West Indies beat Ireland with thrilling chase

Captain Hayley Matthews struck an unbeaten 63 to help West Indies beat Ireland with one ball to spare to keep their slim hopes of making the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals alive.

Earlier, Orla Prendergast had hit 61 off 47 balls as Ireland posted 137-9.

Ireland, who looked like favourites at the halfway stage, were eliminated with the defeat in Cape Town.

West Indies must beat Pakistan by a large margin in their last game on Sunday to improve their net run-rate – and also need one of England or India to lose both of their remaining games to have any chance of qualifying in second place.

Ireland were hoping to record their first ever T20 World Cup win, having lost all of their previous 14 matches, and were anchored by Prendergast and Gaby Lewis’ (38) 90-run partnership.

At 115-2 after 15 overs they looked set for a menacing total, but added just 22 more runs for seven wickets across the final 30 deliveries.

West Indies’ Matthews was dropped on nine by Amy Hunter at backward point in the fifth over and it was an error which proved to be costly.

Alongside Chinelle Henry (34) Matthews built a 74-run partnership before Ireland rallied in the final overs.

Needing two runs from the final two deliveries Matthews carved Ireland skipper Laura Delany through the covers for four to end West Indies’ 15-match T20 international losing streak.

‘A complete team effort’ – what they said

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews: “Massively tense. With the batting we knew someone would have to take it deep. It was a good effort in the end that we were able to get to the total.

“When there’s so much happening you can lose your mind a bit. It was a complete team effort to chase it.

“These are the times that will show us how we are as a team and we have to stick together through the wins and losses.”

Ireland captain Laura Delany: “There will have been nerves in the field because it is a lot of the girls’ first World Cups, but we’ve practiced better than that.

“We were probably around 30 runs short. It is a tough one. We’ve got a really young side, and there will definitely be nerves there, and would have been in the second innings, but we know we’re definitely better than that.

“The best is yet to come.”