Left-handed opener Muneeba Ali hit the first century of the Women’s T20 World Cup and the first ever by a Pakistani woman when she made 102 against Ireland at Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday.

The bespectacled left-handed opening batter spurred Pakistan to a total of 165 for five after they were sent into bat.

The slightly-built Muneeba had not previously scored a half-century in 44 T20 internationals although she had scored a one-day international hundred against the same opponents in Lahore last November.

Muneeba and veteran Nida Dar (33) shared a third-wicket partnership of 101.

Muneeba was dropped on 45, just one of several errors in a disappointing Irish fielding performance, and became Pakistan’s highest scorer in T20 cricket when she passed the 75 made by Nida Dar in 2019.

She went on to raise her hundred with a boundary off Leah Paul but fell three balls later when she skied a slog to mid-on. Muneeba faced 68 balls and hit 14 fours.