Ireland claim first-ever Women’s World T20 win a day after men’s epic India upset

Just 24 hours after the Irish men’s team stunned India by 34 runs in Bristol to record their first T20I win over the Asian giants, the country’s women made history of their own by securing their first ever Women’s World T20 win. Ireland, who have suffered 21 consecutive defeats since their debut in the tournament in 2014, finally broke the streak with a comprehensive six-wicket win over West Indies.

The result not only marked a landmark for Irish cricket but also changed the order of the group stage. Ireland may already be out of semi-final contention, but their victory gave New Zealand a golden opportunity to progress. If the White Ferns win their final group stage match, they and England will progress to the last four. West Indies, meanwhile, are no longer in control of their own destiny and must now rely on England beating New Zealand to keep their elimination hopes alive.

U20 Women’s World Cup Ireland vs. West Indies: Highlights | Scorecard

The architect of Ireland’s historic triumph was Orla Prendergast, who produced an outstanding all-round performance after contributing with both bat and ball. The 23-year-old continued her impressive run against the Caribbean side when she made an unbeaten 71 against them during the recent T20I tri-series in Dublin.

IRISH BOWLERS KEEP WEST INDIES HUNGRY

Asked to bowl first, Ireland produced one of their most disciplined performances at the Women’s World T20, restricting West Indies to 128/7 from their 20 overs. The Caribbean side went into the contest knowing that a win would greatly boost their chances of progressing to the semi-finals, but struggled to gain momentum against Ireland’s relentless bowling attack.

Captain Hayley Matthews made 22 while Deandra Dottin chipped in with 21 before both were dismissed in the crucial stages. Veteran Stafanie Taylor added 16 but the West Indies failed to put together a substantial partnership as Ireland struck at regular intervals. Chinelle Henry provided late resistance with an unbeaten 27 off 21 balls to help her side clear the 125-run mark while the batting unit also benefited from 14 bonus overs.

Cara Murray led the bowling effort with excellent figures of 2/13 from her four overs as she applied the brakes during the middle stages. Aimee Maguire also claimed two wickets while Jane Maguire, Arlene Kelly and Prendergast chipped in with a scalp each to keep Ireland chasing a manageable target of 129.

PRENDERGAST ANCHORS HISTORICAL CHASE

Ireland’s chase suffered an early setback when skipper Gaby Lewis fell for just nine in the fifth over, but Amy Hunter and Prendergast ensured there was no panic. Hunter played a supporting role with a composed 28 off 32 deliveries as the pair added 62 runs for the second wicket to get the chase back on track.

Prendergast then switched gears and attacked the West Indian bowlers with a fluent 63 from just 44 balls. Her innings featured eight fours and two sixes and came with a strike rate of 143.18, effectively taking the game away from the opposition. Even after her dismissal in the 16th over, Ireland needed just 21 more runs.

Rebecca Stokell remained calm under the pressure to finish unbeaten on 16, while Louise Little hit a winning boundary to seal victory with 11 balls to spare. Ashmini Munisar was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with figures of 2/28 while Hayley Matthews and Afy Fletcher took a wicket each.

It was years in the making for Ireland to win, a long-awaited breakthrough that ended a huge losing streak at the Women’s T20 World Cup and capped a memorable weekend for Irish cricket after the men’s famous triumph over India.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

27 Jun 2026 22:40 IST