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.
In April 2021, the ICC awarded permanent Test and One Day International (ODI) status to all full member women's teams.
History
1980s
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. 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.
1990s
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.
2000s
Ireland played their first ever Test match in 2000, beating Pakistan by an innings inside two days in Dublin. 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.Delany named Ireland Women captainLaura Delany named as new Ireland women's captain
In December 2020, the ICC announced the qualification pathway for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup. Ireland were named in the 2021 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier regional group, alongside five other teams.
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.
On 23 January 2024, Cara Murray became the first Irish player to take six wickets in a WODI with 6/31 against Zimbabwe in Harare.
Tournament history ICC Women's World Cup
Women's Cricket World Cup records YearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 1973 Did not qualify 1978 1982 1988Round -robin4/582600 1993Round -robin5/872500 1997Quarter-finals–62301 2000Round -robin7/871600 2005Round -robin8/870502 2009Did not qualify 2013 2017 2022 2025Total5/130 Titles3572503
ECC Women's European Cricket Championship Women's European Cricket Championship recordsYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 1989Round -robin–31200 1990Round -robin–32100 1991Round -robin–31200 1995Round -robin–32100 1999Round -robin–32100 2001Champions–33000 2005The full information of the tournament have not been found 2007 2009Champions–22000 2010The full information of the tournament have not been found 2011Round -robin–21100 2014The full information of the tournament have not been found Total8/122 Title 2214800
ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier records HostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2003Qualified1/655000 2008Did not qualify–42200 2011Did not qualify6/1051400 2017Did not qualify–92700 2021Tournament postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic–21100 2025Did not qualify–52300Total5/61 Title30131700
ICC Women's World T20
ICC Women's T20 World Cup records HostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2009 Did not qualify 2010 2012 2014Group stage–40400 2016–40400 2018–40400 2020Did not qualify 2023Group stage–40400 2024Did not qualify 2026To be determined 2028Total4/90 Titles1601600 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier records HostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 20133rd-place3/853200 2015Champions1/855000 2018Runners-up2/854100 2019DNQ3/853200 2022Runners-up2/853200 2024DNQ3/1054100 2026Runners-up2/1075200Total7/74 Titles37271000
Cricket at Summer Olympics Games Cricket at Summer Olympics records HostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2028To be determined 2032Total–0 Title00000
ICC Women's T20 Champions Trophy ICC Women's T20 Champions Trophy records HostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2027To be determined 2031Total–0 Title00000
Squad This lists all the players with a central contract with Cricket Ireland or were named in the most recent ODI or T20I squad. Uncapped players are listed in italics
Name Age Batting style Bowling style Contract Format Notes Batters Rebecca Stokell Right-handed Right-arm medium Full-time ODI & T20I Gaby Lewis Right-handed Right-arm leg break Full-time ODI & T20I Captain Una Raymond-Hoey Right-handed Right-arm medium Retainer ODI & T20I Sarah Forbes Right-handed Educational ODI & T20I Christina Coulter Reilly Right-handed Right-arm leg break Casual ODI & T20I Abbi Harrison Right-handed Right-arm off break Casual All-rounders Orla Prendergast Right-handed Right-arm medium Full-time ODI & T20I Leah Paul Left-handed Slow left-arm orthodox Full-time ODI & T20I Laura Delany Right-handed Right-arm medium Full-time ODI & T20I Sophie MacMahon Right-handed Right-arm medium Full-time ODI & T20I Louise Little Right-handed Right-arm medium Full-time ODI & T20I Wicket-keepers Amy Hunter Right-handed – Educational ODI & T20I Joanna Loughran Right-handed – Educational ODI Spin Bowlers Cara Murray Right-handed Right-arm leg break Full-time ODI & T20I Freya Sargent Right-handed Right-arm off break Full-time ODI & T20I Aimee Maguire Right-handed Slow left-arm orthodox Educational ODI & T20I Kia McCartney Right-handed Right-arm off break Casual Seam Bowlers Arlene Kelly Right-handed Right-arm medium Full-time ODI & T20I Ava Canning Right-handed Right-arm medium Educational ODI & T20I Jane Maguire Right-handed Right-arm medium Full-time ODI & T20I Georgina Dempsey Right-handed Right-arm medium Educational ODI & T20I Alana Dalzell Right-handed Right-arm medium Full-time ODI & T20I Alice Tector Right-handed Right-arm medium Casual ODI & T20I
Updated as of 11 September 2024.
