| Ireland | |
| Association: | Cricket Ireland |
| Captain: | Laura Delany |
| Coach: | Ed Joyce |
| Icc Status: | Full member |
| Icc Status2: | Associate member |
| Icc Region: | Europe |
| Wodi Rank: | 11th |
| Wt20i Rank: | 10th |
| Wodi Rank Best: | 8th |
| Wt20i Rank Best: | 10th (02_Jul-2020) |
| Only Wtest: | v at College Park, Dublin; 30–31 July 2000 |
| Num Wtests: | 1 |
| Wtest Record: | 1/0 (0 draws) |
| First Wodi: | v at Ormeau Cricket Ground, Belfast; 28 June 1987 |
| Most Recent Wodi: | v at Stormont, Belfast; 20 August 2024 |
| Num Wodis: | 176 |
| Num Wodis This Year: | 6 |
| Wodi Record: | 51/117 (1 tie, 7 no results) |
| Wodi Record This Year: | 4/1 (1 tie, 0 no results) |
| Wwc Apps: | 5 |
| Wwc First: | 1988 |
| Wwc Best: | 4th (1988) |
| Wwcq Apps: | 4 |
| Wwcq First: | 2003 |
| Wwcq Best: | Champions (2003) |
| First Wt20i: | v at Kenure, Dublin; 27 June 2008 |
| Most Recent Wt20i: | v at Sydney Parade, Dublin; 13 August 2024 |
| Num Wt20is: | 123 |
| Num Wt20is This Year: | 13 |
| Wt20i Record: | 51/71 (0 ties, 1 no result) |
| Wt20i Record This Year: | 11/2 (0 ties, 0 no results) |
| Wwt20 Apps: | 4 |
| Wwt20 First: | 2014 |
| Wwt20 Best: | 1st round (2014, 2016, 2018, 2023) |
| Wwt20q Apps: | 4 |
| Wwt20q First: | 2013 |
| Wwt20q Best: | Champions (2015) |
| Asofdate: | 20 August 2024 |
The Ireland women's cricket team represents Ireland in international women's cricket. Cricket in Ireland is governed by Cricket Ireland and organised on an All-Ireland basis, meaning the Irish women's team represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Ireland made its One-Day International (ODI) debut in 1987, against Australia, and the following year played at the 1988 World Cup, making the first of five appearances at the tournament. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Ireland was considered to be a top-level team, playing regular ODI series and placing as high as fifth at the World Cup (in 1993, out of eight teams). In 2000, the team played its only Test match, defeating the Pakistan women's team. Although it still retains ODI status, Ireland has not qualified for a World Cup since the 2005 event. The team has, however, qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 on two occasions, in 2014 and 2016. In December 2018, Cricket Ireland offered professional contracts to the women players for the first time.[1]
In April 2021, the ICC awarded permanent Test and One Day International (ODI) status to all full member women's teams.[2]
The Irish women's team entered the international arena well before their male counterparts, playing their first ODIs in a three match series against Australia in 1987, a full 19 years before the men's team would make their ODI debut.[3] They lost all three games by more than 100 runs, but were still invited to take part in the World Cup the following year in Australia.
In that World Cup, they finished fourth, losing to New Zealand in the third place play-off game. Ireland subsequently came fourth of five in the tournament, with Ireland's only two wins both came against The Netherlands. The next year, Ireland took part in the first Women's European Championship in Denmark, finishing fourth on run rate, with their only win coming against the hosts.
The first two years of the 1990s again saw Ireland compete in the European Championships, finishing as runners up to England in 1990, and third place in 1991. Sandwiched between those two tournaments was a 2 match ODI series against England, with England winning both games, the second by 10 wickets.
1993 saw them compete in the World Cup again, this time finishing in fifth place. The next European Championship in 1995 again saw them finish as runners up to England. Following this, they settled into a pattern of playing ODIs against whichever team was touring England, a pattern that continues to this day. The 1997 World Cup saw them lose to New Zealand in the quarter-finals. The end of the 1990s saw them again finish as runners up to England in the European Championship in 1999.
