THEY are nations from opposite sides of the world chasing the same goal, and Townsville could play a pivotal role in their Test cricket dreams.

Ireland and Papua New Guinea will clash in a four-day match at Tony Ireland Stadium starting Sunday as part of the 2015-17 Intercontinental Cricket Cup, which will see the tournament winner eventually play for the right to become an official Test nation.

PNG have won at Tony Ireland Stadium before, beating Hong Kong in an international four-day series in late 2014, and they also have three Townsville-based players in their squad who know the Riverway venue inside and out.

But Irish fast bowler Craig Young said his team had the quality and experience to take the Emerald Isle’s Test cricket dreams closer to reality.

“You could probably say our batting is our strength, but we’re a pretty well-balance side at the moment,” he said.

“There are a bit of overcast conditions here, so hopefully we get the ball to talk a little bit in the morning, but if not our batters will get stuck in and we’ll be ready to go no matter what happens.

“I know when I was a kid I wouldn’t have thought we’d be in with a chance of playing Test cricket, but it’s there now.

“Test status is something we want to achieve, and I can promise you that’s where we want the pinnacle of our careers to be at.”

Ireland currently sit second on the Intercontinental Cup standing behind The Netherlands, with PNG in fifth, although there are still four more rounds to play and PNG could make a big move up the standings with victory next week.

PNG Barramundis captain Jack Vare-Kevere said his team was ready for the Irish challenge.

“They (Ireland) have a strong batting line-up, but we’ve been preparing well and we’ve got a few, so hopefully it works out and we come up strong again,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to this challenge and the opportunity.”

PNG coach and former New Zealand Test international Dipak Patel said his team had the ability to flourish in the longer format.

“It will be more about mental endurance than physical, certainly for our boys,” he said.

“They’ve been brought up on a diet of T20 cricket basically, so playing four-day cricket is a huge challenge for us and every game we’ve improved.

“We’re very good for two days no question about it, and we’re probably as good and on occasion we’ve been better than the other teams, but finishing the job will be the key.”

The four day fixture will be followed by three Twenty20 matches at Tony Ireland on February 6, 7 and 9.

Minister for International Development and the Pacific Steven Ciobo and local MP Ewen Jones also announced Australia’s continuing support to Pacific cricket through the Australian Government’s Pacific Sports Partnership program, providing $780,000 to Cricket Australia over the next two years to support Pacific nations.

“It puts Townsville back on the map, it tells people we have a great facility here and Cricket Australia know it’s a great facility,” Townsville Cricket president Peter Fry said.

“But it’s also good for local cricketers to see international cricket, which is only going to strengthen what we do.”

The four-day action starts each day from 10am and finishes around 5pm.