Toss won by Ireland who asked UAE to bat first. Ireland can't afford a slip-up when they get their Qualification campaign underway against a UAE side whose build up to the Tournament was hit by the total wash out of the Quadrangular series that included Netherlands, Scotland and USA. UAE captain Esha Oza takes 15 off Alana Dalzell's opening over but drives the final delivery to Laura Delany at mid off, simple catch, 20/1. Sharma and Satish add 44 before Sharma is stumped by Amy Hunter off Arlene Kelly, 66/2 at the halfway stage of the innings. Cara Murray strikes with her first delivery, Sharma stumped, so both set batters gone in consecutive deliveries, that should slow things down as the two new batters find their feet. Never run on a misfield they say and when Hunter fumbles a return from the deep that's what the batters attempt, silly run out. Two in the next Richardson over sees Ireland in full control, 10/4 in the last 4 overs. And another two crazy run outs sees the seventh and eighth wickets fall and a second wicket for Arlene Kelly in the nineteenth makes it 9. Ireland surely favourites at the change of innings. And Ireland start the chase at a gallop, fifty on the board before Lewis edges behind last ball of the Powerplay. Spinners on now, so a different challenge facing the Girls in Green. A win for spin as Hunter runs past one and is stumped by a distance and in the same over Laura Delany manages to paddle onto her leg stump from just her second delivery! 68/3 after 10 and vital phase for both sides coming up after the drinks break. Disaster for Rebecca Stokell who chips a return catch to Oza first ball after the resumption. Ireland creeping along but less than 30 required now. A couple of close lbw shouts go Ireland's way and the ball drops in amongst a couple of fielders - nervy stuff. But Eimear Richardson and Orla Prendergast go on the attack adding a quickfire 38 to get Ireland over the line with overs to spare.

Ireland Women bounced back from their loss to Scotland with a morale boosting four-wicket victory over the USA in their second and final warm-up game of the T20 World Cup qualifiers. A fine bowling display saw the USA kept to 119 for 9, with none of the top five able to reach 20 despite all getting to double figures. Eimear Richardson (3-13), and Arlene Kelly (2-25), both got two wickets in an over to stall any momentum, while there was also a brace for leg-spinner Cara Murray (2-28). Gaby Lewis raced out of the traps with a quick 19, before being stranded when an Amy Hunter drive was deflected onto the stumps with her out of the crease. There would have been a few nerves when Orla Prendergast followed first ball, but a stylish Hunter hit six boundaries in a top score of 34 from just 26 balls to all but settle the contest. Skipper Laura Delany made 15, while there was confidence boosting runs too for Rebecca Stokell in a typically hard-hit unbeaten 23. Geetika Kodali took 3 wickets in a whole-hearted display, but the win was sealed in the 16th over. Ed Joyce’s side begin the competition in earnest with a clash on Thursday against hosts UAE.

Ireland have won the toss and are batting. Usual openers Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter. It's a bad start as Gaby Lewis goes caught off Rachel Slater for just a single. Orla Prendergast the new batter. End of the powerplay and two boundaries in that sixth over by Prendergast has got the Irish up and running after a watchful start. Second wicket down as Hunter gives a catch to the keeper Bryce. Prendergast the next to go and Ireland wobbling a bit as the big three all back in the hutch. Captain Laura Delany - who won her 200th cap this week - in the middle with Rebecca Stokell. 53/3 at the halfway point. A second wicket for Chloe Abel with a third catch for keeper Sarah Bryce has the Scots on top. Delany going well though. Eimear Richardson falls first ball and it's five down. Good test for the middle and lower order. Louise Little a third victim for Abel as wickets continue to tumble. Delany dismissed for a top-score of 27 - stumped by Sarah Bryce who has four scalps behind the stumps - her sister has two catches as well. Two boundaries by Arlene Kelly adds some vital runs. Ava Canning and Cara Murray both out cheaply and Ed Joyce's side in danger of being bowled out. And they are indeed - 98 all out in the 18th. Not great but it will be a good test for the bowling unit. Scotland depend a lot on their top-order so early wickets could make it interesting. Ava Canning strikes in the first over bowling Darcey Carter without scoring. and that brings the Scottish captain Kathryn Bryce to the crease. Eimear Richardson traps Bryce lbw in her first over and Sarah replaces her sister at the crease. 57/2 at the half way stage, game still very much in the balance. The Bryce Horley partnership is into the forties and looks to have swung the game Scotland's way. A comfortable win in the end for the Scots with that unbroken third wicket partnership of 66 seeing them home with almost four overs to spare. Fragile batting from Ireland meant that they were always second favourites here. Ireland's second 'official' warmup match versus USA is on Tuesday at the same venue with a midday start.

