Ireland snap 12-year drought in memorable T20 World Cup moment
Updated . First published
Ireland go home no longer burdened by its T20 World Cup losing streak, snapping a 0-21 losing streak across five tournaments going back 12 years.
The women limited the West Indies to 7-128 and added to an historic 24 hours for Irish cricket after the men knocked off India for the first time in a T20 in Belfast.
Ireland breaks a losing streak of over 12 years. Matthew Lewis
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 4-129 with 11 balls remaining.
“(Winning) 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.”
The West Indies struggled to get much going on a sticky pitch, especially against Irish bowlers Cara Murray and Aimee Maguire.
Reigning champions New Zealand’s defence of the Women’s T20 World Cup crown was also over after losing to England by nine wickets at The Oval.
The Kiwis lost three of their five group games.
They received a surprising last-ditch lifeline to the semi-finals just hours earlier when Ireland defeated the West Indies in Bristol, but it wasn’t enough.
After New Zealand put up 6-163, England romped to 1-164 with 16 balls to spare on the back of Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s unbeaten 89 in front of 21,018 spectators, a tournament record for a group match.
Wyatt-Hodge flogged the New Zealand bowlers with her second fifty of the tournament beside her opening-night century.
She’s comfortably the event’s leading run-scorer with 282 and smashed the single World Cup runs record of 259 set by Australia’s Beth Mooney in 2020 with potentially two more games to play.
The other two semi finalists will be decided on Sunday night AEST from Australia, South Africa and India.