Ireland played their first ever Test match in 2000, beating Pakistan by an innings inside two days in Dublin.[4] This is still their only Test match however. They also dominated the ODI series against Pakistan, winning 4–0 with a fifth game rained off. They still could only finish seventh in the World Cup later that year though, their only win coming against The Netherlands. The following year, they won the European Championship, and that remains the only time out of seven tournaments that the England team had not won the competition.
That seventh place meant that they had to take part in the 2003 IWCC Trophy, the inaugural edition of what is now known simply as the World Cup Qualifier. They won every game in that tournament, which qualified them for the world cup in South Africa in 2005. They came last in that tournament, meaning they will have to qualify again for the 2009 World Cup. Later in the year, they yet again finished as runners up to England in the European Championship.
They played a two match ODI series against the Netherlands, winning both games. In November 2007, they went to the Women's World Cup Qualifier in Lahore, where they played Bermuda, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, South Africa and an African qualifier.
In 2009, Ireland beat the Netherlands to win the European Championship.
In April 2016, Laura Delany was named as captain of Ireland women's cricket team replacing Isobel Joyce who stepped down after the 2016 ICC Women's World Twenty20 in India.[5] [6] [7]
In December 2020, the ICC announced the qualification pathway for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.[8] Ireland were named in the 2021 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier regional group, alongside five other teams.[9]
In 2021, Ireland were awarded qualification for the 2022–25 ICC Women's Championship on the basis of their WODI ranking after the abandonment of the 2021 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
This lists all the players with a central contract with Cricket Ireland or were named in the most recent ODI or T20I squad. Updated as of 6 September 2022.
| Name | Age | Batting style | Bowling style | Contract | Format | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batters | |||||||
| Right-handed | Part-time | ODI & T20I | Vice-Captain | ||||
| Right-handed | Part-time | T20I | |||||
| Sarah Forbes | Right-handed | Non-retainer | T20I | ||||
| All-rounders | |||||||
| Left-handed | Part-time | ODI & T20I | |||||
| Right-handed | Full-time | ODI & T20I | Captain | ||||
| Right-handed | Part-time | ODI & T20I | |||||
| Right-handed | Full-time | ODI & T20I | |||||
| Right-handed | – | ODI & T20I | |||||
| Right-handed | Full-time | ||||||
| Right-handed | Full-time | T20I | |||||
| Right-handed | Part-time | ODI | |||||
| Wicket-keepers | |||||||
| Right-handed | – | Full-time | ODI & T20I | ||||
| Right-handed | – | Full-time | ODI & T20I | ||||
| Right-handed | – | Part-time | ODI & T20I | ||||
| Spin Bowlers | |||||||
| Right-handed | Full-time | ODI & T20I | |||||
| Right-handed | Non-retainer | ODI & T20I | |||||
| Seam Bowlers | |||||||
| Right-handed | Part-time | ODI & T20I | |||||
| Right-handed | Part-time | ODI & T20I | |||||
| Right-handed | Part-time | ||||||
| Right-handed | Non-retainer | ||||||
| Kate McEvoy | Right-handed | Non-retainer | ODI | ||||
See main article: article and Ireland women's cricket team record by opponent. International match summary – Ireland Women[10] [11] [12] Last updated 20 August 2024.
| Playing record | |||||||
| Format | M | W | L | T | D/NR | Inaugural match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test matches | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 July 2000 | |
| One-Day Internationals | 176 | 51 | 117 | 1 | 7 | 28 June 1987 | |
| Twenty20 Internationals | 123 | 51 | 71 | 0 | 1 | 27 June 2008 | |
Test record versus other nations[10]
Records complete to Women's Test #111. Last updated 30 July 2000.