Ava Canning with the wicket of Nattaya Boochatham in the first over is just the start Ireland would have wanted after losing the Toss. And more trouble for the Thai girls as Dalzell picks up the second in her third over. It's the seventh over, Canning's last, before they find the boundary, twice. Cara Murray and Arlene Kelly took up the attack with Thailand 38/2 at the half way stage. A wicket for Arlene Kelly in the eleventh over breaks that little partnership and Ireland seemed to have things under control when Murray claimed her first and Thailand reached 70/4 with only five overs remaining. Three wickets in Kelly's next over including that of top scorer Khoncharoenkai ensured that Ireland would be chasing a low total tonight. An Eimear Richardson run-out claimed the eighth and Delany celebrated her 200th cap with the ninth and tenth meaning Arlene Kelly never got the chance of a five-for by bowling the final over. With Gaby Lewis gone without scoring, bowled in the first over of the chase, Orla Prendergast joined Amy Hunter at the crease and was into her stride straight away with three boundaries. Ten overs gone and Ireland saw Ireland reach 57/1 with only 23 more required for the win. That was down to 17 before the partnership was broken, Prendergast bowled by Kamchomphu. A fitting end to the game saw Laura Delany rattling off three boundaries including the winning runs on a day to remember for the Irish skipper. So it's now on to the 'official' World Cup warm-ups, the first of which is versus Scotland on Sunday, followed by the USA on Tuesday.

Torrential rain and flooding throughout the Gulf region meant that no play was possible.

Ireland batting first in the 5th and final T20. There's a debut for Joanna Loughran of Leinster. A blow for Ireland as Amy Hunter goes early after a slow start to the innings - 4 for 1 in the 3rd over. Gaby Lewis is up and running though to get the Irish back on track as she passes 20 as they reach 31 for 1 after 6 overs. Orla Prendergast joins in the fun and these two picking up the pace in a second wicket stand of 58 as they sit on 62 for 1 at the halfway point of the innings. The fun ends though as Lewis skies one to mid-off to depart for 42. Skipper Laura Delany makes a fluent 18 before chipping tamely back to Precious Marange 105 for 3 after 15. Prendergast still firing on all cylinders, but kiss of death as she is bowled in the next over - three sixes in her 42. Ireland losing their way a bit as Louise Little swings across the line and is bowled for 7, quickly followed by Arlene Kelly and Rebecca Stokell to similar heaves. A final total of 138 is nowhere near their previous efforts but they will be hopeful of defending it and completing a clean sweep. Steady start to the chase with Musonda looking dangerous - they are right up with the required rate at the end of the powerplay, continuing in the same vein as the midway point approaches. Ireland need a wicket. They will be aware of the lack of depth in the batting if they can remove these two. Leah Paul finally gets the breakthrough as she bowls Ndhlovu for 32 with the total on 77. Will that open the door? Musonda though the key to the game as she reaches her 50 from 39 balls, including six boundaries. This one going all the way as the return of Orla Prendergast does the trick as she bowls Musonda who misses with an ugly heave across the line, quickly followed by trapping Mujali lbw. It's now three wickets in five balls as Laura Delany gets into the action. Make that four wickets in eight balls as a second for the skipper. Hosts falling apart - self destructed. Prendergast gets a third, as does Delany. Not often you see an international team's tail starting at 3... Brief rally but the damage has been done with the loss of six wickets for seven runs. Last over begins with 19 needed but the 8th wicket falls with a run out coming back for a non-existent second. Ireland close out a 14-run win and a 5-0 series whitewash. Next up is the T20 WCQ in the UAE in a few months.

