After the victory against Sri Lanka, Irish women cricket team has gained accolades. These have win placed many fellows to higher levels. That is why today Ireland’s brilliant performances received a global response. Several players have attained decent rankings on the ICC Women’s Player Rankings having featured for the ODI series such as Orla Prendergast, Leah Paul, and Amy Hunter. This blog looks at how players in the series rose through the rankings and an overall review of the series.
Prendergast Shines in Series to Move Up the Rankings
Orla Prendergast was one of the best performers in the series. In the first match, she came out trumps with a superb unbeaten hundred. Prendergast’s batting performance brought her up in the ICC rankings. In the Women’s ODI Batter Rankings, she moved up by nine positions. She is now the 28th best player in the world all because of such hard work.
Of the eight players that improved their rankings, Leah Paul shifted four positions to the right. She produced her Player of the Match performance in the second game with the help of which the team was able to move on. Paul contributed to the victory that ensured a series win for Ireland and she is currently ranked 29th. Ireland’s win against Sri Lanka was mainly contributed to by her good performance as a bowler using the bat.
Amy Hunter Gains Momentum in ODI Batter Rankings
Amy Hunter also played very well in the series against Sri Lanka. Hunter’s batting turned out to be particularly useful for the team Ireland clinched crucial wins during the matches ODI games. Her good performance has caused her to move up the rankings. In the ICC Women’s ODI Batter Rankings, Hunter has improved her position by ten places. She is now ranked 34th and can be considered a future star in the making.
Arlene Kelly Rises in the Bowler Rankings After Series Win
An important contribution was given by Arlene Kelly when it came to bowling and this helped Ireland in clinching the win. In the second game of the series she got three wickets. This effort qualified her to leap three places into the latest ICC Women’s ODI Bowler Rankings. She currently occupies the position of the 27th ranked player, for which Ireland has a respectable list of bowlers.
Literally in the series, what we saw was an ability to take control from what we knew was a very hardworking and witty character that is, Kelly. She was also acting as a key player in the bowling department of the Irish team. An increase of her position on the ranking list shows how she competes and performs during important games.
Sri Lankan Players Improve Despite Series Loss
They warmed the Sri Lankan spines but also gained in the rankings even though the team lost the series overall. Three places up to the 32nd position in the batter ratings, Nilakshika Silva approached. Kavisha Dilhari jumped rankings by 4 positions to 50th place. In a very impressive manner Vishmi Gunaratne climbed 22 places and reached the 53rd position.
Dilhari also sought changes in the bowler rankings. The wicket keeper batter moved up five places to the 30th position in the ICC Women’s ODI Bowler Rankings. Besides, she also rose six places on the all-rounders’ list to 17th position. All these gains signify that the Sri Lankan players are still learning irrespective of the series defeat.
T20I Rankings Also Reflect Ireland and Sri Lanka’s Gains
There is also good news in the latest T20I rankings for both teams. Progression in the latest rankings was made by Ireland and Sri Lankan players. Harshitha Samarawickrama has gained 14 points to place herself 13th in the ICC Women’s T20I Batter Rankings. This makes her consecutive ‘half-centuries’ very significant to her ascendancy.
Ireland players young talent Gaby Lewis also rose in the ranking. She climbed four places up to 21st position in the T20I Batter Rankings. The way Lewis played the two matches can be described as consistent and quality, or more profoundly demonstrated in her magnificent century in the second match.
All-Rounders Continue to Make Progress in the Rankings
The all-rounders’ T20I rankings were updated too. All-rounder lists saw Kavisha Dilhari set a record and Orla Prendergast achieve impressive improvement. In T20I all rounder list Dilhari climbed up two places to 15th position. Prendergast also surged two positions up the latter to the 17th rank.
Both players assumed roles where both as batters and bowlers where they have exhibited competence and readiness to perform. They have been able to uplift their teams through excelling in all these aspects hence being important members of their teams.
Ireland’s Victory Demonstrates Growth in Women’s Cricket
Ireland players triumph of 2-0 over Sri Lanka is another sign of the development of female cricket. This series’ victory is as evidence of the fact that Ireland has started to emerge as a challenger. The improvements that they have made also attest the efforts put forward by their players.
