The four-match T20I series was drought-breaking for both sides, who hadn’t played international cricket since the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in September of 2019 — as well as for the Stormont venue in Belfast, which hosted its first women’s international since 1997.

The first match, a low-scoring tussle in damp conditions saw all-rounder Katie McGill claim the Player of the Match award as she carried the tourists home for an upset against their Full Member rivals. In a laboured batting display the Scots posted 87/9 off their allotted overs with McGill the top scorer with 20. The Irish response was immediately under pressure as star allrounder and captain Kathryn Bryce struck in her first over to trap Gaby Lewis LBW. Katherine Brunt contributed two further wickets before McGill’s seam-up was introduced to the attack and scythed through the middle order with 3/18. The hosts were in a hole at 48/7 in the 16th over, though a mini-recovery from Leah Paul (18) and Celeste Raack (10) briefly rekindled their hope. Two runouts and Kathryn Bryce’s expertly-delivered last over ensured there would be no heroics though, with Ireland dismissed for 76 in the 20th. The match saw Kathryn’s sister, Sarah, claim four stumpings, which equals the record in international T20 cricket.

The pre-series favourites reasserted themselves in the second game, with a much-improved batting display taking them to 137/4, thanks in large part to Gaby Lewis’ brisk 47 (39). She was ably supported by wicketkeeper Shauna Kavanaugh (31 off 35), and when Kathryn Bryce eventually caught her off Katie McGill’s bowling, Orla Prendergast (24 off 23) kept up the pace. McGill was again the pick of the Scottish bowlers with 2/26. In response, the Scottish batting again struggled, with Kathryn Bryce (17 off 23) and Katie McGill (19 off 23) the only two to pass double figures. Young left-arm orthodox Leah Paul was the pick of the Irish bowlers as she scalped 4/16 off her four overs. The match also marked Irish skipper Laura Delaney’s 63rd T20I cap, a record for the women’s team.

The next day saw another milestone, this time on the Scottish side, with stalwart Abbi Aitken-Drummond becoming the most capped Scotland women’s cricketer as she notched her 153rd appearance for the Saltires. On the field though, the Scots had little to celebrate as the third match unfolded in much the same way as the second. Double figure contributions from all of the top five kept Ireland’s score ticking over, with Shauna Kavanaugh’s 37 (30) holding the innings together despite regular wickets. Scotland’s 21-year-old legspinner (and dentistry student) Abtaha Maqsood was the pick of the bowlers with 2/19 from her four overs. But with 134/8 on the board after their 20 overs, the hosts were confident going into the break. Kathryn Bryce battled without much support for an unbeaten 45 (42), and Scotland’s brittle top order was again exposed by a brace of wickets apiece to Orla Prendergast and Leah Paul, before Laura Delaney and Cara Murray finished off the job with another four wickets to bundle out the Scots for 93.

Scotland could have levelled the series in the final match on Thursday, but another disappointing performance with the bat saw them once again bogged down as they posted an inadequate total of 99/7. Suffocating spells from Orla Prendergast (1/16 off 4) and Leah Paul (3/12 off 3) kept the tourists tied in knots, and a late flurry from Megan McColl was the only positive. In response, Gaby Lewis’s continuing form (49 off 40) was the spine of Ireland’s chase, and her 77-run union with Laura Delaney (27 off 23) carried the hosts most of the way with minimal fuss. A late burst of seam bowling from Kathryn Bryce (2/23) removed the two set batters, but it was too late and Shauna Kavanaugh aced the chase with two boundaries in Bryce’s final over. Ireland cruised to 101/4 in 13.5 overs as they claimed the series 3-1.

Cricket Argentina receive their ICC Development Award trophy

Cricket Argentina also received its Development Initiative of the Year award. They were adjudged as the winners for their online Spanish course programme, which found takers across the region during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their programme to develop free courses grew to 17 courses and covered 257 participants, including 105 women, reaching seven countries.

More on the award can be read here.

Women's cricket to resume in Africa

Women’s cricket will also be underway shortly in Africa, with the Kwibuka T20 tournament set to return from the 6th of June. The annual tournament in Rwanda, part of national celebrations commemorating the end of the 1994 genocide, was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, it returns to the picturesque Gahanga oval with an expanded lineup of teams - Namibia, Botswana and Nigeria are set to make their debut, while three-time winners Kenya announced they would be joining for the first time since 2018. Rwanda’s northern neighbour and highest-ranked African Associate, Uganda, rounds out the 6-team competition with 14 matches.

The tournament will be an exciting test for the participants, who have all been starved of cricket since before the pandemic, with their last international fixtures in 2019. Namibia are arguably favourites despite being 23rd on the MRF Tyres ICC Ranking Table - one place behind Kenya and five behind Uganda - after their performance in the 2019 African Women’s Qualifier saw them win through to the global qualification event in Scotland. However, with so little cricket of late, it may be the ideal opportunity for the less-fancied hosts Rwanda (ranked 34) or up-and-coming Nigeria (ranked 41) to spring a surprise or two.

Global Game is a collaboration between the ICC andEmerging Cricket.