Louise Little's five-wicket haul powered Ireland to secure a comprehensive 46-run victory over Thailand in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier at Qaddafi Stadium Lahore, reported 24News HD TV channel on Tuesday.
Batting first, Ireland posted a formidable total of 305 runs for the loss of four wickets.
Their top order displayed remarkable consistency, with Amy Hunter scoring a fluent 76 runs, Gaby Lewis contributing 75, and Orla Prendergast chipping in with 67 runs.
The Irish batters dominated the Thai bowling attack, setting up a challenging target for their opponents.
Thailand’s bowlers struggled to contain the Irish women. Only three bowlers — Theptatha Putthawong, Chanida Sutthiruang, and Suleeporn Laomi managed to take one wicket each.
Chasing a daunting target of 306 runs, Thailand showed resilience but ultimately fell short, being bowled out for 259 runs.
Despite the loss, there were notable performances from their batters.
Sornnarin Tippoch impressed with her maiden ODI half-century, scoring 59 runs.
She was well-supported by Phannita Maya, who scored 43 runs, and Naruemol Chaiwai with 37 runs.
Louise Little delivered a match-winning performance, taking five crucial wickets and dismantling the Thai batting lineup.
She was ably assisted by Cara Murray, who took two wickets to ensure Ireland maintained control throughout the chase.