Brief History of Ireland Women’s National Cricket Team
The Ireland women’s cricket team represents Ireland in international women’s cricket. Governed by Cricket Ireland, the team represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Historical highlights – Ireland Women’s National Cricket Team
Ireland made their One-Day International (ODI) debut in 1987 against Australia. The women’s team entered the international arena before their male counterparts, playing their first ODI in a three-match series against Australia in 1987. They lost all three games but were also involved in the 1988 World Cup in Australia.
In December 2018, Cricket Ireland offered professional contracts to women players for the first time. In April 2021, the ICC awarded permanent Test and ODI status to all full-member women’s teams.
Tournament Highlights – Ireland Women’s National Cricket Team
Women’s Cricket World Cup:
In the 1988 Women’s Cricket World Cup, hosted by Australia for the first time, Ireland finished fourth competing against Australia, England, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, in the group games. Both their wins in the tournament came against the Dutch side, but they lost their six matches against Australia, England, and New Zealand twice.
During the fifth edition of the Women’s ODI World Cup, hosted by England, things didn’t change significantly for Ireland. A total of eight teams played in that World Cup in the round-robin format. The Irish side won the same number of matches as they had in the 1988 World Cup, which was two, and lost five matches. Their first win came against Denmark, hammering them with a 70-run loss after scoring 234, whereas their second win came against the Netherlands while chasing 135.
For the first time, India hosted the World Cup, which was staged between two groups. Ireland was grouped with Australia, England, South Africa, Denmark, and Pakistan. They had a decent outing compared to their first two World Cups, winning two and losing as many, proceeding to the quarterfinal. Although their first game, against Australia, was washed out due to rain, they registered their first win in their second game against Denmark after folding them out for 56 while bowling first. They also registered a comprehensive win over Pakistan in their last league game, securing a spot in the quarterfinal. In their match against New Zealand, they lost by 139 runs, but their journey to the knockout provided a spark for the team.
New Zealand hosted the 2000 World Cup for the second time after 1982. The tournament was played between eight teams in a round-robin format. After a formidable outing in the last World Cup, Ireland had a forgettable tournament in 2000, winning only one match out of seven. Their only win in the tournament came against the Netherlands, winning by 41 runs, as they finished seventh in the tournament.
The eighth Women’s ODI World Cup was hosted by South Africa for the first time. It was played among eight teams in a round-robin format. After finishing second last in the previous World Cup, Ireland hoped to bounce back but ended up losing five matches, while their games against South Africa and Sri Lanka were washed out as Ireland finished at the bottom of the table.
World Cup Qualifiers:
It was the initial edition of what is now called the World Cup Qualifiers, held in the Netherlands, the tournament featured six countries competing in a round-robin format. Ireland was unbeaten, winning all their five matches to qualify for the 2005 World Cup in South Africa. They beat the West Indies in their first match after scoring only 84 while batting first but defended the total by bowling out the Windies for 52.
The second edition of the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers was hosted by South Africa with eight teams involved. The eight teams were divided into two groups of four. Ireland was part of Group B, which included Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and Scotland. They won two of their three matches, with their only loss coming against Pakistan in their first match. They finished second in the group with Pakistan topping Group B. They finished third in the tournament after securing a win against the Netherlands for third place but failed to qualify as the top two teams from each group.
The 2011 World Cup Qualifier was a ten-team tournament in Bangladesh to decide the final four qualifiers for the 2013 Women’s Cricket World Cup. The ten teams were divided into two groups. Ireland was part of Group B, involving West Indies, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Japan. Ireland finished fourth in the group, winning their only game against Japan and losing to the other three teams, failing to progress further. They finished sixth in the tournament in the matches for 5th-8th playoffs after securing a win against the Netherlands, chasing 140 and winning by four wickets.
The 2017 World Cup Qualifier was held in Sri Lanka, the final qualification process for the 2017 World Cup in England. The ten teams at the tournament were initially divided into two groups of five. The top three teams from each group progressed to the Super Six stage. Ireland was part of Group A and finished third in their group, proceeding further with two victories and the same number of losses. In the Super Six stage, they failed to win a single match, finishing at the bottom of the table and failing to qualify for the World Cup.
The host nation for the 2021 World Cup Qualifier was Zimbabwe, the fifth edition of the World Cup Qualifiers. The tournament involved ten teams, which were later divided into two groups. Ireland was part of Group A, finishing third in the group with one win and one loss. Their win came against the Dutch, and they lost to the West Indies. Their match against Sri Lanka was canceled and couldn’t proceed further, failing to make it to the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand.
