Ireland one win away from T20 World Cup after victory over Scotland

Ireland (164-3, 20 overs)(Gaby Lewis 66, Orla Prendergast 55*; Kathryn Bryce 1-27) beat Scotland (145-7, 20 overs)(Sarah Bryce 49; Jane Maguire 2-19) by 19 runs. Full scorecard here.

It was at times nervy, others scrappy, and dangerously hot throughout, but two half-centuries from Gaby Lewis and Orla Prendergast combined with Scotland wickets falling semi-regularly saw Ireland through to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup qualifiers after a 19-run win.

It leaves Laura Delany’s side just one win away from the global showpiece to be held in South Africa next year, Zimbabwe the opponents in a winner-takes-all clash on Friday.

A dangerous innings from Sarah Bryce had the potential to take the game away from Ireland in defence of their total of 164-3, but when she chipped Cara Murray to extra cover Scotland’s hopes suffered greatly and Arlene Kelly shut the door with her yorker-laden spell at the death.

Seán Moran: If you think this season needs an overhaul, take a glance backwards

---

When it comes to the 20-minute red card replacement, World Rugby should play it safe

---

Ken Early: FAI’s farcical search for an Ireland manager has an answer staring them in the face

---

The Schemozzle: Cork buck the trend against Kerry with promising start but still come up short

---

Delany won the toss at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday afternoon, opting to bat first as Lewis built on her innings against the USA to get Ireland off to a good start. At times her strike rate was in the 190s, her ability to find the boundary regularly - 13 in total by the end of her knock - ensuring Ireland cashed in on the powerplay despite Amy Hunter struggling to score as fluidly with 3 off 12 balls.

Once Hunter departed to Kathryn Bryce, Prendergast entered the fray and was happy for Lewis to remain the aggressor as her scoring rate dipped below a run a ball. Lewis was trapped in front by Abtaha Maqsood’s leg-spin and Ireland struggled to match her boundary momentum thereafter.

Delany came to the crease with Prendergast, the two running well between the wicket but the toil in the 40+ degree heat took its toll, both players visibly suffering severe exhaustion.

“It was hard work, especially when the field was spread, trying to run those twos,” explained Delany after the win. “These are the conditions, we don’t want to make excuses and need to get on with it. We batted really well.”

From overs 14-17 Ireland failed to find the boundary, Prendergast ending that drought when using her feet to flay Maqsood through extra cover three times in the 18th over. She climbed into a strong slog-sweep off Saskia Horley to bring up her half-century an over later, the late, much-needed injection helping Ireland to a total that looked beyond this Scotland team.

Not that Sarah Bryce, Kathryn’s younger sister, didn’t try. Like Lewis before her, she found regular boundaries with relative ease, good for a strike-rate of 140. But if she was Lewis’ parallel aggressor, Scotland didn’t have an anchor equivalent to Prendergast’s effort. Abbi Aitken-Drummond did what she could with a late array of ramps, sweeps and reverse-sweeps but a target of 28 required off the final over with six wickets down was too tall an order.

Earlier in the Scotland innings, Ireland’s powerplay efforts were good as Jane Maguire struck twice to leave Scotland chasing the game. Fielding in the heat was tricky, both Prendergast and Rebecca Stokell put chances down but other opportunities at critical times were taken, Kelly adding to her economical figures with a direct-hit run-out from mid-on.