Trent Johnston helped guide Ireland home against Kenya

Trent Johnston says Ireland have qualified for next year's Twenty20 World Cup despite poor batting in this week's qualifier in Belfast.

Ireland guaranteed themselves a place in England next year by beating Kenya in Monday's qualifier semi-finals.

But it was another struggling batting effort before they clinched a final-clash with Holland on Tuesday.

"Our batting has been hugely disappointing. There were quite a few silly shots played," said Johnston.

After bowling Kenya out for a modest 67, the Irish endured several nervous moments before reaching 72-6 with five balls to spare.

After slipping to 49-6, Johnston and Kevin O'Brien steered the Irish over the line in the final over.

"The good teams, the clinical teams will close out those games with eight wickets in hand. We didn't do that," former Ireland skipper Johnston told BBC Sport.

"I just said to Kev:'We're going to get a bad ball and when we do, we're going to put it away'.

"Also, we just picked off the ones and twos and I just hope the guys who were sitting in the hutch could realise how easy it was to do that.

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"The Kenyans did bowl well but they are not really the kind of bowling team that should have had us struggling to get 68 off 20 overs."

Johnston acknowledged that he was "a little surprised" to see the Netherlands defeating Scotland in Monday's second semi-final.

However, he pointed out that the Dutch team includes the talented Essex player Ryan ten Doeschate who returned figures of 3-23 and then hit a vital 24 as the Scots were defeated.

"Ryan ten Doeschate is, in my opinion, probably the best player in associate cricket, outside of Andre Botha.

"He's a vital cog for their team."

Johnston is enjoying his return to the Ireland shirt after taking a break from international cricket earlier this year.

He has been delighted by the emergence of young players such as Alex Cusack and Peter Connell in recent months.

"Alex has come on and is now a senior member of the squad.

"I'm also hugely impressed by Peter Connell. He has been far and away the outstanding bowler of this tournament."