THE IRISH WOMEN’S cricket team have opened their T20 World Cup qualifying bid with a comprehensive, 41-run win over Papua New Guinea in Nepal.
Orla Prendergast starred with the bat and ball in a Player of the Match performance, while captain Gaby Lewis continued her strong form.
“Really happy,” Lewis reflected. “We didn’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves, we just wanted to take it game by game. Got the job done today, and all eyes on our next game.”
“A nice start to the tournament,” Prendergast added. “A nice batting track, so it was great to get out with the bat in hand. The partnerships all throughout our innings let us set a really competitive target, and thankfully we backed it up with the ball.”
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Lewis hailed star turn Prendergast, as the 23-year-old Dubliner dedicated her latest impressive performance to her late father, Peter.
“Every innings is dedicated to my Dad and my family, and today is no different,” said Prendergast, who recently changed her shirt number from 84 to 10 in a nod to his birthday.
“She’s irreplaceable,” Lewis added. “The way she goes about it with the bat and the ball and on the field, it’s not often that you come across players like that.
“Very happy that she’s on our team and not on the opposition, and no doubt that she’ll play a massive role in this tournament.”
Lloyd Tenant’s Ireland face USA on Thursday as the global qualifier tournament continues in Kathmandu.
Bangladesh and Namibia are the other teams in Ireland’s group, with the top three teams progressing to the Super Six stage. The top four teams there qualify for the T20 World Cup in England in June.
Ireland Women v Papua New Guinea Women, T20I World Cup Qualifier, Kathmandu, 18 January 2026
Ireland 146-6 (20 overs; O Prendergast 56, G Lewis 42; H Tau 4-25)
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Ireland open World Cup qualifying bid with comprehensive win in Nepal
THE IRISH WOMEN’S cricket team have opened their T20 World Cup qualifying bid with a comprehensive, 41-run win over Papua New Guinea in Nepal.
Orla Prendergast starred with the bat and ball in a Player of the Match performance, while captain Gaby Lewis continued her strong form.
“Really happy,” Lewis reflected. “We didn’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves, we just wanted to take it game by game. Got the job done today, and all eyes on our next game.”
“A nice start to the tournament,” Prendergast added. “A nice batting track, so it was great to get out with the bat in hand. The partnerships all throughout our innings let us set a really competitive target, and thankfully we backed it up with the ball.”
Lewis hailed star turn Prendergast, as the 23-year-old Dubliner dedicated her latest impressive performance to her late father, Peter.
“Every innings is dedicated to my Dad and my family, and today is no different,” said Prendergast, who recently changed her shirt number from 84 to 10 in a nod to his birthday.
“She’s irreplaceable,” Lewis added. “The way she goes about it with the bat and the ball and on the field, it’s not often that you come across players like that.
“Very happy that she’s on our team and not on the opposition, and no doubt that she’ll play a massive role in this tournament.”
Lloyd Tenant’s Ireland face USA on Thursday as the global qualifier tournament continues in Kathmandu.
Bangladesh and Namibia are the other teams in Ireland’s group, with the top three teams progressing to the Super Six stage. The top four teams there qualify for the T20 World Cup in England in June.
Ireland Women v Papua New Guinea Women, T20I World Cup Qualifier, Kathmandu, 18 January 2026
Ireland 146-6 (20 overs; O Prendergast 56, G Lewis 42; H Tau 4-25)
PNG 105-6 (20 overs; H Doriga 19; A Kelly 2-18)
Ireland Women won by 41 runs
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