Records
International match summary – Ireland Women
Last updated 6 September 2026. Playing record Format M W L T D/NR Inaugural match Test matches 1 1 0 0 0 30 July 2000 One-Day Internationals 201 56 137 1 7 28 June 1987 Twenty20 Internationals 157 74 82 0 1 27 June 2008
Test matches Highest team total: 193/3 declared v. Pakistan on 30 July 2000 at Trinity College Park, Dublin. Highest individual score: 68*, Caitriona Beggs v. Pakistan on 30 July 2000 at Trinity College Park, Dublin. Best innings bowling: 6/21, Isobel Joyce v. Pakistan on 30 July 2000 at Trinity College Park, Dublin.
Test record versus other nations
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
One-Day Internationals Highest team total: 337/8 v. Netherlands on 24 August 2022 at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen. Highest individual score: 137, Leah Paul v. Netherlands on 24 August 2022 at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen. Best innings bowling: 6/31, Cara Murray v. Zimbabwe on 23 January 2024 at Harare Sports Club, Harare.
Most ODI runs for Ireland Women PlayerRunsAverageCareer spanGaby Lewis 2,083 33.06 2016–2026Amy Hunter 1,488 34.60 2021–2026Miriam Grealey 1,412 23.14 1987–2005Laura Delany 1,411 23.13 2010–2025Leah Paul 1,375 25.46 2017–2026
Most ODI wickets for Ireland Women PlayerWicketsAverageCareer spanIsobel Joyce 66 30.45 1999–2018Cara Murray 61 32.08 2018–2026Ciara Metcalfe 60 27.00 1999–2017Barbara McDonald 54 26.75 1993–2005Catherine O'Neill 45 22.84 1993–2003Arlene Kelly 45 31.51 2022–2026
Highest individual innings in Women's ODI
PlayerScoreOppositionMatch DateLeah Paul 137 24 August 2022Amy Hunter 121* 11 October 2021Karen Young 120 27 July 2000Mary-Pat Moore 114* 18 July 1995Laura Delany 109 24 August 2022
Best bowling figures in an innings in Women's ODI PlayerScoreOppositionMatch DateCara Murray 6/31 23 January 2024Eimear Richardson 5/13 5 August 2009Ciara Metcalfe 5/18 17 August 2007Aimee Maguire 5/19 11 September 2024Susan Bray 5/27 18 July 1990
ODI record versus other nations
Records complete to WODI #1564. Last updated 6 September 2026.
Opponent M W L T NR First match First win v. Full Members 17 0 17 0 0 28 June 1987 10 1 7 0 2 26 November 2011 21 August 2012 23 2 21 0 0 5 December 1988 12 August 2001 15 0 15 0 0 26 July 1993 20 0 18 0 2 29 November 1998 22 6 16 0 0 18 December 1997 18 December 1997 23 1 21 0 1 5 August 1997 11 August 2016 7 2 4 0 1 5 December 2000 16 August 2024 15 1 13 0 1 29 July 1993 21 July 2001 9 7 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 6 5 1 0 0 11 August 2001 11 August 2001 1 1 0 0 0 15 April 2025 15 April 2025
Twenty20 Internationals
Highest team total: 223/1, v Germany on 24 August 2025 at Hazelaarweg Stadium, Rotterdam. Highest individual innings: 119, Gaby Lewis v Sri Lanka on 13 August 2024 at Sydney Parade, Dublin. Best innings bowling: 5/12, Arlene Kelly v Netherlands on 14 August 2023 at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen.
Most WT20I runs for Ireland Women