Ireland (168-3; 20 overs) (Orla Prendergast 38, Gaby Lewis 32, Laura Delany 32; Tanya Ruma 1-12) beat Papua New Guinea (108-9; 20 overs) (Pauke Siaka 38*; Rachel Delany 2-2) by 60 runs. Scorecard here.
Ireland began their T20 World Cup qualifier preparation with a comfortable 60-run victory over Papua New Guinea in Dubai. The margin of victory could well have been greater had Gaby Lewis, Orla Prendergast and Laura Delany all not retired in the 30s to give opportunities to those down the order, Ireland at one point looking odds on for a score of 190+ only to end on 168-3 after their 20 overs.
In response, PNG did start their innings with a decent run rate, reaching 46 at the end of the powerplay, only for three wickets inside the first six overs to stall the momentum and keep Ireland as favourites. Once the field went back, Delany, Cara Murray and Jane Maguire in particular all thrived with scoreboard pressure and a lack of wickets in hand plaguing the chase, Ireland’s bowlers continually chipping away with dismissals to put the game beyond reach.
Pauke Siaka top scored with 38 not out as PNG limped to 108-9.
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Ireland’s newly-constructed top order continued to fire after skipper Delany won the toss and elected to bat. Orla Prendergast once again top scored and notched the highest strike rate, hitting six boundaries on her way to 38 off 21 balls before retiring. There was also a welcome return to international runs for Gaby Lewis as she hit an equally fluid 32 off 22.
Amy Hunter started off her innings well opening with Lewis, hitting two boundaries in her first five balls faced - the highlight a strong shot over mid on - only for boundaries to then dry up as she was stumped off the bowling of Tanya Ruma.
Laura Delany played her usual anchor role in the middle order, relying more on strike rotation than just boundaries - she hit two in her knock of 32 off 29 - before Mary Waldron found the rope twice in her late cameo of 15 off 11, albeit Ireland would have liked a greater return from their middle order in the last five overs than 28 runs.
Not that it mattered much to the overall result, Leah Paul, Prendergast and Jane Maguire all striking in the powerplay to leave PNG having to reconsolidate and vulnerable to scoreboard pressure.
In all, Ireland used nine bowlers in a bid to give the whole squad a run out, Rachel Delaney and Cara Murray the pick of the sizeable attack with figures of 2-2 and 2-12 respectively.
