Ireland's new opening bat Karen Young is nothing if not progressive. Last Sunday, on her international debut, she made 10, followed by 34 in her second match, and yesterday, as Ireland defeated Pakistan by 150 runs at Sydney Parade, Young celebrated her third cap with a century, blasting 120 runs off 157 balls in a superb innings which included 17 fours.

Young's "ton" is the highest yet by an Irish player in international women's cricket, surpassing Mary Pat Moore's 114 in 1995 and Miriam Grealey's 101 at Rush on Tuesday. And the stand of 182 which she shared with Caitriona Beggs - whose fine 60 was hit off 92 deliveries, including four fours - is a record for the second wicket for an Irish women's international team.

That Ireland took 269 for 4 off the 50 overs rather tells it like it was about the Pakistan attack, and their bowlers were not helped by some (to be kind) indifferent fielding. Sharmeen Khan did best, taking 2 for 39 off 9 overs; in all, nine bowlers were used, but obviously failed to stem the free-flowing Irish, as Grealey contributed an unbeaten 32 to add to the virtuosity of Young and Beggs.

Pakistan lost Sharmeen Khan - caught behind by Beggs off Saibh Young's bowling - with only seven runs on the board. The only double-figure contributions (and they were modest enough) came from Nazia Nazeer, Kiran Baluch, Zamurad Afzal and 12-year-old Sajjida Shah, while the last five batters could manage only seven runs between them.