| Opponent | M | W | L | T | NR | First match | First win | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v. Full Members | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 July 2000 | 30 July 2000 | ||
Most ODI runs for Ireland Women[19]
| Player | Runs | Average | Career span | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,412 | 23.14 | 1987–2005 | ||
| 1,276 | 17.72 | 1997–2017 | ||
| 1,217 | 24.83 | 1995–2008 | ||
| 1,184 | 31.15 | 2016–2024 | ||
| 1,172 | 23.44 | 2001–2018 |
Most ODI wickets for Ireland Women[20]
| Player | Wickets | Average | Career span | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 30.45 | 1999–2018 | ||
| 60 | 27.00 | 1999–2017 | ||
| 54 | 26.75 | 1993–2005 | ||
| 45 | 22.84 | 1993–2003 | ||
| 41 | 30.17 | 2018–2024 |
Highest individual innings in Women's ODI[21]
| Player | Score | Opposition | Match Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 137 | 24 August 2022 | |||
| 121* | 11 October 2021 | |||
| 120 | 27 July 2000 | |||
| 114* | 18 July 1995 | |||
| 109 | 24 August 2022 |
Best bowling figures in an innings in Women's ODI[22]
| Player | Score | Opposition | Match Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/31 | 23 January 2024 | |||
| 5/13 | 5 August 2009 | |||
| 5/18 | 17 August 2007 | |||
| 5/27 | 18 July 1990 | |||
| 5/39 | 24 August 2022 |
ODI record versus other nations[11]
Records complete to WODI #1404. Last updated 20 August 2024.
| Opponent | M | W | L | T | NR | First match | First win | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v. Full Members | ||||||||
| 17 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 28 June 1987 | |||
| 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 26 November 2011 | 21 August 2012 | ||
| 17 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 5 December 1988 | 12 August 2001 | ||
| 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 26 July 1993 | |||
| 20 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 29 November 1998 | |||
| 21 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 18 December 1997 | 18 December 1997 | ||
| 20 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 5 August 1997 | 11 August 2016 | ||
| 7 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 December 2000 | 16 August 2024 | ||
| 11 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 29 July 1993 | 21 July 2001 | ||
| 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 October 2021 | 7 October 2021 | ||
| v. Associate Members | ||||||||
| 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 July 1989 | 19 July 1989 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 July 2003 | 22 July 2003 | ||
| 25 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30 November 1988 | 30 November 1988 | ||
| 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 August 2001 | 11 August 2001 | ||
Most WT20I runs for Ireland Women[26]
| Player | Runs | Average | Career span | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,183 | 28.72 | 2014–2024 | ||
| 1,313 | 19.89 | 2010–2024 | ||
| 1,034 | 24.61 | 2019–2024 | ||
| 1,019 | 18.52 | 2008–2018 | ||
| 944 | 20.08 | 2008–2018 |
| Player | Wickets | Average | Career span |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 18.96 | 2010–2024 | |
| 60 | 21.33 | 2008–2024 | |
| 54 | 14.42 | 2022–2024 | |
| 42 | 19.88 | 2010–2019 | |
| 33 | 26.63 | 2018–2024 | |
| 30.81 | 2008–2018 |
WT20I record versus other nations[12]
Records complete to WT20I #1988. Last updated 13 August 2024.
| Opponent | M | W | L | T | NR | First match | First win | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v. Full Members | ||||||||
| 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 27 March 2014 | |||
| 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 28 August 2012 | 5 December 2015 | ||
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 23 June 2012 | |||
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 November 2018 | |||
| 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18 March 2016 | |||
| 19 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 25 May 2009 | 25 May 2009 | ||
| 13 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 August 2008 | 3 August 2016 | ||
| 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 October 2010 | 13 August 2024 | ||
| 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 27 June 2008 | |||
| 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 September 2022 | 23 September 2022 | ||
| v. Associate Members | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 August 2021 | 29 August 2021 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 August 2021 | 26 August 2021 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 August 2019 | 31 August 2019 | ||
| 16 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 August 2009 | 6 August 2009 | ||
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 July 2018 | 12 July 2018 | ||
| 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 July 2018 | 8 July 2018 | ||
| 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 July 2018 | 7 July 2018 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 July 2018 | 10 July 2018 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 April 2024 | 25 April 2024 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 September 2022 | 19 September 2022 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 May 2024 | 1 May 2024 | ||