LAURA DELANY produced a superb spell of 3-17 to lead Ireland to a 5-0 clean sweep of their T20 international series at the Harare Sports Club as Zimbabwe imploded spectacularly to lose by 14 runs.

At 99-1, chasing a modest Ireland total of 138-7, the home side were odds on to secure a consolation win but Orla Prendergast sparked the collapse with two wickets in her third over and another in her last for figures of 3-24.

Delany, bowling the nagging stump-to-stump line that made her leading wicket taker in the series, also took three wickets in two overs, as Zimbabwe slumped to 106-7, and were easily held to 124-8 at the end of their 20 overs.

Put into bat, Ireland lost in-form Amy Hunter in the third over, before Gaby Lewis and Prendergast, the pair who had seen the Girls in Green to a nine-wicket victory in Thursday evening’s eight-over game, built a solid base to the innings with a stand of 64.

Opener Lewis struck seven fours in her 42 from 33 balls while Prendergast cleared the ropes three times as she returned the same score from one more delivery.

When skipper Delany was third out for 18, her side were well placed for a late push on 105-3 but Prendergast fell two balls later and none of the lower order reached double figures as only 33 came from the final five overs.

The squad will fly home this weekend having emulated the Ireland men’s feat before Christmas of winning both ODI and T20 series on Zimbabwe soil.

The progress they have made in the past couple of years under coach Ed Joyce is visible, with youngsters like Leinster teenage wicketkeeper Joanna Loughran, who made her debut yesterday, (FRI) starting to push the established members of a still very young side.