Emmet Riordan at Claremont Road

Ireland will have one more shot to earn qualification for next year's Women's World Twenty20 finals in Wednesday's third-place play-off after losing their semi-final clash by nine wickets against Pakistan in Sandymount this morning.

That game is likely to come against the Netherlands barring an upset in their semi-final clash against Sri Lanka this afternoon, with the third-place play-off winners taking the final place up for grabs for the finals in Bangladesh.

Having been put in to bat after Pakistan won the toss, Ireland posted a score of 65, with 17-year-old Kim Garth rescuing her side with an innings of great discipline as the wickets fell around her, finishing on 38 not out.

The Pembroke all-rounder also took the wicket of Nahida Khan for 13, but fellow Pakistan opener Javeria Khan made an unbeaten 34 off 39 balls either side of a rain delay as the number one seeds got home with 35 balls to spare.

Ireland skipper Isobel Joyce lost a vital toss and after being put in was first to depart off Sumaiya Siddiqi's fourth ball of the opening over to bring Garth to the wicket.

Having made her Ireland debut at 14, Garth is already one of the experienced hands in a youthful squad and she demonstrated it yet again by remaining until the end of the innings.

Clare Shillington again went early, thanks to a fantastic direct hit from Nahida Khan that left the Ireland opener short of her ground.

Like Sri Lanka on Saturday, the full-time Pakistan players were excellent in the field, while wicket-keeper Batool Fatima was outstanding, claiming a five-for including three stumpings off left-arm spinner Sadia Yousuf.

Those wickets tore Ireland’s middle order apart, but Garth kept her head, hitting two late boundaries to record her highest score in a T20 international.

ICC WOMEN'S WORLD TWENTY20 QUALIFIER SEMI-FINAL (at Claremont Road): Ireland 65 (19.5 ovs) (K Garth 38no; S Yousuf 4-9), Pakistan 66-1 (14.1 ovs) (J Khan 34no, N Abidi 16no). Pakistan won by 9 wkts.