Amy Hunter led the way for Ireland with 36 in a rain-affected T20 international in Lahore yesterday but it wasn’t enough to stop Pakistan winning by six wickets to level the series at 1-1 going into tomorrow’s final match.

Put into bat in a game reduced to 17 overs per side, Hunter lost opening partner Gaby Lewis in the third over and had to counter plenty of early movement as she added 34 for the second wicket with Orla Prendergast.

Both struck three fours and both were stumped: Prendergast for a lively 20 from only 17 balls and, after seeing skipper Laura Delany fall for six, the Belfast teenager’s 39-ball innings ended in the 13th over.

Eimear Richardson added useful late runs, mostly by fetching deliveries from outside off, before she picked out a fielder in the deep on 15, while Rebecca Stokell also attacked the leg-side boundary and crossed it twice as she finished 17 not out.

A total of 118-7 looked competitive but Prendergast, who was Player of the Match in Saturday’s historic six-wicket victory, could not repeat her magic with the ball and, despite keeper Mary Waldron helping to secure three run outs, Pakistan always had the target in range and got home with an over to spare.

“We were bitterly disappointed with the outcome,” Delany said. “We let ourselves down in the field, dropping two key catches. We’ll take a look at that ahead of the next game but overall we're happy with how the squad’s going.”