Winning run hit by Isobel Joyce
A well-measured run chase by Ireland, led by star all-rounder Gaby Lewis and Captain Laura Delany, saw Ireland Women’s team defeat Bangladesh Women by 6 wickets at Pembroke Cricket Club today.
The Ireland captain won the toss earlier in the day and sent the opposition in to bat under warm Dublin skies.
Bangladesh made a solid start registering 47 runs in the 7th over before losing their first wicket to a brilliant piece of wicketkeeping skill by Mary Waldron, dismissing her opposite number Shamima Sultana for 30 runs (27 balls; 5 x fours).
The Bangladesh scoring rate slowed after the wicket, but a solid 30-run stand between Ayasha Rahman and Fargana Hoque Pinky ensured their side would at least put together a defendable total. Pinky was the outstanding batter for the visitors, striking balls to all parts of the ground with increasing positivity and ended the innings 66* off 47 balls (6 x fours, 2 x sixes).
Despite losing wickets, Pinky’s late flourish ensured the Bangladesh total crossed the 150-mark, ending up 151-4 from their 20 overs.
For Ireland, Ciara Metcalfe, Laura Delany and Eimear Richardson took one-wicket apiece, with Delany’s effort of 1-19 from 4 overs the stand-out.
Ireland’s response began in a controlled manner until the dismissal of Clare Shillington (21 off 22 balls; 4 x fours) with the score on 28-1 in the sixth over. Enter Gaby Lewis, the 17-year old Dubliner who plays for nearby YMCA Cricket Club. Lewis seemed to dominate the attack from the outset and rarely gave a chance. After losing her partner Cecelia Joyce (7 runs), Lewis combined with Captain Delany in a 93-run partnership from 57 balls. The two batters found the boundary regularly and kept the run rate required at a manageable rate.
Lewis brought up her second T20I half-century from just 30 balls before an unfortunate deflection off the bowlers hand ran Lewis out as she was backing up at the non-strikers end. Lewis’ 50 runs included seven fours and one six. Her innings today is the second time within a month she had passed the 50-mark, having scored 61 against the New Zealand White Ferns in June.
Delany was then joined by the experienced Isobel Joyce, and the pair continued the assault on the bowling, putting Ireland in a position of requiring 11 runs from the last over to win. A desperate mix-up on the 3rd ball of the over saw Delany run out (46 runs from 38 balls; 5 x fours), but Joyce kept a cool head and swept the fifth ball of the over to the boundary to tie up the scores. With one needed from the final ball Joyce then played a ball slowly into the covers and took a comfortable run – completing an excellent come-from-behind win for the women in green.
The series may have been lost 2-1 but the positivity and self-belief that the side gained from this victory will carry through into the upcoming Women’s World T20 Qualifier tournament, starting this week in the Netherlands.
Bangladesh fast bowler Jahanara Alam was named Player of the Series, after three great bowling performances, including taking her national sides first five-for in a T20I in the first game of the series at YMCA.
SCORECARD
Bangladesh 151-4 (20 overs; F Hoque 66*, S Sultana 30; L Delany 1-19, E Richardson 1-31)
Ireland 152-4 (20 overs; G Lewis 50, L Delany 46, I Joyce 22*; N Akter 1-20)
Ireland Women won by 6 wickets