Ireland secured their first win at a Women’s T20 World Cup as they beat semi-final hopefuls West Indies by six wickets with 11 balls to spare in Bristol.
The Irish ended a 0-21 losing streak across five tournaments going back 12 years.
West Indies would have qualified for the semi-finals if they had won. Instead, the defeat gave a lifeline to defending champions New Zealand.
The Kiwis would have progressed if they had beaten England later on Saturday. But with England, already semi-final bound, winning, West Indies go on to the final four instead.
Ireland limited West Indies to 128-7 and Orla Prendergast led the chase with a 44-ball 63.
She was caught 21 runs from victory but Rebecca Stokell and Louise Little finished it off with Little hitting the winning boundary over mid-on for 129-4.
Ireland’s Rebecca Stokell and Louise Little (right) celebrate following victory against West Indies
“[It] just means so much,” Prendergast said. “We have had the belief throughout but it had not come together just yet.
“Just so much relief to have that win and so much happiness.”
West Indies struggled to get much going on a sticky pitch, especially against Irish bowlers Cara Murray and Aimee Maguire.
Captain Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin hit a slow 22 and 21 and Chinelle Henry added a quickfire unbeaten 27 at the end. Irish mis-fields gave West Indies at least three boundaries.
Prendergast joined opener Amy Hunter in the fifth over and passed her score by the ninth. Hunter fed Prendergast the strike and they added 62 together.
Prendergast reached her second fifty of this World Cup off 36 balls and was given out on 56 but overturned that on review. She was caught at deep square leg in the 16th over but had done enough.
Pakistan finish with win
A fine all-round display from Ayesha Zafar helped Pakistan finish the T20 World Cup on a high note as they beat Netherlands by 37 runs in Bristol.
Ayesha scored 32 in a 94-run partnership with Gull Feroza as Pakistan made 126-6 from their 20 overs.
Ayesha’s 3-13 with the ball, with captain Fatima Sana chipping in with the final three wickets, helped to wrap up the win.
Having elected to bat, Pakistan were given a good start by Muneeba Ali (12), who hit a couple of boundaries off Iris Zwilling before the bowler got a measure of revenge, taking a simple catch off the bowling of Hannah Landheer.
Her opening partner Gull Feroza took a more measured approach early on, joined at the crease by Ayesha, who played the more attacking role.
Gull started to find her groove though, including two boundaries in a Landheer over to take Pakistan to 64-1 at the halfway stage in the innings.
Ayesha hit a six off Silver Siegers, only to fall the next delivery to bring an end to a 79-run stand. She chipped a simple chance off Siegers to sister Heather, going for 32.
Caroline de Lange removed Eyman Fatima for a duck, before Heather Siegers outfoxed Iram Javed, who was stumped for two.
Gull (63 not out) was watching the wickets fall from the other end, with Saira Jabeen holing out off Iris Zwilling for five before Tuba Hassan chipped in with an unbeaten seven in the final over to take Pakistan to 126-6 from their 20 overs.
Heather Siegers gave Netherlands the perfect start to the chase with a cut for four off the very first ball.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana celebrates
She added two more in a row from Sana’s first over but her fine cameo was ended by Diana Baig.
The Pakistan spinners restricted the run-rate, with the Dutch 54-2 after 10 overs.
Boundaries were proving elusive but Babette de Leede finally found a way through, hitting successive fours off Ayesha.
Ayesha came back with a double wicket maiden, trapping Robine Rijke (6) leg before and then having Sanya Khurana stumped for a duck.
Her next over effectively clinched the win for Pakistan, Saira Jabeen taking a brilliant catch to remove Frederique Overdijk before Ayesha and Muneeba Ali combined to run out Zwilling.
Fatima took three wickets – all bowled – in the 18th and last over, including Dutch top-scorer and captain De Leede on 30.
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