bases covered. These tournaments are all about gelling pretty quickly. That’s going to be crucial for every team.”

Josh Little bowling-pic courtesy of Alex Davidson/Dublin Guardians

That process will be tested immediately against Belfast Wolves, whose squad contains several of Joyce’s familiar Irish faces alongside an array of international stars.

Dublin have spent the past week building relationships, learning roles and trying to accelerate the chemistry that usually takes months to develop. Now Joyce is ready to discover how quickly that work can translate into results.

“We’ve done plenty of training,” he said. “Now we just want to get into the matches, which should be great fun.”

And for a competition designed to give players from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands regular exposure alongside proven international performers, the Guardians will hope their preparation gives them an early advantage when European franchise cricket finally gets under way.

Graphic courtesy of Dublin Guardians

Dublin Guardians squad: Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Muhammad Waseem, Peter Hatzoglou, Chris Greaves, Noah Croes, Craig Young, Matthew Hollard, George Dockrell, Benjamin Calitz, Harry Tector, Joshua Little, Harmeet Singh, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Vijay Shankar, Daryl Mitchell, James Vince, Chris Wood.