In a decisive Super Six stage match of the Global Qualifier, Ireland secured their place in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 by defeating Thailand by 62 runs. The tournament is scheduled to take place between June and July this year.
Ireland won three out of five matches in this stage, becoming the third team to qualify from the qualifier, after Bangladesh and the Netherlands. This will be Ireland’s first appearance in the T20 World Cup since 2023.
The match, played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground on Sunday, saw Ireland winning the toss and opting to bat first. They posted a total of 121 runs for the loss of eight wickets.
The top three batters led the scoring for Ireland, with Amy Hunter contributing 24 runs, captain Gaby Lewis scoring 25, and Orla Prendergast adding 24 runs.
From the Thailand bowling attack, Suleeporn Laomi was the most successful, taking four wickets for 24 runs, while Sunida Chaturongrat claimed two wickets. Onicha Kamchomphu also took one wicket.
Chasing 122, Thailand struggled and were all out for 59 runs in 16.1 overs. After losing two early wickets for eight runs, Nannapat Koncharoenkai (15) and captain Naruemol Chaiwai (22) added 26 runs for the third wicket in an attempt to stabilize the innings. However, the fall of this partnership led to Thailand’s collapse, with nine of their players scoring less than ten runs.
Arlene Kelly was the standout bowler for Ireland, taking four wickets for just seven runs. Lara McBride took three wickets, and Amy Maguire claimed two.
This victory confirms Ireland’s participation in the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, highlighting their strong performance in the qualifier stage.
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