They had different players stepping up in their victories, but no one had more impact than Orla Prendergast
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2024Ireland women completed a landmark 3-0 sweep of the T20I series in Bangladesh, clinching the final game of the series in a last-over thriller.Their victories over Bangladesh across the three games – by 12 runs, 47 runs and four wickets respectively – completed a superb turnaround after their 0-3 ODI-series blanking earlier in the tour. This morale-boosting series win in the subcontinent also came at the perfect time, with an ODI tour of India coming up in January 2025.Allrounder Orla Prendergast, Ireland’s star with the ball on the series, finished with ten wickets that included two three-fors and a career-best 4 for 22 in the final game.”We showed just how good a side we are in each of those three games,” Prendergast said while collecting the Player-of-the-Series award after Ireland’s nerve-racking chase. “And what a finish, that’s the best way to finish.”In every game we’ve played, different players have stood up and put their hands up. It’s a great place to be in our squad, to have so many good players throughout our batting line-up and so many bowlers who have come in and change the game.”
After sealing the series two nights earlier, Ireland needed a special performance from Laura Delany, their most experienced player and their former captain, to complete the sweep. Needing to score 15 off the final over, Delany hit a hat-trick of fours to finish the game with a ball to spare. The 31-year-old said the youngsters were inspiring her.”Delighted with how that last over went, but more so just delighted for the team,” Delany said. “We played some really good cricket in this T20I series and to finish it off with a win today just shows everyone what we’re capable of.”The youngsters inspire me. They’re fearless, their aggressive nature. It’s something I try and strive to emulate with my own game but plenty of work to do there. “For Ireland captain Gaby Lewis, who took over in October 2024, it was their success in foreign conditions that gave her the most joy.”We don’t often come to these subcontinent conditions so, any time we get out here, we just want to learn as much as possible and we’ve showed that this series,” she said. “We’ve got better, and that’s great to see.”
