Laura Delany will be hoping it’s third time lucky for her Ireland side and they can level their T20 international series against the West Indies in St Lucia tonight (THURS) after again suffering the agony of a last-over defeat in the opener.

The Girls in Green could and should have beaten their Caribbean  counterparts at the T20 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year and went even closer on Tuesday night, losing by two wickets in a last-ball thriller.

Patience and making every run count will be the key at the Daren (CORR) Sammy stadium where six an over can be a competitive score and Ireland’s 112-7, featuring a top score of 34 from skipper Delany, almost proved enough.

Delany, who has always been a good accumulator, has now added power to her batting and struck the visiting side’s only six.

Arlene Kelly was the pick of the Ireland bowlers, claiming 3-21 from four overs while left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire, making her T20i debut, again showed great potential and temperament with a crucial wicket in the 18th over.

Delany will surely be tempted to give the 16-year-old a full quota of four overs in the remaining two games after she returned figures of 1-18 from three.

Cara Murray was entrusted with the final over and looked to have won the game by taking an eighth Windies’ wicket but with five runs needed from three balls, a two, a leg-bye and an untimely wide levelled the scores and the home side scrambled a winning single.