One of the moments that provided the most excitement in the series was Orla Prendergast’s brilliant unbeaten century. This was a big strength for Ireland as they had a backbone in form of a hard-hitting lower-order batsman. Ireland’s batting strength was also further evidenced by Leah Paul’s Player of the Match display in the second game.
Amy Hunter is another future star that has been promoted in the rankings to strengthen Ireland in the future, positively. For her part, McCarthy has displayed the attribute that makes her a prospective fixture with Ireland at only 17 years of age.
Prendergast’s Performances Continue to Inspire Ireland’s Future
Orla Prendergast still does performances that motivate her teammates. The need of the hour in the first ODI was a classy unbeaten hundred by her. It’s relatively easier to give credit to Prendergast for having grabbed the leadership role to call and steer Ireland to a series victory. A improvement in ranks is an indication of her hard work especially when it comes to performance with the bat.
Ireland also had Leah Paul feature as another strong player. The four place shift in ratings witnessed by Paul in the series is ample evidence to the sort of contribution that she was bringing to the show. Her zeal to play in sensitive stages puts Ireland on a vantage in sensitive games.
Ireland’s Focus on Young Talent Pays Off
Ireland players investment on youth talent has started reaping big fruits. Some current players such as Amy Hunter and Orla Prendergast have proved this beyond doubt. Hunter went up in the rankings after the series, living evidence of her rise in status. She has been an important and valuable player for Ireland in both the versions.
Prendergast’s reliability as an all-rounder is also coming in handy with regards to the job. She has also been one of the most valuable players for Ireland when it comes to both batting as well as bowling. Their climb up the latter is worthy of the recognition because it has been facilitated by her hardworking nature.
Sri Lanka Shows Promise Despite Defeat
Although Sri Lanka’s team lost the series the individual performers it had on offer all had potential. Sri Lanka’s Nilakshika Silva advanced from 106 to 70, Kavisha Dilhari improved from 130 to 82, and Vishmi Gunaratne from 161 to 100. New rankings for Silva is 32 and Dilhari is 50 presented their improvements. In the stated list, arguably the most inspiring movement was the one made by Gunaratne: he rose 22 positions and took the 53d place.
This can also be attested to by the upward movement of Kavisha Dilhari in the all-rounder rankings. She climbed six places to the 17th position and sealed her place in Sri Lanka’s squad. Her development in to a more complete package of course is good news for Sri Lanka.
Both Teams Make Gains in T20I Rankings
In the T20I rankings too both Ireland and Sri Lanka were able to achieve a jump in the rankings. It was a big achievement that, in the T20I Batter Rankings, Harshitha Samarawickrama reached the 13th position. Her two successive half-centuries proved her reliability.
T20I also had a sensation by Gaby Lewis. The evidence of her prowess in the T20I format can be seen from her rankings where she moved to 21st position in the T20I Batter Rankings. Good fielding by Clarke In the second match of the series, Lewis played a century innings of the century.
Ireland’s Success Bodes Well for the Future
The recent series against Sri Lanka and success of Ireland proves this theory true. Something that dictates they are on the right progress in the international cricket is the improvement of the players in the ICC rankings. The talents of Orla Prendergast, Leah Paul and Amy Hunter are evidence of how strong the Irish woman’s cricket team.
Conclusion:
Ireland players, most of whom claimed victory over a Sri Lankan team packed with experience in the recent past, have risen through the ICC rankings. The future has been bright for the likes of Orla Prendergast, Leah Paul, Amy Hunter and Arlene Kelly as they have been the biggest movers up their respective rankings. This series triumph proves to have been another sign of the improved health and stature of Irish women’s cricket, something which portends well for the future.
FAQs:
- Which Ireland players improved their rankings after the Sri Lanka series?
Prendergast, Paul, Hunter, and Kelly made notable gains in the rankings. - What was Orla Prendergast’s key contribution in the series?
Prendergast scored an unbeaten century in the first ODI. - How did Leah Paul perform in the series?
Leah Paul earned Player of the Match in the second ODI. - How did Amy Hunter rise in the rankings?
Hunter’s strong performances moved her ten places up the rankings.
