Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has warned his teammates not to drop their guard despite little chance of action in Saturday’s one-dayer against Ireland.
The Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast has been lashed with rain this week with the showers forecast from midday on Saturday only expected to add to the waterlogged outfield.
Ground staff are working overtime to be ready to start the match at 10.45am (7.45pm AEST) but are up against it with rain coming in at right angles and the thermometer struggling to reach the teens.
“You have to be ready,” Clarke said.
“Things change very quickly. There is a fair bit of wind so that can dry things at a ground quite quickly.
“We will be 100 per cent prepared for the match tomorrow (Sat).”
Australia opened their tour with a 102-run win over Leicestershire on Thursday and have one more warm-up match in Essex on Tuesday before their five-match one-day series starts against England on Friday at Lord’s.
The Irish are itching at the chance to play the world No.1 one-day side after giving them a scare two years ago in Dublin.
Ireland produced one of the great upsets in World Cup history last year by chasing down 328 against England in Bangalore.
Captain William Porterfield said his men were keen to notch up a win over Australia.
“It is a massive scalp,” he said.
“As an Irish player, to beat England in a World Cup is pretty special but you are playing against the No.1 team in the world in your own backyard.
“We want to go out there and entertain the crowd and get victories under our belts.”