Toss: Ireland. Rain delayed the start of the match and the game has been reduced to 8 overs per side. Ava Canning and Georgina Dempsey opening the attack for Ireland. A tidy over from Canning concedes only 3 runs and then a big wicket last ball of Dempsey's ove, Mary-Anne Musonda slicing a full toss high to Lewis at cover. Arlene Kelly bowls the fourth for 11 runs and Cara Murray strikes with the first ball of the fifth having Mujaji stumped, but two more half chances are missed in the over! Leah Paul bowls the sixth, it goes for 9 but Ndhlovu is run out trying for a second run to keep the strike. Cara Murray bowls the penultimate over, 12 come off it but with another run out. Laura Delany bowls the final over for 10 and takes a wicket with the final delivery. Ireland not at their best in the field, they will need to be at their best with the bat to chase this down I think. Hunter and Lewis take 13 off the spin of Precious Marange to start. Left arm spinner Kelis Ndhlovu bowls the second for 7. More spin for the third as legspinner Tshuma takes the ball and Hunter survives as cover and backward point both leave the catch for each other. She runs past one in the next and the keeper fails to gather only to loft to cover next ball. Orla Prendergast joins Lewis at the crease. Sloppy fielding concedes a boundary helping Ireland's cause and batters happy to take on the throw from the deep to run the second. Prendergast runs past one and keeper fumbles - lucky! Last over needing 9 starts with an overthrow for 2. A single to long off. 2 on a half stop to extra cover. 2 to long off - bowler fails to gather the return and misses run out! Prendergast swings the penultimate delivery high over the midwicket boundary for 6. Game over! As tight a 9 wicket win as you'll ever see.

Half centuries from Player of the Match Orla Prendergast and Laura Delany ensured Ireland took an unassailable 3-0 series lead with another comfortable 60-run win. Batting first, the Irish lost Gaby Lewis in the first over, but Prendergast and the in-form Amy Hunter restored the natural order with a second wicket stand of 66, before Hunter was eventually dismissed for the first time in the series for 42 (7 fours). Prendergast thumped 9 fours and a six in her top score of 69 from 44 balls, sharing a third wicket stand of 86 with the skipper. Delany, playing her 100th T20, celebrated in style by making an unbeaten 54 from 44 deliveries, which saw her clear the ropes twice as well as hitting three fours as the Irish made 169 for 3. Yet again, the hosts struggled, never threatening at any stage to chase the target. Kelis Ndhlovu made 36, with Louise Little the pick of the attack, taking 2 for 8. With the series wrapped up, Ed Joyce may opt to give the middle and late order some batting practice ahead of the T20 WCQ in a few months.

Another half century for Amy Hunter and four wickets for Ireland skipper Laura Delany were the highlights of another comfortable win for Ireland Women as they took a 2-0 lead in their five match series against Zimbabwe in Harare. Hunter celebrated her 50th cap as she hit 6 fours and 2 sixes in an unbeaten 77 from 57 balls following up her impressive century in Friday's opener. An opening stand of 94 with Gaby Lewis (44) put Ireland in control, with a quickfire 37 in just 17 balls by Orla Prendergast taking them to a total of 172 for 3. The hosts started brightly, but were always well behind the required rate despite a second wicket stand of 54 between Kelis Ndlovu (52), and Pellagia Mujaji (31). Delany's canny bowling proved effective as she took 4 for 12 - her best figures in any of her record 196 appearances for Ed Joyce's side as they clinched a 42-run victory,

It has been all Ireland in the first half of the innings after winning the toss. Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis punishing the bad deliveries to coast relatively untroubled to 87 without loss after 11 overs. Amy Hunter reaches her half century with the first six of the day - 43 balls (5 fours, 1 six) and the 100 comes up in the 12th over. This is the fourth 100 partnership by Ireland in T20I's. The record is 113 by Gaby Lewis and Kim Garth. It's 50 too for Gaby Lewis from 36 balls (9 fours) as the record is broken. The fun ends on 138 as Lewis is lbw as she missed a slog sweep. The big question now is can Hunter get another hundred against Zimbabwe - two years after becoming the youngest ODI centurion? Orla Prendergast goes for 13 as she swings across the line. Rebecca Stokell the new batter but doesn't last long as middle stump knocked out as she heaved across the line. Hunter makes history again. Came off 66 balls with 13 fours and a six. Breakthrough for Alana Dalzell as she ends an opening stand of 38 in the sixth over. The Bready speedster gets her second as Ireland continue their domination. The hosts 62 for 2 after 10 overs. Game all but over - just a question now of the margin of victory. Musonda goes for 46, caught in the deep off Georgina Dempsey, who claims a second shortly after. Cara Murray gets in on the act as wickets tumble. 66 needed off the last over..snookers required..Ireland close out the 57-run win on another record-breaking day for Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis. The next game is on Sunday.

