Laura Delany

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews guided her team to their first win in the Women's T20 World Cup when they beat Ireland by six wickets with one ball to spare at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday.

Reigning champions and heavy tournament favourites Australia fell to a shock three-wicket defeat against Ireland in a Women's T20 World Cup warm-up game in Stellenbosch on Wednesday.

Cricket Ireland (CI) on Wednesday handed five part-time professional contracts and new non-retainer contracts to 11 of its female players.

Pakistan batter Asif Ali and Ireland all-rounder Laura Delany were on Tuesday named the ICC male and female players of the month for October.

Bangladesh on Thursday booked a berth for the Women's T20 World Cup to be held in Australia next year after reaching the final of the qualifying tournament with a four-wicket win over Ireland.

Bangladesh and Ireland booked spots at next year's women's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa after winning their semi-finals in the qualifying tournament on Friday. Bangladesh, who lost the toss and were put in to bat by opponents Thailand, posted a modest total of 113/5 but were able to defend it with a strong bowling performance to record an 11-run win, with Salma Khatun taking three wickets.

Big-hitting Pakistan batter Asif Ali was on Thursday nominated for the ICC Player of the Month award along with Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and Namibia's David Weise for the month of October.

World Cup winning-Australia captain Meg Lanning has used the extra time in hand amid the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a virtual batting class to Ireland women's cricket team.

Check live score, ball by ball commentary and scorecard of 2018 ICC Women's Twenty-20 World Cup match between India Women vs Ireland Women on Times of India.

In the third over, Smriti Mandhana stepped out and dispatched Ireland pacer Orla Prendergast's length delivery through cover point for her first boundary. It was the beginning of the Indian opener's domination over the Irish bowlers. For the next 75 minutes at the windswept St. George's Park in Gqeberha, the southpaw entertained with her career-best 87 (56b; 9x4; 3x6).

India will enter the game against the Irish as overwhelming favourites but skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is aware that her team cannot afford to take things for granted in this mega-event. India are on a roll having convincingly won their first two matches, including against arch-rivals Pakistan two days ago.

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana fired a scintillating 56-ball 87 to lift India to 155 for six in the must-win game against Ireland in Women's T20 World Cup in Gqeberha. Mandhana hit her T20I career-best score as she stood out with nine delectable fours and three sixes during her impressive knock.

Indian women's team, led by Smriti Mandhana in Harmanpreet Kaur's absence, will face Ireland in a three-match ODI series starting on January 10 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot. The series, part of the ICC Women’s Championship, follows India's successful series against West Indies. Matches will be broadcast on Sports18 and Jio Cinema in India.

England defeated neighbours Ireland by four wickets on Monday to register their second win of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa. The second consecutive victory placed them on top of Group B with four points above India. After bowling out Ireland for a meagre 105, England chased down the target in 14.2 overs.

Indian spinners produced yet another controlled performance to clinch a semi-final berth with a comfortable 52-run victory against Ireland in a group league encounter of the ICC Women's World T20 on Thursday.

Star opener Smriti Mandhana on Monday described the match-winning 87-run knock against Ireland as one of her toughest innings due to the difficult conditions at St George's Park. Thanks to Mandhana's career-best knock, India posted 155 for six after opting to bat first in their last group match of the Women's T20 World Cup. In their run chase, Ireland were 54 for two in 8.2 overs, when heavy rains stopped play. The DLS par score after 8.2 overs was 59, and Ireland were five runs short of that total.

Sri Lankan women's cricket team held their nerves to register a 14-run win over Ireland in the ICC World Twenty20 group match.

India made it to the semifinals of the Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa on the back of a five-run win over Ireland in their rain-hit last group game, which has raised the confidence of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur leading up to a likely semifinal against defending champoins Australia.

India's women look to continue their winning form against Ireland in the second ODI in Rajkot, with young players like Pratika Rawal and Tital Hasabnis stepping up in the absence of regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur. India seeks improved fielding and better execution to secure the series, while Ireland aims to make a comeback led by captain Gaby Lewis.

In the absence of Harmanpreet Kaur and Renuka Singh, Smriti Mandhana leads the Indian women's cricket team in their first bilateral series against Ireland. India looks to maintain their winning streak after recent victories against the West Indies, with notable performances expected from Harleen Deol, Pratika Rawal, and Jemimah Rodrigues.