GEORGETOWN: Ireland were in the World Women T20 contest for eight overs after losing the toss. Then, they saw it sensationally slip away.
As is the case most times, a missed opportunity proved costly. Pakistan didn’t look back from there, blasting 110 off their last 12 overs to finish with a competitive 139. This was 38 too many for Ireland. The win kept Pakistan just about breathing in the competition after two heavy losses to Australia and India.
The beneficiary of the missed opportunity was Javeria Khan, the Pakistan captain. On nine at the start of the ninth over after Pakistan had limped to 29 for 1, she should’ve been caught at long-on, but Clare Shillington was five yards inside the ropes. When she finally backpedaled, it was too late. Celeste Raack, the Australia-born legspinner, was denied a wicket in her very first over. Javeria went on to make 74 not out, the highest score by a Pakistan batsman in a women’s T20I. Ireland’s chase never took off, and they were expertly tied into knots by Nashra Sandhu, the left-arm spinner. Left out for the game against India, 20-year-old returned to finish with 4-0-8-2. After managing only 36 for 2 in the Powerplay, it turned out that Ireland never quite had the muscle in the middle overs to pinch boundaries. Instead they chose to play ugly across-the-line swipes to either be bowled or lbw. Isobel Joyce’s 30 added the only touch of respectability for Ireland in what was a one-sided affair.
Scores: Pakistan 139 for 6 (Javeria 74*, O’Reilly 3-19) beat Ireland 101 for 9 (Isobel Joyce 30, Shillington 27, Sandhu 2-8, Riaz 2-16, Anwer 2-25) by 38 runs.
Meanwhile Alyssa Healy continued her stunning form with the bat to help Australia cruise into the semi-finals. A third consecutive half-century and a sixth in eight T20Is underpinned Australia’s strong but slightly underwhelming total given the platform set by Healy and her opening partner Beth Mooney.
But it proved too many for New Zealand, who without Suzie Bates’ lone hand of 48 may have fallen short by far more than they did. Australia’s innings stalled badly. Mooney holed out before Meg Lanning made a rare failure. Ash Gardner failed to rotate the strike adequately to leave Healy frustrated as she threw her wicket away on 53 from just 38 balls, bowled by Hannah Rowe stepping well outside her off stump trying to flick to leg.Scores: Australia 153 for 7 (Healy 53, Kasperek 3-25) beat New Zealand 120 (Bates 48, Schutt 3-12) by 33 runs.