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

The day after the match-winning heroics which thrust her into the sporting limelight, it is clear that Alana Dalzell is still coming to terms with the magnitude of the decisive part she played in Ireland's dramatic final-ball win over England in their one-day international on Wednesday.

Needing eight runs to win off their last six balls, the Irish team's hopes of causing a major upset looked to have all but evaporated when they lost three wickets in successive balls.

Those setbacks left the hosts requiring a four off the final ball of their innings to secure a memorable victory in Belfast, a boundary which number nine Dalzell uly delivered to spark massive celebrations among the home squad.

The dramatic finale ensured Dalzell's name would be etched in Ireland cricket history as Ireland's women secured a first win over England since 2001.

"People have said to me it's a story I’ll always have to tell but I don't think it has really kicked in yet," the 23-year-old told BBC Sport NI.

"I think it's one of those things you will only appreciate years down the line when you look back on it.

"It took a moment to sink in. 'We've just beaten England. It was crazy'."

Having lost the opening two ODI encounters of their three-match series, and been dismissed for just 45 in the latter of those meetings, Ireland got themselves into a promising position in Tuesday's final face-off at Stormont before those three quick dismissals left the outcome very much in the balance.

A contribution of 72 off 56 balls by Ireland skipper Gaby Lewis had seemingly teed up a landmark success but after that collapse it was left to her team-mate to provide the coup de grace.

"Obviously the batters before me had put us in a great position to help us chase down that total. Gaby had a good knock to even get us in that position," said Dalzell.

"The last over was a bit nerve-racking. We were getting closer to chasing down the total, then the wickets started falling, the nerves started rising even more and I found myself walking on to the pitch, which I was hoping I wouldn't have to do," explained Alana.

"Once you're in that situation you're not going to back down from it. I went in knowing I had to score a boundary. I picked a plan, committed to it, stuck with it and it paid off."

Dalzell revealed to her fellow batter Rebecca Stokell on her way to the wicket that "the plan was just to go straight".

"I had thought about sweeping but straight was my safest option. I just went for it and it paid off. It all seemed to happen really quickly but I just connected with it and it went," she explained.

"All I remember is Reb [Rebecca Stokell] shouting at me to run but luckily the ball went over the line and we got the four runs. It was a great feeling to be able to do that for the team."

England had won the first two matches in the series by four wickets and 275 runs respectively but those reverses only provided added incentive for the Irish team, according to Dalzell.

"We pride ourselves as a group in being able to bounce back from defeats and take as much as we can from those matches," she said.

"We were really up for the game and the losses a couple of days previous made the win all the more special.

"I think we had a bit of confidence after the last Sri Lanka series, when we beat them, and this is going to boost our confidence even more, that we can compete against the top nations."

Dalzell hopes her heroics will act as a springboard to help her and the Irish team realise more of their ambitions.

"I just loved cricket as a kid and to be able to play cricket at a high level, even once, was a dream of mine," she added.

"It's really exciting to see where cricket could take me, what could potentially happen in the future.

"I could never have imagined that I'd be able to make a career out of cricket. Travelling the world and seeing different cultures is one of the most exciting aspects of it I think."

Ireland will next face England in two T20 matches in Clontarf on Saturday and Sunday.