By Aarav
A 59-ball 84 from Muneeba Ali turned a testing chase into a canter as Pakistan Women overhauled 156 with 14 balls to spare, beating Ireland Women by eight wickets in the series decider at Clontarf Cricket Club, Dublin, on August 10, 2025. Ireland had set up the game with 155/4 built around Orla Prendergast’s punchy 64 off 39, but Pakistan’s top order stayed a step ahead of the rate all evening to wrap up the tour with authority.
The Pakistan Women vs Ireland Women 3rd T20I 2025 had the makings of a tense scrap under lights. Instead, it showcased two batting statements at opposite ends of the contest: Prendergast’s clean-hitting platform in the afternoon, and Muneeba’s measured surge in the evening.
Ireland’s innings: Poise from Prendergast, pace up top
Sent in at Clontarf, Ireland started briskly. Amy Hunter (14) and Gaby Lewis (36) put on 50 in just 34 balls, giving the hosts exactly the powerplay they wanted. They reached 50 in 5.2 overs with only one down, minimizing early damage while keeping boundaries coming through the V and behind point.
Prendergast took charge once Lewis departed. Her 64 off 39 blended timing with intent—six fours, plenty of strike rotation, and smart targeting of the shorter square boundaries. She was happy to use the crease against pace, then step inside the line to work leg-side gaps as Pakistan spread the field. The tempo ensured Ireland crossed 100 in 13.5 overs, still positioned for a final kick.
Pakistan’s seamers tried back-of-a-length with a packed off-side ring, but the ball skidded on under the lights and didn’t grip as much as they might have hoped. Ireland still had to fight for late acceleration, though. Laura Delany’s brief 5 in the lower order hinted at a bigger finish that never quite came as Pakistan’s change bowlers tightened their lines. A late push nudged the total to 155/4, competitive on a surface that rewarded clean hits but punished mishits toward the long boundary.
With the ball, Pakistan’s figures reflected a balancing act: cut the fours, avoid extras, stay patient. For Ireland, Orla Prendergast had already set the tone with the bat; with the ball later, she went for just 25 in 3 overs—economical but without a breakthrough they desperately needed in the middle.
Pakistan’s chase: Muneeba commands, Riaz finishes
Chasing 156, Pakistan matched Ireland’s urgency from the jump. They were 50 in 5.1 overs and 55 by the end of the powerplay, even with two wickets down. That early wobble might have opened a door for Ireland, but Muneeba Ali shut it with control and range. Her fifty came in 29 balls—quick enough to break the back of the ask, measured enough to keep risks limited to favorable matchups.
Muneeba’s method was simple: pick length early, cash in on width, sweep and loft with a still head. She threaded eight fours and one six, pushing the rate without feeling hurried. Aliya Riaz played the perfect foil, striking 39 off 26, picking off mid-overs spin, and clearing infielders to keep the strike rotating back to the set batter.
Once the partnership settled, Ireland’s bowlers were stuck between squeezing and searching. When they went full, Muneeba drove; when they dragged back, she rode the bounce square. Pakistan crossed the 100 mark with overs in hand and never allowed the required rate to creep above comfort.
Among Ireland’s attack, Lara McBride’s three overs for 1/29 offered the only breakthrough at a time it mattered. The rest worked hard but lacked that one heavy dot-ball phase to lean on. Prendergast’s three overs for 0/25 were tidy, yet Pakistan’s batting kept the fielders chasing angles, not chances.
By 17.4 overs, the chase was done—eight wickets in hand, 14 balls left. Muneeba walked off unbeaten on 84, a Player of the Match performance that felt inevitable from the moment she cleared 50. Across the series, Orla Prendergast’s consistency shone bright—her Player of the Series award underlined the point, even on a night Pakistan were comfortably better.
The game’s rhythm told the story. Ireland’s best phase came early with the bat; Pakistan’s came early with the bat too, which made all the difference. In T20, that first surge often tilts everything that follows. Pakistan owned it, then refused to give it back.
Key numbers from Clontarf:
- Ireland 155/4 in 20 overs; 50 in 5.2 overs; 100 in 13.5
- Orla Prendergast 64 (39), 6x4; Gaby Lewis 36; Amy Hunter 14
- Pakistan 156/2 in 17.4 overs; 50 in 5.1 overs; 55 in powerplay
- Muneeba Ali 84* (59), 8x4, 1x6; Aliya Riaz 39 (26)
- Lara McBride 1/29 (3); Prendergast 0/25 (3)
- Result: Pakistan Women won by 8 wickets and sealed the three-match series
Conditions mattered. A 4:00 PM local start meant the first innings had late-afternoon grip and a touch of breeze, while the chase enjoyed a slightly quicker surface under lights. Pakistan judged that shift better. Their shot selection reflected it—drives carried, square hits flew, and miscues didn’t hang.
From a tactical lens, Pakistan will be pleased with their powerplay batting template. Even after losing two wickets, they resisted damage control. The batters kept aiming at 8–9 an over, trusting the outfield and backing their reads on length. It’s the kind of approach that holds up on neutral venues too.
Ireland can take plenty forward. The opening stand set up the innings perfectly, Prendergast looked a class apart in tempo and range, and their middle overs were mostly disciplined with the ball. What they lacked was a defining burst—those 12 balls that change a chase, or a death-over surge with the bat to push 170. In tight series, that’s often the margin.
For Pakistan, the positives stack up: Muneeba’s commanding form, Riaz’s middle-overs clarity, and a chase that stayed calm even when the early wickets fell. The touring side closed the trip with a scoreboard that looked cleaner than the contest actually was—and that’s usually the mark of a side learning to win on the road.
