All-round Prendergast helps Ireland notch up their highest ODI chase

Ireland 261 for 7 (Prendergast 122*, Hunter 42, Dilhari 4-54) beat Sri Lanka 260 for 8 (Gunaratne 101, Perera 46, Prendergast 3-25, Dalzell 2-37) by three wickets

Orla Prendergast pulled off a stunning heist, picking up 3 for 25 and following it up with an unbeaten 122 off 107 balls as Ireland beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the first ODI in Dublin.

Sent in, Sri Lanka rode on Vishmi Gunaratne‘s maiden ODI century to rack up 260 for 8. In reply, Prendergast scored a maiden ODI century of her own to help Ireland record their first successful chase of over 200 in ODIs. This was also Ireland’s first ODI win over Sri Lanka in five attempts.

Chasing 261, Ireland lost Gaby Lewis for 9 off 24 balls. Sarah Forbes got a few boundaries away, adding 49 for the second wicket with Amy Hunter before being trapped lbw by Sachini Nisansala. Hunter started briskly, scoring 42 off 45 balls, which included four fours in a 47-run third-wicket stand with Prendergast. When Leah Paul also fell soon after, Prendergast took it upon herself to take the chase forward.

Prendergast reached her fifty with a four off Kavisha Dilhari off 57 balls. Even as Ireland lost wickets at regular intervals from the other end, Prendergast kept the scoreboard ticking. In the last three overs, Ireland needed 30 runs with just three wickets in hand. The 48th over, though, turned the match in their favour as Prendergast hit Dilhari for two fours and a six. The first of those fours also brought her a century, off 97 balls. That 18-run over reduced the equation to 12 required from two overs.

It was fitting that Prendergast hit the winning single, off the second ball of the final over. Her unbeaten 122 was the second-highest score while batting at a No. 4 or lower in a women’s ODI chase.

Earlier, Gunaratne became just the second Sri Lanka batter after Chamari Athapaththu to score an ODI century. Athapaththu’s return – having missed the T20I series – lasted just one ball as she was caught behind off Prendergast. Harshitha Samarawickrama took 11 balls to get off the mark but struck four fours in her 19 before being cleaned up by Alana Dalzell in the eighth over. Gunaratne and Hasini Perera then joined forces to take the innings forward.

Gunaratne got going with a six off Dalzell and then struck debutant Alice Tector for two fours in the ninth over. After reaching her fifty, off 58 balls, she upped the scoring rate further.

In the 30th over, she hit Jane Maguire for a six to move to 96 and brought up her hundred, off 97 balls, with a four off Arlene Kelly in the next over. She was dismissed on the next ball but not before adding 122 with Perera for the third wicket.

Sri Lanka lost Dilhari and Perera in quick time, but useful contributions from the lower middle order saw them score 62 in the last ten overs, and 36 in the last five. That took them to a competitive total but it was not sufficient.