T20 World Cup:
For the first time, the tournament had ten teams, which took place in Bangladesh, in 2014. The ten teams were divided into two groups. Ireland was part of Group A, which involved Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Pakistan. It was the first time that Ireland was part of the T20 World Cup, but unfortunately finished winless in the tournament, losing all four matches. Playing for the ninth-place playoff against Bangladesh, things didn’t turn around for them as they failed to chase a target of 107, getting dismantled for 89.
It was the second consecutive T20 World Cup for Ireland, but they finished last in their group. Isobel Joyce led Ireland during that World Cup in India. They lost their matches to New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.
It was the sixth edition of the T20 Women’s World Cup, and for the third consecutive time, Ireland made it to the T20 World Cup through qualifiers. For the second time, the World Cup was hosted by the West Indies. Laura Delany-led Ireland were part of Group B with teams involving India, Australia, New Zealand, and Pakistan. After making it to the T20 World Cup for the third consecutive time, the Irish team hoped for a better outing, but that wasn’t the case. They went on to lose all of their four matches, finishing at the bottom of their table in their respective group.
Hosted by South Africa, it was the eighth edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Ireland qualified for the World Cup through the Qualifiers alongside Bangladesh. They were part of Group 2 alongside England, India, West Indies, and Pakistan. Laura Delany led the side in the World Cup. They faced England in their initial match, scoring 105 batting first but couldn’t defend the total as England went on to win the match by four wickets. Ireland unfortunately couldn’t win a single match, losing all four in the group stage.
Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier:
The 2013 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier was hosted by Ireland. It was also the inaugural edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. Eight teams participated in the tournament, which were separated into two groups. Ireland was part of the second group alongside Sri Lanka, Canada, and Japan. The host nation went on to win two matches in the group stage and lose one. They started the tournament with a monumental 117-run win against Japan after scoring 170 batting first. They also registered their second win against Canada by 77 runs. Their only loss in the group stage came against Sri Lanka. They lost the semi-final against Pakistan after being folded for 54. They qualified for the 2014 T20 World Cup after securing a win against the Dutch by defending a target of 137, winning by two runs.
Isobel Joyce led the Ireland side in the 2015 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, hosted by Thailand. The eight teams were divided into two groups, with Ireland part of Group B. Ireland was ruthless in the group stages, winning all three matches against Zimbabwe, China, and the Netherlands respectively. It was a nail-biting final between Ireland and Bangladesh, with the Irish side emerging victorious as they registered a victory on the last ball of the match, chasing 106.
The third edition of the Women’s World Cup Qualifier was hosted by the Netherlands. A total of eight teams participated, which were divided into two groups. It was a similar outlook for the Irish side compared to the 2015 T20 World Cup Qualifiers, winning all their matches in the group stages and facing Bangladesh in the final. But this time, it was Bangladesh who won the final after posting a target of 123 and successfully defending it. Ireland was bowled out for 95 in the qualifiers’ final against Bangladesh but went on to qualify for the 2018 T20 World Cup.
The 2019 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier was held in Scotland. Laura Delany led the Irish side in the World Cup Qualifier. Part of Group B, the Irish side finished second in a group consisting of four teams. They won two matches, but the Thailand side hammered them with a stunning win. They lost the semi-final against Bangladesh in the tournament, failing to qualify for the World Cup.
The UAE hosted the 2022 World Cup Qualifier, with eight teams participating, which were divided into two groups. Ireland was part of Group A, which also consisted of Bangladesh, Scotland, and the United States of America. They qualified for the 2023 World Cup with two wins in the group stage and one loss, which they suffered against Bangladesh.
2024 was the second consecutive World Cup qualifier hosted by the United Arab Emirates, with ten teams participating. Laura Delany led the side for yet another World Cup qualifier. Ireland was unbeaten in Group B before Scotland ended their winning streak in the semi-final. Their hopes of qualifying for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh were demolished by Scotland.
European Championship:
Ireland’s performance in the initial edition was below par as they finished fourth in the tournament in 1989. The next year, they made a comeback, making it to the final and finishing as runners-up. In the 1991 European Championship, they finished third, failing to make it to their second consecutive final. In the 1995 and 1999 editions, they finished as runners-up, making it to three finals in their last four editions. In the 2001 edition, they won their first-ever European Championship after making it to the final three times before. The 2005 championship was the fourth time they finished as runners-up before winning it again in 2009.