Ireland finished their World Cup odyssey today with a game against the juggernaut that is India.Taking wickets has been a struggle throughout the campaign and it was no different today as Smirti Mandhana and Shafali Verma added 62 for the first and Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur another 52 before the second wicket fell at 114. Two in two for skipper Delany and ditto for Orla Prendergast in the nineteenth over, what would Ireland have given for those wickets earlier in the innings. They had their chances as it was another day when more were dropped than held. Of those that were, two were quite special, Amy Hunter diving forward at deep square to remove Verma and another stunner from Prendergast who made ground and dived to hold the catch from Kaur. Late wickets for Ireland but that couldn't stop India posting a challenging 155 in their twenty overs. Ireland's reply started in disastrous fashion with Amy Hunter run out by a distance answering Lewis' improbable call of 'two'. To make matters worse Orla Prendergast advanced to seamer Renuka Thakur, played inside it and the ball hit the top of off stump. Skipper Delany found the boundary off the sixth delivery and Ireland were 5 for 2 wickets at the end of the opening over. Gaby Lewis and Laura Delany set about the recovery and posted a fifty partnership, not without risk, before rain forced a delay with India 5 runs ahead on DLS. And that was how it ended, as the rain did not relent in time to allow a resumption of play. Ireland disappointed not to get back on the pitch, as a reduced target would have been to their advantage, putting less pressure on their middle and late order batting line up which has wilted in previous games. Oh so close to a famous win but in the end a bit of a damp squib on a day that started in glorious sunshine.

Ireland won the Toss and opted to bat but lost Amy Hunter with just a single on the board - a swing across the line and a top edge lobbing to mid wicket. Orla Prendergast has looked head and shoulders above the rest of the batting line up in terms of her timing and clean striking of the ball, and today was no exception. She scored 61 that included 6x4 and 1x6 off only 47 deliveries in a partnership with Lewis worth 90 off 67. Lewis found her rhythm after a slow start, and when she was third out the score had reached 116. A sorry but familiar tale thereafter, as noted by commentator Ian Bishop, as not for the first time the innings petered out, well short of what looked possible for three-quarters of the way through the 20 overs. West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews was dropped off a straighforward chance at backward point when only 8 and she had moved on to 31 at the Drinks break - the Windies 58/2 at that point. Ireland were not at their best in the field, missing a couple of run-out chances and gifting a couple of boundaries with misfields that helped keep the Windies in the game. Matthews moved to her half-century off only 40 deliveries and when she was dropped twice more one sensed that it was not to be Ireland's night. Was it the batting, the bowling or the fielding that cost Ireland the game? One could make the case for each, or indeed all three, but one thing is certain - Orla Prendergast deserved better than to finish on the losing side.

A maiden century for Muneeba Ali, the first in the Tournament was more than enough to see Pakistan to a revenge victory in Cape Town. In partnership with Nida Dar 101 runs were added, with Ireland neither looking like taking a wicket, nor able to stop the singles flowing. There were two wickets for Arlene Kelly in the twentieth over, but by then it mattered little. Not a great day in the field either for the Girls in Green who missed more than one chance. The Pakistan total was a formidable one and given the nature of the Newlands pitch, slow with some spin and 'tennis ball' bounce, the danger of coming down the wicket and not getting to the pitch of the ball was an ever present one. Orla Prendergast again showed what a clean hitter of the ball she is and Eimear Richardson worked the ball into spaces to find the boundary five times, but it was mission impossible for the others whose departures were as disappointing as they were predictable given the situation. Ireland face the West Indies on Friday, again at Newlands, and again under the lights, so hopefully lessons learned tonight will prove useful as they seek their first win in the Tournament.

Ireland battled bravely but a horror collapse put paid to any chance of Ed Joyce's side pulling off a shock against England. Gaby Lewis top scored with an even time 36 as the Irish reached 80 for 2, before the wheels came off against the English triumvirate of spinners, as eight wickets fell for 25 runs. Orla Prendergast struck in the first over of the chase, but Alice Capsey hit 10 fours and a six as she made a T20 World Cup equaling record half century from just 21 deliveries. Her dismissal sparked a collapse with Cara Murray's lack of pace causing trouble, taking 3 for 15 as England limped to the four-wicket win. Next up for Ireland is Pakistan on Wednesday.

