Leah Paul, Gaby Lewis help Ireland clinch the series 3-1 with a comprehensive win

unexpected defeat in the first match to take the series 3-1 after with a six wicket win at the Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont in Belfast on Thursday (May 26).

After Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce won the toss and decided to bat first, Sarah Bryce started well against Orla Prendergast hitting two fours in the very first over. Dot ball pressure that followed brought the wickets of Ellen Watson, playing her first match in the series, and Sarah in back-to-back overs and Scotland were reduced to 18 for 2 at the end of the fifth over.

Kathryn (22) and Katie McGill (9) shared a partnership of 26 runs before Leah Paul’s triple-wicket maiden shattered the Scotland's plans of scoring big. She first had Kathryn caught behind before dismissing Becky Glen, her third duck in the series, with the next delivery. In the last ball of the over, Ailsa Lister was brilliantly caught by Lara Martiz.

From the precarious position of 57 for 7, Megan McColl (30*) and Samantha Haggo (8*) scored 42 off the last seven overs without losing a wicket to help Scotland finish on 99 for 7 from their 20 overs .

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For Ireland, Paul finished with figures of 3 for 12 from her three overs. Prendergast once again impressed with the ball bowling two maidens in her four over spell. She rattled Scotland batters with her pace and was precise with her line and length.

In the chase, McGill removed opener Rebecca Stokell in the very first over but Gaby Lewis and captain Laura Delany (27) steadied the ship with a 77-runs stand. The duo took on Scotland's bowlers scoring twelve boundaries between them.

Lewis was impressive yet again as she went after all the Scotland bowlers. She used her reach to good effect, getting to the front foot and playing shots through both side of the wicket. She missed out on her fifty when she smashed one straight to boundary off Kathyrn in the 12th over to be dismissed for 49.

Ireland had a mini-wobble where they lost Delany, Lewis and Prendergast in the space of seven deliveries but Shauna Kavanagh made sure that they reached the target without any further trouble when she hit Kathryn for back-to-back boundaries in the 14th over. She remained not out on 13 as Ireland took the series 3-1

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For Scotland, Kathryn finished with figures of 2 for 23 while Abtaha Maqsood and McGill took one wicket apiece.

Brief Scores: Scotland 99/7 in 20 Overs (Megan McColl 30*, Kathryn Bryce 22; Leah Paul 3/12) lost to Ireland 101/4 in 13.5 overs (Gaby Lewis 49, Laura Delany 27; Kathryn Bryce 2/23) by 6 Wickets POTM: Gaby Lewis POTS: Leah Paul