'It's not really kicked in yet' - Ireland hero Dalzell

The time aft nan match-winning heroics which thrust her into nan sporting limelight, it is clear that Alana Dalzell is still coming to position pinch nan magnitude of nan decisive portion she played successful Ireland's melodramatic final-ball triumph complete England successful their one-day world connected Wednesday.

Needing 8 runs to triumph disconnected their past six balls, nan Irish team's hopes of causing a awesome upset looked to person each but evaporated erstwhile they mislaid 3 wickets successful successive balls.

Those setbacks near nan hosts requiring a 4 disconnected nan last shot of their innings to unafraid a memorable triumph successful Belfast, a bound which their number 9 duly delivered to spark monolithic celebrations among nan location squad.

The melodramatic finale ensured Dalzell's sanction would beryllium etched successful Ireland cricket history arsenic Ireland's women secured a first triumph complete England since 2001.

"People person said to maine it’s a communicative I’ll ever person to show but I don’t deliberation it has really kicked successful yet," nan 23-year-old told BBC Sport NI.

"I deliberation it’s 1 of those things you will only admit years down nan statement erstwhile you look backmost connected it.

"It took a infinitesimal to descend in. 'We've conscionable beaten England. It was crazy'."

Having mislaid nan opening 2 ODI encounters of their three-match series, and been dismissed for conscionable 45 successful nan second of those meetings, Ireland sewage themselves into a promising position successful Tuesday's last face-off astatine Stormont earlier those 3 speedy dismissals near nan result very overmuch successful nan balance.

A publication of 72 disconnected 56 balls by Ireland skipper Gaby Lewis had seemingly teed up a landmark occurrence but aft that illness it was near to her team-mate to supply nan coup de grace.

"Obviously nan batters earlier maine had put america successful a awesome position to thief america pursuit down that total. Gaby had a bully sound to moreover get america successful that position.

"The past complete was a spot nerve-racking. We were getting person to chasing down nan total, past nan wickets started falling, nan nerves started rising moreover much and I recovered myself stepping onto nan transportation which I was hoping I wouldn't person to do," explained Alana.

"Once you’re successful that business you’re not going to backmost down from it. I went successful knowing I had to people a boundary. I picked a plan, committed to it, stuck pinch it and it paid off."

Dalzell revealed to her chap batter Rebecca Stokell connected her measurement to nan wicket that "the scheme was conscionable to spell straight"

"I had thought astir sweeping but consecutive was my safest option. I conscionable went for it and it paid off. It each seemed to hap really quickly but I conscionable connected pinch it and it went.

"All I retrieve is Reb [Rebecca Stokell] shouting astatine maine to tally but luckily nan shot went complete nan statement and we sewage nan 4 runs. It was a awesome emotion to beryllium capable to do that for nan team."

England had won nan first 2 matches successful nan bid by 4 wickets and 275 runs respectively but those reverses only provided added inducement for nan Irish team, according to Dalzell.

“We pridefulness ourselves arsenic a group successful being capable to bounce backmost from defeats and return arsenic overmuch arsenic we tin from those matches. We were really up for nan crippled and nan losses a mates of days erstwhile made nan triumph each nan much special.

“I deliberation we had a spot of assurance aft nan past Sri Lanka series, erstwhile we hit them, and this is going to boost our assurance moreover more, that we tin compete against nan apical nations."

Dalzell hopes her heroics will enactment arsenic a springboard to thief her and nan Irish squad realise much of their ambitions.

"I conscionable loved cricket arsenic a kid and to beryllium capable to play cricket astatine a precocious level, moreover once, was a dream of mine.

"It’s really breathtaking to spot wherever cricket could return me, what could perchance hap successful nan future.

"I could ne'er person imagined that I’d beryllium capable to make a profession retired of cricket. Travelling nan world and seeing different cultures is 1 of nan astir breathtaking aspects of it I think."

Ireland will adjacent look England successful 2 T20 matches successful Clontarf connected Saturday and Sunday.