Javeria Khan is the Player of the Match for her scintillating 74

7.05pm Ireland were exactly in the contest for eight overs after losing the toss. Then, they saw it sensationally slip. As is the case most times, a missed opportunity proved costly. Pakistan didn't look back from there, blasting 110 off their last 12 overs to finish with a competitive 139. This was 45 too many for Ireland. The win kept Pakistan just about breathing in the competition after two heavy losses to Australia and India.

The beneficiary of the missed opportunity was Javeria Khan, the Pakistan captain. On nine at the start of the ninth over after Pakistan had limped to 29 for 1, she should've been caught at long-on, but Clare Shillington was five yards inside the ropes. When she finally backpedaled, it was too late. Celeste Raack, the Australia-born legspinner, was denied a wicket in her very first over. To add to Ireland's woes, Javeria went on to make 74 not out, the highest individual score by a Pakistani woman in a T20I, to shift momentum Pakistan's way at the halfway mark.

Ireland's chase never took off, and they were expertly tied into knots by Nashra Sandhu, the left-arm spinner. Left out for the game against India, 20-year old returned to finish with 4-0-8-2, the most economical figures for Pakistan women in a T20I, to stifle Ireland in the Powerplay. As it turned out, they never quite had the muscle in the middle overs to pinch boundaries to keep chipping away at the runs, choosing to play ugly across-the-line swipes to either be bowled or lbw. Isobel Joyce's 30 added the only touch of respectability for Ireland in what was a one-sided fare.