The cricket narrative between Italy Women and Ireland Women is still in its early stages, yet it features two significant international T20 encounters that provide fans insight into the teams’ relative strengths.
In contrast to some longstanding rivalries in women’s cricket, Italy and Ireland do not possess a lengthy history of matches against one another. Their latest contests occurred during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Division 1 Qualifier 2025 in Rotterdam, where Ireland triumphed over Italy on two occasions.
- The initial clash happened on 23 August 2025, where Ireland secured a victory by 63 runs, setting a score of 166/4 and limiting Italy to 103/7.
- Just four days later, the teams faced off again, and Ireland emerged victorious with a 33-run win after scoring 175/6 and bowling Italy out for 142 runs.
These two games serve as the primary highlights of the ongoing Italy Women vs Ireland Women cricket timeline as they progress into 2026.
Italy Women vs Ireland Women Cricket History
The cricketing relationship between Italy Women and Ireland Women is significantly less extensive than the overall competitive history of the two nations in various sports.
Ireland approached these matches with far more experience in international women’s cricket compared to Italy. Conversely, Italy has been progressively enhancing its women’s cricket initiative and gaining experience through European and ICC tournaments.
The 2025 European qualifiers were particularly crucial, featuring four continent teams:
- Ireland
- The Netherlands
- Italy
- Germany
Ireland ultimately completed the tournament with an impeccable record of six wins out of six contests, while Italy ended up with two wins and four losses.
For Italy, competing against Ireland twice within the same competition provided essential experience. For Ireland, those two fixtures were chances to sustain their winning streak.
As 2026 arrives, the 2025 matches stand out as the most significant recorded senior T20I encounters between the two teams.
Italy Women vs Ireland Women Timeline
23 August 2025 – First International Meeting
The inaugural significant event in the contemporary Italy Women vs Ireland Women cricket timeline occurred on 23 August 2025 in Rotterdam.
Italy won the toss and chose to bowl first. Ireland responded by scoring a formidable total of 166/4 in 20 overs, setting a target of 167 runs for Italy. Italy managed to score only 103/7 within their allotted 20 overs, resulting in a decisive 63-run win for Ireland.
Ireland achieved a run rate of 8.30 runs per over, while Italy ended with a rate of 5.15. Arlene Kelly was awarded Player of the Match for her exceptional bowling display.
Ireland Women Batting – 166/4
| Ireland Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Hunter | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Gaby Lewis | 42 | 37 | 6 | 0 |
| Orla Prendergast | 23 | 16 | 4 | 0 |
| Leah Paul | 11 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Laura Delany | 28 | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| Rebecca Stokell | 38 | 24 | 4 | 1 |
| Extras | 14 | — | — | — |
| Total | 166/4 | 20 overs | — | — |
Gaby Lewis was the top scorer with 42 runs off 37 balls, including six boundaries. Additionally, Rebecca Stokell remained not out on 38 runs from 24 deliveries, while Laura Delany contributed an unbeaten 28 runs.
Stokell’s late-game surge was especially valuable as her score of 38 came at a strike rate of 158.33, representing the only six scored by Ireland in that innings.
Italy Women Batting – 103/7
Italy’s attempt to chase down the target lacked the necessary energy to put Ireland’s total in jeopardy.
| Italy Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dilaisha Nanayakkara | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Emilia Bartram | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Ilenia Sims | 7 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Chloe Piparo | 29 | 23 | 3 | 0 |
| Annie Wikman | 29 | 34 | 3 | 0 |
| Alexia Kontopirakis | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Methnara Rathnayake | 14 | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| Chathurika Mahamalage | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Emma Moore | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Extras | 11 | — | — | — |
| Total | 103/7 | 20 overs | — | — |
Chloe Piparo and Annie Wikman emerged as the top scorers for Italy, each contributing 29 runs.
Ireland’s bowling effort was spearheaded by captain Arlene Kelly, who claimed 3 wickets for just 7 runs across four overs. This remarkable economy rate of 1.75 significantly contributed to Ireland’s victory by 63 runs.
