KIM Garth has admitted that Ireland have Pakistan in their sights as the game they can realistically win at the Women’s World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

Garth, who won her 100th cap in the nine wickets defeat to Australia on Sunday night, is Ireland’s best player and was top scorer and took her side’s only wicket in their tournament opener. But against the world’s best team, it was always about damage limitation.

With games against India (ranked No 5) and New Zealand (No 3) their last two games promise to be just as difficult but Garth has high hopes for tonight’s game against Pakistan (8pm GMT), just three places above them in the rankings at seven.

“(Victory) would be absolutely huge,” she said. “Not that we’re not gearing up for every game, but it’s the one we’re really targeting. If we can turn them over, we might be able to automatically qualify for the next World Cup.”

The most disappointing aspect of Sunday’s loss was the manner of their dismissals. Two run-outs and three batters bowled behind their legs attempting a ramp shot accounted for all but one of the wickets in their innings of 93-6 which got bogged down early on. Although the first wicket stand put on 30, it used up seven overs with Cecelia Joyce facing 20 dot balls before she was first out.

One wicket brought five, however, as Ireland slumped to 46-5 after 13 overs and Garth accepts that was a major failing.

“We got stuck in the middle and found it hard to get out of that rut. It’s something we have to work on going forward,” she added.

Gaby Lewis and captain Laura Delany were also harshly penalised by the Zimbabwe umpire for running down the middle of the pitch so Australia actually started their reply on 5-0. Having won their last 10 T20 internationals, scoring another 89 runs was never going to be a problem for the tournament favourites.

“They batted with real intent and aggression,” said Delany, “but playing against the best team in the world, you have to put a score on the board, otherwise you don’t have much to bowl to.”