Women's World Twenty20: Pakistan condemn Ireland to second defeat of tournament
- From the section Women's Cricket
| ICC Women's World Twenty20, Guyana |
| Pakistan 139-6 (20 overs): Javeria 74*; O'Reilly 3-19 |
| Ireland 101-9 (20 overs): I Joyce 30; Nashra 2-8 |
| Pakistan won by 38 runs |
| Scorecard |
Ireland suffered their second defeat from two games in the Women's World T20 with a 38-run loss to Pakistan.
Pakistan captain Javeria Khan hit a brilliant 52-ball 74 not out as her side made 139-6 from their 20 overs.
Clare Shillington got Ireland's chase off to a quick start with 27 from 25 balls but they struggled to score off Pakistan's spinners and ended on 101-9.
Ireland remain bottom of Group B after the defeat while Pakistan's first win of the tournament keeps them third.
The match in Guyana presented Ireland with their most realistic chance of a win in the tournament, which would be their first in a World T20.
Ireland are the lowest-ranked team in the tournament at 10th in the world with Pakistan the next lowest in Group B at seventh.
After winning the toss, Pakistan posted their highest total in a World T20 largely thanks to the brilliance of Javeria. Their next highest scorer was opener Ayesha Zafar with 21.
Ireland were 32-1 after five overs but after Shillington was bowled by Nashra playing across the line Ireland were always behind the required run-rate despite 30 from Isobel Joyce.
Ireland fall well short
Ireland had made a good start with the ball as they restricted Pakistan to 20-1 at the end of the six-over powerplay with seamer Lucy O'Reilly in particular impressing.
But in the ninth over Ireland missed an opportunity to dismiss Javeria which proved crucial.
The Pakistan captain hit a shot in the air to long-on where Shillington should have taken a catch but she misjudged the ball's flight and ran in, and, despite an attempt to backpedal, the ball bounced once just inside the boundary before going for four.
At that point Javeria had nine from 16 deliveries but she went on to hit the highest score by a Pakistan player in a Women's World T20 with 11 boundaries.
One positive in the bowling performance from Ireland was the display of O'Reilly who took three wickets in the final over to finish with 3-19.
When Shillington was at the crease in the run chase it looked like Ireland had a chance but the opener fell Ireland lost wickets at regular intervals and failed to find the boundary often enough.
Nashra finished with outstanding figures of 2-8 from four overs while leg-spinner Sana Mir, plus seamers Aiman Anwer and Aliya Riaz all took two wickets each.
