Cricket’s force for good needs repair

The third and final stage of the 2026 women’s T20 World Cup generated some compelling cricket, not all of it flawless. One of the most noteworthy outcomes was Ireland’s first ever T20 World Cup victory. The team had almost achieved that historic landmark against New Zealand on June 19, failing to score 34 runs from the last 24 deliveries and 15 from the final over. They lost by four runs. Afterwards, the Irish players and coach talked about the need to play the top teams more often in order to gain experience in critical moments.

It seems that the experience against New Zealand served them well against the West Indies, who, after a brisk start of 31 in three overs, posted a disappointing 128 for seven. Ireland’s bowlers were very efficient in the execution of their plans, setting a basis for a real opportunity to reach the target. The impressive Orla Prendergast, Ireland’s top all-round cricketer, led the way, steering the reply to 108 for three in the 16 over, before being dismissed. This time, a task of scoring 21 runs in 27 deliveries was achieved, mainly by Rebecca Stokell, to secure that much wanted first victory on June 27.

The day before, in a remarkable alignment of the stars across the Irish Sea, Ireland’s men’s team had beaten India in the first of two T20 Internationals by 34 runs in Belfast. This was not expected and is the first time that Ireland has beaten India in any format. The two matches were in preparation for India’s T20I and One Day International series against England in July. In hindsight, it should be remembered that the pitches in Ireland and England are quite different from the surfaces that the Indian players have been used to at home in the Indian Premier League.

It was to be expected