Historic Irish Victory
Ireland Secures Historic First-Ever Women's T20 World Cup Win, Ends 12-Year West Indies Drought
Key Points
Ireland's bowlers restricted West Indies to 128-7 on a sticky Bristol pitch, with Cara Murray (2/22) and Aimee Maguire guiding the middle overs; WI’s top scorers were Hayley Matthews (22) and Deandra Dottin (21), while Chinelle Henry finished 27 not out, and Ireland still had to endure a few misfields that yielded boundaries.
Orla Prendergast's 63 from 44 balls anchored the chase, but she fell with 21 runs still needed; Rebecca Stokell and Louise Little then saw Ireland home, with Little strikeing the winning boundary to seal 129-4 with 11 balls to spare.
The result kept New Zealand in semi-final contention and altered the Windies' path to the last four, since WI needed a win to progress and Ireland's victory opened conditional routes depending on other results.
Pakistan's Gull Feroza starred in a 37-run win over the Netherlands, finishing 63 not out (51 balls) as Pakistan posted 126-6; the Dutch were restricted to 89, with a 79-run partnership between Gull Feroza and Ayesha Zafar and strong bowling from Nashra Sandhu, Tuba Hassan, and Ayesha Zafar (3-13).
Ireland pulled off one of the biggest upsets in women's cricket on June 27, 2026, beating West Indies by six wickets to claim their first-ever Women's T20 World Cup win. The victory ended a 0-21 losing run against the West Indies spanning 12 years and five World Cup cycles, according to AP Sport.
Orla Prendergast top-scored with 63 off 44 balls as Ireland chased down 129 at Bristol with 11 balls to spare. The result knocked West Indies out of automatic semi-final contention and handed New Zealand a lifeline they had not earned themselves.
Irish Bowlers Strangle West Indies on a Sticky Bristol Pitch
Ireland won the toss and chose to bowl on a slow, sticky Bristol surface — a decision that proved decisive. Spinners Cara Murray and Aimee Maguire dominated the middle overs, suffocating the West Indies' power-hitters. Murray finished with 2-22 from her four overs, according to ICC Media.
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews managed only a "laborious" 22 runs, per Economic Times. Deandra Dottin added 21 but could not find her timing on the slow surface. Chinelle Henry's unbeaten 27 off the final overs gave the innings some late shape, but 128-7 was always going to be a modest total.
Prendergast's 63 Anchors the Chase Before Little Finishes the Job
Prendergast was commanding from the first over. She reached her fifty off just 36 balls and during the innings passed 2,000 career T20I runs, The Guardian reported. She hit eight boundaries and one six, striking at 143.18. Her knock all but ended the contest before she fell for 63 with 21 runs still needed.
Rebecca Stokell and Louise Little then calmly finished the job. Little struck the winning boundary over mid-on at 16:52 BST to seal a six-wicket win. "Winning just means so much," Prendergast said after the match. "We have had the belief throughout but it had not come together just yet. Just so much relief."
Ireland's Win Reshapes the Semi-Final Race for Three Teams
West Indies needed a win to reach the semi-finals. By losing, their fate moved out of their own hands. They now require England to beat New Zealand at The Oval. A New Zealand win eliminates the Windies entirely. New Zealand captain Melie Kerr admitted her team had been "supporting Ireland" from the sidelines, per Social News XYZ.
The Irish Times framed the win as "the maturation of the professional era," noting that full-time contracts introduced in 2022 are now paying off. The victory is also expected to boost funding for Women's Cricket Ireland heading into the 2028 tournament cycle. Sri Lanka's slim mathematical hopes were also ended by the result.
Pakistan Beat the Netherlands 37 Runs in the Day's Earlier Match
Earlier at Bristol, Pakistan posted 126-6 against the Netherlands and won by 37 runs. Gull Feroza carried her bat for an unbeaten 63 off 51 balls. She shared a 79-run partnership with Ayesha Zafar that built the platform for Pakistan's total.
The Netherlands were bowled out for 89 in reply. Nashra Sandhu, Tuba Hassan, and Ayesha Zafar — who finished with 3-13 — shared the wickets between them. Pakistan's captain Fatima Sana sealed it with a triple-wicket maiden in the final over. The Netherlands finished their maiden World Cup campaign without a single win from five matches, according to AP Sport.
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