Ireland collapse in ODI

Ireland threw away a winning position to crash to a 27 runs defeat to Pakistan in the women's one-day international at Castle Avenue.

Needing just 142 for victory, Ireland were coasting at 106 for four but they lost their last six wickets for eight runs and the last five for two in a crazy 12 balls.

Four of them came in the 40th over, bowled by the Pakistan captain Sana Mir, but two were run-outs, as poor calling let down the tail-end batswomen.

Melissa Scott Hayward called for a run and was stranded by a good throw from point, two balls later, Mir bowled her opposite number Heather Whelan and then there was no sisterly love as Amy Kenealy called Suzanne for an impossible single and that was another run-out. Amy couldn't survive the last ball, bowled on the back foot and an over which started at 112 for five ended at 112 for nine.

Six balls later it was all over with Marianne Herbert trapped in front by Javeria Wadood.

Yet, for the first 35 overs it was relatively plain sailing for Ireland with their biggest danger coming from the at-times, near gale-force wind.

Claire Shillington and Emma Beamish both went early but Isobel Joyce and Eimear Richardson added 55 for the third wicket and Richardson then put on another 25 with Jill Whelan. Unfortunately all three got into the 20s but never past 30 as Pakistan's sixth, seventh and eighth bowlers proved their secret weapons.

Fourth change Javeria bowled eight overs for 14 and everyone outside the Pakistan camp wondered why she was taken off immediately after conceding her first boundary. The answer was the captain still had to bowl and her spin bowling was too good for the Ireland lower-order, finishing with four for 10 from seven overs.

At the start of the day, Heather Whelan won the toss and asked Pakistan to bat which seemed a good decision when Pakistan were 31 for three in the 13th over. However, much like the Ireland innings, Pakistan then enjoyed two major partnerships before losing their last six wickets for 11 runs.

Eimear Richardson was mainly responsible, returning for a second spell to finish with figures of three for 19 although Pakistan also contributed to their own downfall with a couple of run-outs.

Ireland, though, decided to meekly follow and without enough runs they ran out of batters.