Orla Pendergast celebrated her 24th birthday with a second superb innings in as many days at Clontarf on Monday night as Ireland squeezed to a one-run (DLS) victory over the West Indies in their third match of the T20 international series.

With the World Cup little more than a week away, back-to-back wins over two of the major cricket nations is a massive confidence boost and stand-in skipper Prendergast is hitting peak form with the bat.

The Pembroke all-rounder’s 71 not out from 46 balls — on the back of 33 from 17 against Pakistan — led Ireland’s reply to a modest West Indies total of 141-8.

After the Girls in Green had lost both openers in the first four balls, Rebecca Stokell, the Player of the Match on Sunday, gave Prendergast good support in a partnership of 57 for the third wicket.

But Stokell fell for 12 and she was quickly followed back to the pavilion by Leah Paul and Alice Tector before Prendergast brought up her half-century from 35 balls.

While the skipper kept her side within touching distance of the DLS requirement with 11 fours and a glorious six over long on, it was a thin edge for four by Louise Little off the first ball of the 15th over that actually won the game.

Before that boundary Ireland trailed by two runs on DLS, after it they were 99-5 and ahead by one, and rain prevented any further play.

If the result was close, the home side would have sensed it was their day when opening bowler Ava Canning removed Hayley Matthews second ball on the way to superb figures of 2-11 from four overs bowled off the reel.

The West Indies skipper had scored 82 not out as her side romped to victory over Ireland in the opening game of the series, and has so often beaten the Girls in Green almost singlehandedly that it was a decisive moment when she was caught behind for a single.

Spinner Lara McBride and Alana Dalzell took a wicket each while all-rounder Prendergast, enjoying her new role as first-change seamer and death bowler, claimed 2-26.

It was her day.