CHENNAI: At one point in Ireland's chase of 260 against Sri Lanka in the first ODI at Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast, the required run rate had gone beyond seven. Orla Prendergast had already passed her personal best score (71) in the format, but she needed to pull a rabbit out of a hat to keep Ireland in the contest.
Just as she was looking to accelerate in the final six overs, the all-rounder lost Arlene Kelly and Alice Tector in a span of three balls. For a team looking to put their first points on the board in the ICC Women's ODI Championship, it was looking like a familiar picture where Ireland ended up crumbling under pressure. However, Prendergast kept her calm.
With 21-year-old Jane Maguire by her side, she took on Sri Lanka's bowling to give Ireland an unlikely win against the newly-crowned champions of Asia. En route, she scored her first ODI century (122 not out) and that came on the back of her best-ever bowling performance (3/25) in the first innings, where she took the wicket of opposition captain Chamari Athapathuthu with her fourth ball of the match.
Naturally, Prendergast was awarded Player of the Match as former Ireland captain, Isobel Joyce, watched these efforts, beaming with pride from the commentary box.
"When she was around 15 or 16. She has always been the stall athlete. She was very much a bowler back then," Joyce told TNIE.
"I don’t remember seeing her bat that much. She was quick but we didn’t see a lot of her because she spent so much time playing football. The aim was to keep her around cricket and the hope was that she would eventually come that way because cricket clubs were where her best friends were."
"One thing about cricket clubs in Ireland is that they are social. You stick with those people and that's kind of their strength. In Ireland, when it comes to football, you enter the higher level after the age of 17. So she had to make a decision and around that time, (Cricket Ireland) was talking about contracts and it became more attractive. She started playing better with the bat. We were always talking about her in the background. Quite hoping (she would join cricket) but not putting a lot of pressure on her," Joyce said.
Prendergast made her decision and what was football's loss was ultimately cricket's gain as the 17-year-old made her international debut for Ireland in 2019 against Netherlands. Having played with the teenager in Ireland's domestic competition - The Super Series - Joyce had seen glimpses of how technically sound her batting was. And one of the aspects that stuck with Joyce was how quick she was to adapt to conditions.
"When I saw her for the first time she was a seamer and she was part of the strong batting side in Pembroke. When she came into the Super Series, she was part of my team (Scorchers). I remember batting with her. In one of the matches, I remember the bowlers were bowling full and straight but because she was so quick, we kept on getting two runs. She would just pick up so easily," Joyce said, shedding light on Prendergast's early years.
"I would hit the ball straight to long on or long off and she would just easily get back for two. What was clear to me when I batted with her for the first time was that when I talked about tactics, she could pick it up straight away and she was able to implement them, which was unusual for such a young player. That was exciting," she added.
In the second ODI against Sri Lanka on Sunday, Prendergast had the additional responsibility on her shoulders to lead the side in the absence of regular captain Laura Delany and vice-captain Gaby Lewis. In what ended up being a nail-biting finish with Harshitha Samarawickrama scoring her maiden century for Sri Lanka, Ireland still managed to win the match and series in Belfast.
With that win, Ireland has now registered their first series win in the third edition of the ICC Women's ODI Championship. And it would count as one of their biggest successes after failing to qualify for the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
"It (ODI Championship) is very important. Because the first thing you know is they are going to play continuous cricket. You are working on skills continuously. Playing the better teams, I think, has helped Ireland’s bowling. Because when teams have taken them on, they immediately can come back," Joyce mentioned.
"Ireland played against Australia last year and there is no more pressure than bowling to Phoebe Litchfield, who is going to be on the charge. If you have been there in the pressure situations, it’s easier to put a plan and see how you are going to come through. It provides the clarity of thoughts," she added.
For Prendergast, it is not over yet. According to Joyce, the cricketing world is yet to see the best of her.
"The big thing for Orla (to be a better bowler) is to remain fit to bowl. Because she is too athletic, she gets a host of injuries. Especially in T20 Cricket, she has kept it simple bowling up top. She does have a good bouncer but we have not seen her use it a lot. That is something I hope to see in the future, especially against teams that are going to attack her more. She does have a good slower ball and an off-cutter."
With the ODI World Cup coming up in 2025, the better and fitter Ireland side can challenge anybody. It will be interesting to see how the side takes up the challenge. And no matter what the result is, one can assume that Prendergast will play a crucial role in the journey.