Rebecca Stokell put her hand up to be Ireland's No 3 at the upcoming World Cup with a classy 60 not out as she steered her side to their highest successful chase in the shortest format. 

Victory by wickets was achieved with five balls to spare in a perfectly timed reply. Stokell came in at the fall of Alana Dalzell’s wicket in the fifth over and took advantage of being dropped on five to hit seven boundaries in her 42-ball innings. 

Amy Hunter had dominated the first wicket stand of 44 and also enjoyed a ‘life’ on 26 before going on to a fifth T20 half-century. She was caught on the boundary shortly afterwards for 56 off 44 balls but that only let in stand-in captain Orla Prendergast. 

Ireland still needed 41 off the last four overs but Stokell brought up her first T20 50 in the 17th over and the pair took 18 off the over. Prendergast hit three successive fours in the next over and although she was trapped leg before for 33, from just 17 balls, Stokell and Leah Paul saw Ireland to their first win of the Tri-Series.

Ireland’s catching, however, continues to be a talking point and three straightforward chances cost 85 runs which allowed Pakistan to total 176-6. 

Gull Feroza was dropped twice, the first on eight – she went on to score 32 - then Muneeba Ali was put down on 11 - she hit 65 off 41 with eight fours and three sixes, and at the end captain Fatima Sana was missed on 14. 

Alana Dalzell was the unlucky bowler on two occasions but she got the wicket of Ali in her second spell, Stokell making no mistake on the boundary.  

At one stage Pakistan were on course for 200 but excellent bowling at the death from Prendergast, who conceded only two runs in the final over, gave Ireland a fighting chance – and they took it. 

Now to try and get revenge for their opening game defeat by West Indies, when the teams meet again, back at Clontarf, on Monday.