England Women have won the MetroBank One-Day International Series against Ireland Women with a six-wicket win in Derby.
Losing the toss and being sent into bat on a tricky, two-paced wicket the Irish batters looked to get off to a solid start like in Game One, however, Alice Tector risked a quick single early and was run out after a Sophia Dunkley direct hit found her just short of the crease.
Gaby Lewis and Amy Hunter stabilised the innings after the loss of Tector, but on 19 Lewis played down the wrong line from an Issy Wong in-swinger and lost her leg stump.
Hunter was then joined by Orla Prendergast and for the next 12 overs the pair looked to be making a decent fist of the conditions. The pair put on 45 and were beginning to lift the run rate when Prendergast executed a pull shot towards cow corner but picked out Freya Kemp on the boundary and was walking back to the Pavilion for 25.
Hunter brought up her 10th ODI half-century – going on to make 64 off 96 balls – but apart from Leah Paul (23), Hunter couldn’t find a partner to stick in and build a partnership around and the Irish tail collapsed from 140-4 to 165 all out.
Issy Wong claimed 5-33 and bowled impressively, but the target set for England would always be extremely challenging to defend by the Irish bowling unit.
The English openers – Bouchier and Dunkley – once again passed the half-century for the opening partnership, but three wickets fell in the four overs following that milestone being reached, with Kia McCartney grabbing two.
A fourth wicket fell several overs later – Gaby Lewis taking a neat catch at cover off Cara Murray to dismiss Jody Grewcock – but that was the last success the Irish bowlers would have in this second ODI of the series as the home side safely batted through to victory in 23 overs.
