Saskia Horley hit 52 runs on her Scotland T20 international debut, but Ireland’s Orla Prendergast made 75 not out to guide her side to an eight wicket victory in Edinburgh on Monday.
The first encounter of a three match series saw Scotland’s women playing a full international at Grange’s Portgower Place in the capital for the first time.
The home side, captained by wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce in the absence of her older sister Kathryn, lost the toss and were put into bat.
Ailsa Lister got her side’s innings off to a solid start, the teenager making 25 off 19 balls.
She was the first to go towards the end of the fifth over when she was caught by Cara Murray off the bowling of Georgina Dempsey.
Abbi Aitken-Drummond was then bowled by Arlene Kelly for a duck.
And when Bryce fell in the eighth over for 14 bowled by Eimear Richardson, her charges were 46-3, but then Horley took up the charge.
The 22-year-old showed good composure at the crease and made her runs off just 42 balls which include six fours and one six.
She fell off the penultimate ball of the 20 overs and Lorna Jack had chipped in with 18 and Priyanaz Chatterji 15 to hoist their side up to 133-6.
Kelly bowled excellently and took 2-12 from four overs for Ireland.
Dempsey, skipper Laura Delany, Richardson and Leah Paul also chipped in with one wicket apiece.
In reply, Ireland lost Gaby Lewis to just the seventh ball of the innings, teenage spinner Katherine Fraser having her stumped by keeper Bryce for one.
When Amy Hunter then followed her back to the pavilion for a breezy 16 – the same bowler having her caught by Lister in the fifth over – the opposition had been pinned back to 38-2, but batting at number three Prendergast, later named player of the match, was in control.
She hit 11 fours and one six in her match winning knock which came from just 45 balls while Delany made 36 not out as they reached 137-2.
Fraser, who recently captained Scotland under-19s to World Cup qualification, stuck to her task and took 2-31, but none of the other five Scottish bowlers used could make a breakthrough.
Prendergast finished things off in style with two fours in a row off the bowling of Rachel Slater to see her side home with 22 balls remaining.
The second match takes place on Tuesday at the same venue (1pm) with tickets available on the gate.
