Orla Prendergast smashed 56 and followed up with four miserly overs in Kathmandu yesterday to get Ireland’s T20 World Cup qualifying campaign off to a convincing start with a 41-run victory over Papua New Guinea.

Skipper Gaby Lewis won the toss, chose to bat, and led the expected charge with 42 off 25 balls, and when she fell lbw Prendergast took over, reaching her half-century with the second of her two sixes.

Not for the first time, there was no acceleration at the end of the Ireland innings, with only 21 runs coming from the final four overs, but a total of 146-6 was always going to be too many for one of the Group A minnows.

Prendergast conceded just one wide in her first two overs and while the Pembroke all-rounder failed to take a wicket her figures of 0-9 left the Player of the Match adjudicator with a very easy decision to make.

Arlene Kelly (2-18) and Laura Delany (1-11) showed that their experience and pace-off seamers will be invaluable on the typically slow pitches in Nepal, while Aimee Maguire, Alana Dalzell and Jane Maguire took the other wickets to fall as the Pacific islanders closed on 105-6.

Next up for Ireland is another game they will be expected to stroll against the USA on Thursday before they round off their Group A matches against Bangladesh and Namibia. Three of the five will progress to the Super Six stage.

Meanwhile, Ireland U19s will take on Sri Lanka in Windhoek today in a must-win clash after losing their World Cup opener to Australia on Friday.