Pakistan (226-5, 47.1 overs) (Sadaf Shamas 72, Bismah Maroof 57; Eimear Richardson 2-45) beat Ireland (225 all out, 49.5 overs) (Leah Paul 65, Amy Hunter 41; Ghulam Fatima 5-34) by five wickets. Pakistan win the ODI series 3-0. Scorecard here.
Pakistan saw off Ireland by five wickets in the final One Day International of the series to secure a 3-0 whitewash win at the Gaddafi Stadium. In what was Ireland’s best performance of the series, Leah Paul and Gaby Lewis returned to form with the bat as Amy Hunter once again put up a solid score, but a middle-order collapse coupled with a strong Pakistan chase ultimately saw the hosts prevail in Lahore.
Ireland batted first and got their best opening stand of the tour from Lewis and Paul, the latter bringing up her third ODI half-century in a knock that featured six boundaries. Of the two, Lewis (39) fell first, giving Ghulam Fatima her first of five scalps in a stellar bowling display that saw her named player-of-the-match.
Along with Lewis, Fatima had Hunter and Laura Delany stumped, bowled Orla Prendergast and induced a catch off Eimear Richardson to remove five of Ireland’s top six and severely dent their hopes of posting a big score. From a position of 149-1 off 33.2 overs, Ireland only added a further 76 runs for the final nine wickets.
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In response, the Pakistan chase wasn’t as smooth as they would have hoped, Ireland removing both openers in the first ten overs to stem the momentum that has been coming from the top of the order all series. Prendergast and Jane Maguire both struck early, reducing the hosts to 28-2.
Prendergast was particularly miserly with her opening spell, conceding just 11 runs off her four overs for an economy of 2.75.
Pakistan countered with a third wicket partnership of 124 between Sadaf Shamas (72) and skipper Bismah Marood (57). It was only when two wickets fell for just 11 runs that both were dismissed, Richardson and Rachel Delaney getting in on the act with the ball, but despite the late Irish fightback, Richardson added just one sole further wicket as Pakistan recovered to reach the total in the 48th over with five wickets to spare.
With the ODIs now completed, a three-match T20 series will now take place as both sides ramp up preparation ahead of next February’s T20 World Cup.