Other bowlers for Ireland who took wickets included Orla Prendergast, Amy Dalzell, Ava Canning, and Freya Sargent, with each securing one wicket.
27 August 2025 – Second Meeting
The second matchup between Italy Women and Ireland Women occurred on 27 August 2025 at Hazelaarweg in Rotterdam.
Ireland won the toss again this time and opted to bat.
Ireland set a higher score of 175/6 in 20 overs, while Italy’s response was noticeably stronger than in their previous encounter, finishing all out at 142 in 18.3 overs.
Ireland emerged victorious by 33 runs, but the closer margin indicated Italy’s considerable improvement in batting.
Ireland Women Batting – 175/6
Laura Delany shined in Ireland’s innings and was honored as the Player of the Match.
| Ireland Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Hunter | 62 | 51 | 7 | 0 |
| Ava Canning | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Laura Delany | 91 | 57 | 13 | 0 |
| Rebecca Stokell | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Leah Paul | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Christina Coulter Reilly | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Arlene Kelly | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jane Maguire | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Extras | 10 | — | — | — |
| Total | 175/6 | 20 overs | — | — |
Delany delivered an impressive performance, scoring 91 off 57 balls with 13 boundaries, achieving a strike rate of 159.64.
Amy Hunter contributed significantly as well, making 62 runs from 51 balls, including seven fours.
Delany and Hunter combined to provide the vast majority of Ireland’s runs, with their partnership enabling Ireland to reach 175 despite Italy taking wickets in the closing moments of the innings.
Italy Women Batting – 142 All Out
Italy’s second innings was considerably more aggressive.
| Italy Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chloe Piparo | 36 | 30 | 4 | 0 |
| Methnara Rathnayake | 7 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Annie Wikman | 53 | 29 | 9 | 0 |
| Ilenia Sims | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Emilia Bartram | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Dilaisha Nanayakkara | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Chathurika Mahamalage | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Pasindi Kanankege | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Teshani Araliya | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Nethmi Ekanayake | 3* | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Emma Moore | Absent hurt | — | — | — |
| Extras | 18 | — | — | — |
| Total | 142 all out | 18.3 overs | — | — |
The biggest positive for Italy was Annie Wikman’s 53 from only 29 balls. Her innings contained nine fours and came at a spectacular strike rate of 182.75.
Chloe Piparo also played an important role with 36 from 30 balls.
The pair added 80 runs for the second wicket, which became the foundation of Italy’s chase. However, Ireland’s bowlers returned strongly after that partnership and eventually bowled Italy out for 142.
Second Match Bowling Performance
Ireland’s bowling effort was led by Freya Sargent, who claimed 3 wickets for 38 runs.
- Amy Dalzell and Leah McBride took two wickets each.
- Jane Maguire claimed one.
- Italy’s Ilenia Sims was also effective with the ball earlier in the innings, taking 2 wickets for 22 runs.
- Emilia Bartram also claimed two Irish wickets.
Despite Italy’s improved batting display, Ireland’s 33-run advantage was enough to secure another victory.
Overall Head-to-Head Record
The current senior T20 international record between the two teams is straightforward.
| Matches | Ireland Women Wins | Italy Women Wins | Ireland Runs | Italy Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — |
Ireland won both meetings in the 2025 European qualifier.
The first victory came by 63 runs, while the second came by 33 runs. Therefore, Ireland currently leads the head-to-head record 2-0 in these documented senior T20I meetings.
Who Scored the Most Runs?
Across the two matches, several players produced memorable performances.
Ireland’s Top Run Scorers
Laura Delany was the biggest individual run-scorer across the two meetings.
She scored:
- 28 runs* in the first match
- 91 runs in the second match
- 119 total runs across the two games
Amy Hunter scored 10 in the first game and 62 in the second, giving her 72 runs across the two matches.
Gaby Lewis scored 42 in the first game, while Rebecca Stokell contributed 38*.
Italy’s Top Run Scorers
For Italy, Annie Wikman had the strongest overall contribution.