Toss: Zimbabwe. Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter gone inside the first five overs both for single figures. Prendergast and Stokell at the crease with half the overs gone - 100 up and Prendergast going well, important partnership this but both fall in quick succession to leave the Girls in Green scrambling to get whatever more runs they can. And the lower order has done well - double figures from numbers 7-11 has given Ireland a total they will hope to defend. Good spread of wickets amongst the Zimbabwean bowlers with all seven used picking up at least one wicket. The hosts made a steady start and it looked as if it was going to be a close-run chase as they reached 59 for 2. However, Cara Murray weaved her magic with her leg-spin claiming 6 for 31 as the hosts lost eight wickets for 40 runs to be bundled out for 99. Her figures are the best by an Irish women in ODI's and only Susan Bray (7-21 v Dutch in 3-day game in 1987) and Isobel Joyce (6-21 v Pakistan in Test 2000) have recorded better analyses in all types of games.

Toss: Ireland. Zimbabwe’s top five all got starts after being put in by Ireland and had taken the total to 196/3 in the 44th over before losing wickets in the final overs as they pushed on. There were four wickets for Arlene Kelly, two in the final over, and one for Freya Sargent plus two run outs in that spell as the hosts set a total that Ireland will be glad isn’t greater. Good start to the reply by the Girls in Green with openers Leah Paul and Gaby Lewis adding 84 for the first wicket before a rain interruption reduced the game to 43 overs and the Target to 203. A frantic last few overs for Ireland as wickets fell to run-outs and the game became tighter, dropped catches, one of which cleared the rope for a maximum aiding their cause. In the end 6 off the final over and 2 off 3 deliveries proved to be 1 too many!

Three wickets apiece for spinners Freya Sargent and Cara Murray have put Ireland in a strong position at the midway point of their first ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare. A delayed start followed by a rain interruption reduced the contest to 44 overs, and the hosts were never able to get away from a disciplined Irish attack that took wickets at regular intervals. Waringstown leg-spinner Murray was instrumental in removing the middle-order, while Clontarf teenager Sargent finished the contest strongly. Leinster opening bowler Ava Canning removed the dangerous Mary-Anne Musonda in the 3rd over of the day and took another to finish with 2 for 19, with Laura Delany and Arlene Kelly the other successful bowlers. A total of 170 should be well within the Irish grasp as they begin their chase after lunch. However, more rain has meant another delay. Set a revised target of 110 in 21 overs, Gaby Lewis (65*) hit eleven fours and a six as she and Amy Hunter (36*) knocked off the runs with the minimum of fuss.

Orla Prendergast struck an unbeaten half-century as Ireland warmed up for tomorrow’s first one-day international against Zimbabwe with a convincing 158-run DLS victory over their hosts’ A-team at the Harare Sports Club. In a rain-shortened practice match, Leah Paul (42) and Gaby Lewis (37) set the Girls in Green on course for 222-4 from 36 overs, with an opening stand of 54, and Prendergast hit eight boundaries before retiring on 56. But there was no happy return for Amy Hunter, who was bowled for six, at the ground where she became the youngest ODI centurion - male or female - on her 16th birthday, in October 2021. The DLS calculation asked Zimbabwe to score 259 to win, and with leg-spinner Cara Murray taking 3-13 and Jane Maguire 2-3 from three overs, the home side failed to mount a challenge and were bowled out for 101 in the 32nd over. The second and third matches of the ODI series take place on Sunday and Tuesday, followed by five T20 internationals.