There was everything to play for in the 3rd and the final Women’s T20I series between Ireland and Pakistan. The Fatima Sana-led visitors were keen to avoid a whitewash, after already conceding the three-match T20I series courtesy of a 4-wicket defeat in the 2nd T20I.
On the other hand, the home side, led by skipper Gaby Lewis, who was making her 100th T20I appearance for Ireland, only the 2nd Irish player after Laura Delany to do so, were eyeing another white-ball clean sweep.
Both sides made one change each; Waheeda Akhtar replaced Sidra Amin for Pakistan, while the home side brought the off-spinner Freya Sargent, replacing Jane Maguire in the starting 11 for the final game of the series.
Orla Prendergast’s unbeaten fifty lifts Ireland to 155/4
The Ireland skipper, Gaby Lewis, won her first toss in the series and opted to bat first at Belfast. The Irish openers’ wicket-keeper batter Amy Hunter and skipper Gaby Lewis got their side off to a flying start, with a 52-run opening partnership. Rameen Shamim got the big scalp of the opposition skipper, Gaby Lewis (36 off 22 balls), on the penultimate ball of the powerplay to provide the much-needed first breakthrough for Pakistan.
A substantial run-a-ball 34-run partnership for the 2nd wicket between Amy Hunter (29 off 33 balls) and Orla Prendergast continued the momentum of the innings. The departure of Amy Hunter in the 12th over of the innings was followed by another crucial 35-run partnership for the 3rd wicket, between Leah Paul (11 off 13 balls) and Orla Prendergast, which not only took their total past the 120-run mark but also provided them with a solid platform for a power-packed finish.
Orla Prendergast (64* off 46 balls) switched gears and smashed 10 runs off the last three balls in the final over of the innings, bowled by the Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana to take Ireland’s total past the 150-run mark. She notched up her 9th half-century in the T20I format.
Sadia Iqbal (4-0-29-1), Rameen Shamim (3-0-18-1), Waheeda Akhtar (3-0-24-1) and skipper Fatima Sana (4-0-40-1) picked up a wicket each with the ball for Pakistan, while Nashra Sandhu (4-0-28-0) was impressive with the ball for her side.
Muneeba Ali smashes her 2nd T20I ton as Pakistan registers record run chase
Chasing a total of 156, the Pakistani openers Muneeba Ali led the charge alongside Shawaal Zulfiqar to get the visitors off to a flying start with a 33-run opening partnership. Ava Canning broke the stand, by sending Shawaal Zulfiqar back to the pavilion in the 4th over of the run chase to end her scratchy stay at the crease and provide the first breakthrough for Ireland.
Natalia Pervaiz joined Muneeba Ali at the crease, and the pair continued the momentum with a brisk 22-run partnership for the 2nd wicket, taking them past the 50-run mark. Lara McBride ended Natalia Pervaiz (9 off 5 balls), threatening a cameo to provide the 2nd breakthrough for her side on the final ball of the powerplay.
Aliya Riaz joined the opening batter Muneeba Ali, and the pair turned on the turbo charge mode to cruise through the run-chase courtesy of an unbeaten 101-run stand for the 3rd wicket to get over the line with 8 wickets in hand and 14 balls to spare to avoid a T20I whitewash.
The experienced wicket-keeper batter from Pakistan, Muneeba Ali (100* off 68 balls), also notched up her 2nd T20I century, staying unbeaten throughout the innings, scoring at an impressive strike rate of 147.06. Aliya Riaz (39* off 27 balls) also chipped in with a crucial contribution with the bat for Pakistan.
Ava Canning (2.4-0-17-1) and Lara McBride (3-0-29-1) were the only wicket-takers with the ball for Ireland. Muneeba Ali was awarded the Player of the Match for her sensational match-winning century (100* off 68 balls). Her knock included 14 boundaries and a maximum.
Orla Prendergast was awarded the Player of the Series for scoring 144 runs, including consecutive half-centuries with the bat and also picking up 4 wickets with the ball for her side in the three-match T20I series, playing a crucial role in helping her side clinch the T20I series (2-1) against Pakistan to continue their dominance in home conditions.
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