She scored:
- 29 runs in the first match
- 53 runs in the second match
- 82 total runs
Chloe Piparo also performed consistently, scoring 29 and 36 respectively for a combined 65 runs.
Methnara Rathnayake scored 14 and 7, giving her 21 runs across the two games.
Combined Run Leaders
When the two matches are considered together, the leading run-scorers were:
| Player | Team | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Laura Delany | Ireland | 119 |
| Annie Wikman | Italy | 82 |
| Amy Hunter | Ireland | 72 |
| Chloe Piparo | Italy | 65 |
| Gaby Lewis | Ireland | 42 |
| Rebecca Stokell | Ireland | 38 |
| Methnara Rathnayake | Italy | 21 |
| Ilenia Sims | Italy | 19 |
| Orla Prendergast | Ireland | 23 |
| Leah Paul | Ireland | 13 |
These totals are calculated from the two official scorecards and show how strongly Delany influenced the series.
Biggest Individual Scores
The highest individual score in these two matches was Laura Delany’s 91 on 27 August 2025.
Her 91 came from 57 deliveries and included 13 fours.
The second-highest individual score was Amy Hunter’s 62 in the same match.
For Italy, Annie Wikman’s 53 from 29 balls was the highest individual score. Her innings was one of the most explosive batting displays by either side during the two-game contest.
Therefore, the biggest individual scores were:
- Laura Delany – 91
- Amy Hunter – 62
- Annie Wikman – 53
- Gaby Lewis – 42
- Chloe Piparo – 36
The scorecards confirm that all five performances came during the two 2025 meetings.
Biggest Bowling Performances
The first match belonged to Ireland’s Arlene Kelly with the ball.
She returned figures of 4-1-7-3, meaning four overs, one maiden, seven runs and three wickets.
That performance was particularly impressive in a T20 match because Italy’s scoring rate was already under pressure.
In the second match, Freya Sargent took 3/38, while Amy Dalzell and Leah McBride collected two wickets each.
Italy’s best bowling performances included Ilenia Sims’ 3? Wait—her first-match figures were 2/26, while in the second match she took 2/22. Across the two games, Sims therefore claimed 4 wickets.
Emilia Bartram also made a significant contribution with two wickets in the second game.
2026 Context and Future Outlook
By 2026, the history between Italy and Ireland remains limited, but the two 2025 matches provide an excellent starting point for following their future development.
Italy’s women’s team has continued to expand its international experience. Available records updated to May 2026 list Italy with 57 women’s T20 internationals, 38 wins and 19 defeats, showing how quickly the programme has accumulated international cricket experience since its T20I debut in 2021.
Ireland, meanwhile, remains a much more established force in European women’s cricket.
The 2025 qualifier demonstrated that difference clearly. Ireland finished the tournament with six wins from six matches, while Italy finished third with two wins from six.
However, Italy’s second performance against Ireland is an encouraging sign. The improvement from 103/7 to 142 all out showed that the team could adapt quickly after the first encounter.
Conclusion
The complete recent Italy Women vs Ireland Women cricket timeline can be summarised in two major matches.
23 August 2025
Ireland scored 166/4 and defeated Italy 103/7 by 63 runs. Gaby Lewis made 42, Rebecca Stokell scored 38*, while Chloe Piparo and Annie Wikman both made 29 for Italy. Arlene Kelly was Player of the Match after taking three wickets for seven runs.
27 August 2025
Ireland scored 175/6 and defeated Italy 142 all out by 33 runs. Laura Delany smashed 91 from 57 balls, Amy Hunter made 62, while Annie Wikman responded with a brilliant 53 from 29 balls for Italy.
So, heading through 2026, Ireland leads the documented senior T20I head-to-head 2-0.
The rivalry may not yet have the long history of England-Australia or India-Pakistan, but that is exactly what makes it interesting. Italy are still building their women’s cricket identity, while Ireland are trying to maintain their position among Europe’s strongest teams. If these sides meet again, the previous two matches will provide an important benchmark—and Italy will have a clear target: close the gap and turn experience into a first victory.
