DUBLIN – In latest cricket news, Cricket Ireland will send a 13-player senior women’s squad to Manchester to play the North West Thunder at the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground on 1 July 2021.
The T20 match will be played as part of a doubleheader, with the Vitality Blast match being played afterwards between Lancashire Lightning and Worcestershire Rapids.
North West Thunder is a regional side that plays in the English Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and will contest in the ECB’s new Regional T20 competition in 2021.
The 13-player squad to travel to Manchester is:
Laura Delany (captain), Ava Canning, Rachel Delaney, Georgina Dempsey, Shauna Kavanagh, Gaby Lewis, Lara Maritz, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Celeste Raack, Rebecca Stokell, Mary Waldron.
Ed Joyce, Head Coach of Ireland Women, said: “This will be a fantastic opportunity for our players to play a high-quality fixture in an international stadium in front of – hopefully – a vibrant crowd. The experience of the occasion will be great, however, with the T20 World Cup European Qualifier the following month, it’s crucial that our players are getting competitive, quality cricket. We see this fixture as a key part of our build-up to that qualifying tournament.”
“We are delighted to welcome Mary Waldron back into the set-up after being away in Australia for 18 months. I know Mary has been keen to get back home and join up with the squad, and her experience and skill will be a welcome addition to the playing group.”
“We would like to thank the Thunder for agreeing to play this fixture, and hope that not only can we reciprocate soon, but this may become a mutually-beneficial longer-term relationship.”
