Ireland are determined to take the positives into their next game at the Women’s T20 World Cup after a powerful start and a strong finish in their opening game against England in Paarl

However, the middle 12 overs effectively settled the outcome and skipper Ireland Laura Delany admitted that England had outplayed them in both innings but, despite chasing just 106, the margin of victory was only four wickets and that will send Ireland into tomorrow’s winnable game against  Pakistan with confidence.

England were 70 for one after six overs but needed another 50 balls to reach their target as Cara Murray weaved her spell against some of the biggest names in world cricket.

The Waringstown leg spinner took three for 15 with Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Heather Knight, both bought yesterday at the auction for next month’s inaugural Women’s Premier League in India, her first two wickets.

Sciver-Brunt was caught at long-off by her NCU team-mate Amy Hunter and then bowled Knight in her next over before finishing it by beating wicket-keeper Amy Jones with the turn and the ball ballooned to cover.

“It was an amazing spell,” said all-rounder Orla Prendergast afterwards. “Cara has been in tremendous form coming into the game and has taken three big scalps. She has been doing a lot of work with our Nathan Horitiz, our new spin bowling coach and it’s great to see it come off and hopefully she can carry it into the next game.”

Unfortunately anything Murray could do, the England spinners could do just as well and from 80 for two, Ireland collapsed to 105 all out in the space of just six overs, bowled out with 10 balls unused.

Sophie Ecclestone started the slump by having Gaby Lewis caught at deep square leg and next ball Eimear Richardson was leg before. Lou Little prevented the hat-trick and in the next over hit off spinner Charlie Dean for the only six of the innings but she chipped the next ball to mid-off where Ecclestone took a fine diving catch.

The tail folded tamely as the three spinners finished with figures of eight for 58 from their 11 overs.

Yet, it had all started so promisingly after Delany won the toss. Lewis and Hunter took 18 off the first two overs of pace, forcing Knight, who admitted afterwards she was surprised that Ireland had come so hard at them, to turn to Ecclestone, the world’s number one T20 bowler.

It was Dean who made the breakthrough, having Hunter caught just short of the mid-wicket boundary but as is now customary with this Ireland team, they kept playing with intent and despite losing Prendergast in the ninth over, they were still on course for a total of 150, until the wickets started falling.

Although Prendergast again took a wicket in the first over, a couple of nervous overs from Jane Maguire and Richardson allowed England to take control of the reply with the destroyer in chief, 18-year-old Alice Capsey. With the help of 10 fours and a six, she became the third player to hit a 21-ball half-century off the Ireland attack at World Cups.

Arlene Kelly had her caught at long-off next ball, a superb diving effort by Leah Paul, but while the damage had been done, Ireland never gave up.

“They got away from us in the powerplay but to drag it back the way we did was extremely pleasing,” added Prendergast. “It’s something we talk a lot about, to show grit and determination, so to end up with as many wickets as we did we can take a lot of positives.”

 Ireland 105 (18.2 overs, G Lewis 36, O Prendergast 17, A Hunter 15, L Delany 12; S Ecclestone 3-13, S Glenn 3-19) England 107-6 (A Capsey 51; C Murray 3-15, O Prendergast 1-13, A Kelly 1-19). England won by 4 wickets.