'It means so much' - Ireland end wait for World Cup win

Ireland's story is one of resilience, persistence and keeping spirits high despite a long litany of disappointments.

Lewis, who made back-to-back half-centuries in the tournament, was at last able to talk about leading the team to a World Cup victory.

"I'm absolutely delighted and just so proud of the girls," said the opener.

"We knew it [the target] was reachable. The batting order we have is so deep and we've got some world-class players, so we were definitely confident. We also bowled really well towards the death.

"We really restricted them and limited the boundaries, which is massive. It was then just getting ourselves in and playing positive cricket. We are such a close group and we're just so happy."

Lewis returned from a leg injury she sustained with Lancashire in time for the tournament and added there had been "really positive periods" during the challenging World Cup.

"It's been a tough tournament - some close losses and some heavy losses but in a tournament like this you just have to dust them off and move on," she added.

"I think the girls have done that brilliantly. We had some really positive periods and spells."