What a win for the Girls in Green! Australia won the Toss and elected to bat, but the perfect start for Ireland with Orla Prendergast bowling Beth Mooney first ball of the match! Tahlia McGrath joined Alyssa Healy at the crease and it was 'normal sevice resumed' as both raced along to their half-centuries, and it was no surprise to then see both Tahlia McGrath and Alyssa Healy 'retiring hurt' - nothing too serious for either I would imagine! Arlene Kelly had Grace Harris caught, making it the second 'duck' of the day by an Aussie and Orla Prendergast finished with figures of 2-19 from her four overs, yorking Meg Lanning in the twentieth over. Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis started the chase but Lewis fell lbw to Jess Jonassen for only 11 and Hunter, who had started at a gallop with 26 off only 14 deliveries was caught, failing to clear mid-off in the next over. Orla Prendergast went on the counter attack, taking 13 off a Jess Jonassen's over but was caught off Tahlia McGrath's first delivery. And when Eimear Richardson was out in the tenth over the steam may just have been taken out of Ireland's chase. Ireland were well up with the rate but needed to keep it going at better than a run-a-ball from here. Elysse Perry helped Ireland's cause with her two overs costing 34! Louise Little was stumped off the legspin of Alana King and skipper Delany was bowled next over. The experienced Megan Schutt returned for the nineteenth over and bowled Mary Waldron leaving Ireland needing 9 off the final Tahlia McGrath over and they got them with two balls to spare!

So close to a win for Ireland who needed four off the final over only to fall three runs short of a famous victory. Ireland had asked Sri Lanka to bat first in this first of two ‘official’ warmup matches, the game listed as 15-a-side (11 batting, 11 bowling). Sri Lanka had moved to 71/1 at the halfway stage and were 133 before Eimear Richardson picked up the wicket of Gunaratne with the final delivery of her four over spell. There were three twentieth over wickets for skipper Laura Delany as Sri Lanka set Ireland a target of 150 to win. There was a flying start to the reply by Gaby Lewis who found the boundary with ease but lost partner Amy Hunter who was bowled for 5. Ireland lost a second in the Powerplay as Prendergast departed, but it was still a decent start to a tough chase. Just when it looked as if Ireland were getting on top they lost two quick wickets, as Lewis and Richardson departed in quick succession. Ireland were 73/4 at the halfway point, up with the asking rate and with skipper Laura Delany and Louise Little in the middle. Two balls later the Drinks break had claimed Little, stumped for 11 to give Ranasinghe her third wicket. A tough but doable 49 needed off six overs became tougher when Delany was run out but Ireland were right back in the game when 15 came from the 16th over with Leah Paul and Arlene Kelly striking some lusty blows. A six from Kelly and suddenly Ireland were favourites only 15 needed off 15 balls. Arlene Kelly hit another six taking 11 off the penultimate over to leaves just four needed from the last. A dramatic start as Cara Murray is trapped lbw to leave 3 needed off 3 balls. With last batter Jane Maguire at the crease it was heartbreak as Kelly was run out off the penultimate ball trying to get the strike. So near but yet so far. Next up it's Australia on Wednesday for the Girls in Green. Warmups don't come much tougher than that but they will be heartened by today's performance with the bat.

Three wickets for Leah Paul and an unbeaten 49 by Orla Prendergast led Ireland to a morale boosting eight-wicket win over Bangladesh in their unofficial T20 World Cup warm-up game. Left-arm spinner Paul claimed 3 for 17, while there was a wicket apiece for Jane Maguire (1-11), skipper Laura Delany (1-18) and Cara Murray (1-18) as Bangladesh posted 120 for 6. The continued absence of regular T20 opener Amy Hunter with her thumb injury sustained in the U19 World Cup saw Eimear Richardson promoted to open the innings and the move was a successful one. Richardson hit five fours and a six in a breezy 34 from just 24 balls, dominating an opening stand of 50 with Gaby Lewis (18), before both fell in quick succession. Orla Prendergast took up the mantle as she hit seven boundaries in an unbeaten 49 from 39 deliveries, adding an unbroken 67 with Laura Delany (19*) as the Irish sealed the win with seven balls to spare. Ed Joyce's squad play their first official warm-up match on Monday against Sri Lanka (8am GMT).

Ireland Women's delayed first warm-up game against Bangladesh turned into a farce after Ed Joyce's side were forced to borrow three players from the opposition in order to get a fully fit side out on the park. The Irish have been hit by tummy troubles which saw the original date pushed back 24 hours. Hopefully there will be 'runs' of a different kind when they start their campaign in earnest on February 13th. Star player Gaby Lewis went for a three ball duck - one of four wickets for Jahanara Alam - who also dismissed skipper Laura Delany second ball. Orla Prendergast struck five boundaries as she top-scored with a run-a-ball 36, while Mary Waldron made 21 from 34 balls. Ruhana Ahmed's unbeaten 17 was the other double figure score in Ireland's 94 for 7. Bangladesh's Khatun made 35 in an opening stand of 54 before retiring to give others a chance to get some middle practice. Laura Delany (2-14) and Georgina Dempsey (2-5) brought respectability to the outcome with a brace apiece, but Bangladesh clinched the low-key win with five wickets and ten balls to spare. The sides will meet again on Friday, when hopefully both will be at full strength.