Fresh off a white-ball whitewash against Zimbabwe, the Gaby Lewis-led Ireland side, running high on confidence, gears themselves up for hosting Pakistan, led by skipper Fatima Sana, for a three-match T20I series.
Skipper Fatima Sana returns T20I-best to keep Ireland in check
The visiting skipper Fatima Sana got her side off to a dream start by dismissing the opposition skipper, Gaby Lewis, cheaply, in the 3rd over of the innings, after opting to bowl first on winning the toss in the 1st T20I at Dublin.
Orla Prendergast joined wicket-keeper batter Amy Hunter at the crease, and the duo staged a fightback with a crucial 45-run partnership for the 2nd wicket, to take their side past the 50-run mark. Substantial partnerships of 20 for the 3rd wicket between Leah Paul and Orla Prendergast, followed by another quick-fire 25-run stand for the 4th wicket between Leah Paul and Laura Delany, took them past the three-figure mark.
Leah Paul (28 off 19 balls) departed in the 15th over of the innings. The experienced Saida Iqbal stepped up to provide the 4th breakthrough for Pakistan. The home side at 108/4 with more than five overs to go, was poised for a strong finish. However, a collapse triggered by Fatima Sana saw Ireland bundle out for 142, with a couple of balls to spare. The Irish lost their last six wickets for just 34 runs.
Orla Prendergast (29 off 26 balls), Laura Delany (16 off 15 balls), and Rebecca Stokell (12 off 10 balls) chipped in with vital contributions with the bat for Ireland. Fatima Sana (4-0-26-4) was the standout performer with the ball for Pakistan. Nashra Sandhu (4-0-21-1), Sadia Iqbal (4-0-27-1), and Rameen Shamim (4-0-28-1) kept the lid on the scoring rate with tight spells for their side.
Ireland pacers deliver choking spells to go 1-0 up in the T20I series
Defending a total of 143, Ireland’s new-ball bowlers came out with a spring in their step, removing both the Pakistani openers inside the powerplay. Aliya Riaz, playing her 100th T20I for Pakistan, joined Sidra Amin at the crease, and the duo led some sort of a recovery with a much-needed 20-run partnership for the 3rd wicket, taking their side closer to the 50-run mark.
The home side struck back with a couple of quick wickets, removing both the set batters, Sidra Amin (15 off 15 balls) and Aliya Riaz (14 off 23 balls), reducing Pakistan to 42/4 in the 10th over of the run chase. The visitors failed to regain momentum in the run chase, despite a late surge from the lower middle-order, Natalia Pervaiz (29 off 23 balls), skipper Fatima Sana (14 off 7 balls), and Rameen Shamim (27 off 20 balls). Pakistan was eventually restricted to 131/9 in their quota of 20 overs, falling 11 runs short of the target.
Orla Prendergast (4-0-28-3), Ava Canning (4-1-9-1) and Jane Maguire (4-0-20-2) were sensational with the ball for Ireland, while Cara Murray (4-0-30-1) and Lara McBride (2-0-14-1) played their part.
Orla Prendergast was awarded the Player of the Match for her impressive all-round contributions, scoring 29 (26 balls) and returning with match figures (4-0-28-3) in her spell with the ball for her side, playing a crucial role alongside her fellow pacers to give Ireland a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.
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