'Unbelievable' - Hunter savours first World Cup win

Amy Hunter praised the “absolutely outrageous” Orla Prendergast after they combined to inspire Ireland to a long-awaited first Women’s T20 World Cup win.

Saturday’s six-wicket win in Bristol ended Ireland’s run of 21 consecutive defeats across five tournaments.

Hunter and Prendergast’s partnership caused West Indies problems with the latter registering an impressive 63 from 44 balls during the shock victory.

“I was just so excited to be honest,” Hunter told Sky Sports.

“I think it’s been in the works for a while and we just haven’t quite got over the line, but to get over the line is an unbelievable feeling.

“It was unbelievable out there. I was just trying to get her [Orla Prendergast] on the track the whole time and she was absolutely outrageous out there. ”

Hunter also praised the contribution of captain Gaby Lewis, who became the first woman to lead Ireland to a World Cup win.

Lewis returned from injury ahead of the tournament and scored consecutive half-centuries before Ireland’s final group game.

“I think Gaby has been unbelievable throughout the competition,” she continued.

“She’s held the batting together at times. Credit to her, she’s been absolutely unbelievable.”

Although Ireland go home after finishing bottom in Group 2, they showed signs of improvement as the tournament progressed.

They responded to a challenging opening few fixtures and came close to registering their first victory against New Zealand only to be narrowly defeated by four runs.

“There’s definitely been a few lows along the way, but I think we’ve bounced back really well and as a group have been really resilient,” Hunter added.

“Credit to the supporters. I think they’ve been absolutely unbelievable and the amount that have come over.

“As a team, we’re just so proud and, thankfully, we got the win for the fans.”

• Get cricket news sent straight to your phone