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2022-07-18 16:45

Australia get comfortable nine wicket victory over Ireland

(Cricket news) A strong team bowling performance followed by a pair of key hands from Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning gave Australia a nine-wicket win over Ireland in the second game of the T20I Tri-Series. After the first game of the series, between Australia and Pakistan had been unable to reach a result due to rain, the second fixture arrived with the weather set fair. Australia, reigning world champions in both ODI and T20 cricket, won the toss and elected to bowl first, and immediately set about their work, Gaby Lewis hitting Megan Schutt to deep midwicket for a duck in the first over.

Orla Prendergast’s stay at the crease was short but sweet, with two sumptuously driven boundaries off Tahlia McGrath the highlights of her innings. She was one of two wickets to fall in Darcie Brown’s second over, Prendergast and captain Laura Delany both bowled as Brown showcased her electric pace. Rebecca Stokell, having opened the innings, had just three runs off seven balls to her name at that point, having watched three wickets fall from the non-striker’s end. She took it upon herself to up the ante, driving and cutting Schutt for a pair of boundaries in consecutive balls, guiding Ireland to 26-3 by the end of the powerplay.

Alana King, fresh off taking three wickets in her only over against Pakistan, was soon into the action, and took only four balls to strike, Rachel Delaney pinned lbw. Mary Waldron resisted for a time, ticking over the strike for seven, but when she and Stokell both fell with the score on 44, Ireland were in danger of subsiding with plenty of balls to spare. As it was, a trio of useful lower-order hands from Arlene Kelly, Leah Paul and Ava Canning ensured Ireland batted their overs and set Australia a three-figure target. While Kelly only made five before hitting Brown to mid-off, she and Paul put on 25, the largest stand of the innings. Paul contributed 12 before edging a sweep off King behind and Canning, who had only faced one delivery in T20Is before today, added an unbeaten 14. King finished with figures of 3-9, claiming the Player of the Match award and taking her series tally to 6-17 from five overs.

In reply, Ireland fought hard but ultimately succumbed to the strength of Australia’s top-order. Mooney was the early aggressor, hitting Canning for consecutive fours in the second over and swinging the only six of the day off Jane Maguire in the third. When Healy, becalmed at first, pulled Delaney for four, Ireland may have feared a mammoth opening stand. But Kelly’s introduction brought about the end of the wicketkeeper’s knock, enticing her to hit to Maguire at mid-off. The opening bowler, having seen a chance go down off her own bowling earlier on, completed a fine catch.

That dismissal saw Lanning enter, with the Australia captain constructing the game’s defining stand with Mooney. There was little overt aggression, but the pair found a way to score off virtually every ball while also striking regular boundaries. Between the end of the fifth and the start of the 12th over, the pair faced just seven dot balls between them, and used their feet, drove and swept well to find the fence. Their stand would finish unbroken, with five wides from Maguire confirming a nine-wicket victory with more than seven overs to spare. The series will continue at the same venue on Tuesday, 19 July, when Ireland take on Pakistan with both sides searching for their first win.

MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland v Australia, 2nd T20I, Bready, 17 July 2022

Ireland 99-8 (20 overs; R Stokell 22, A Canning 14*; A King 3-9)

Australia 103-1 (12.5 overs; B Mooney 45*, M Lanning 39*; A Kelly 1-19)

Australia won by nine wickets with 43 balls remaining.

Also read: Takeaways as India win low-scoring ODI series against England

2022-07-04 17:10

Ireland announce Squad for Women's T20I Tri-Series

(Cricket news) Cricket Ireland has today announced a 14-player squad for Ireland Women’s T20 International series against Australia and Pakistan to be played at Bready Cricket Club from 16-24 July 2022, while a new national selection panel has been established for the senior women’s squad. Ireland Women will see the return of a number of high-profile players, after the recent six-match series against South Africa which saw eight players from the senior performance squad missing due to injuries or exams. Laura Delany and Orla Prendergast are both making a welcome return from injuries, while Ava Canning and Amy Hunter missed the previous series due to exam commitments.

Meanwhile, selector Cathy Murphy will be stepping down from her role effective immediately – advising her professional commitments are making it increasingly difficult to juggle a career with the growing demands of the role. A new national selection panel has been announced with Carrie Archer remaining as the Chair of National Women’s Selectors. Carrie will be joined by the three Arachas Super Series head coaches – Glenn Querl, James Cameron-Dow and Paul Davidge, with head coach Ed Joyce completing the new five-member panel.

Ireland Women’s T20I squad for Tri-Series:

Laura Delany (capt), Ava Canning, Rachel Delaney, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Gaby Lewis, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell.

Carrie Archer, Chair of National Women’s Selectors, said: “We were pleased to see numerous strong performances during the recent South Africa series and, combined with the return of several players to the player pool after exams or injury, it has certainly made for several tough decisions on selection. However, these selection challenges only serve to underscore the positive fact that we are on the right track in the development of an increased talent pool to choose from in Ireland.

“Indeed, several players who missed out on this squad can consider themselves unfortunate, but certainly not out of contention for further opportunities, particularly in the lead up to T20 World Cup Qualifier in September. We have a lot to play for and a lot of players to see, especially with so many Super Series games ahead, as well as further internationals ahead of the tournament.”

On the new selector panel, she said: “We are pleased to welcome the three new members of the reconstituted national selectors panel with a busy period ahead for the women’s squad. We bid a fond farewell to Cathy Murphy as she steps down as a selector. Cathy has been an incredibly diligent and dedicated voluntary selector for several years and has been a key part of the selection team that has helped to identify talent and grow the talent pool across Ireland. Cathy has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role and her input and unique insights have been highly valued by the panel. Her contributions will be sorely missed. She will step away with pride at being part of the move to a new era for women’s cricket in Ireland.”

Women’s summer tri-series

16 July 2022: Australia Women v Pakistan Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)
17 July 2022: Ireland Women v Australia Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)
19 July 2022: Ireland Women v Pakistan Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)
21 July 2022: Ireland Women v Australia Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)
23 July 2022: Pakistan Women v Australia Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)
24 July 2022: Ireland Women v Pakistan Women – T20I (Bready; start time 4pm)

TICKETS AND LIVESTREAM

Tickets are available to buy online at www.cricketireland.ie/tickets. Adults are £5, Under-16s free.

All matches will be livestreamed on www.livestream.com/CricketIrelandLive

Also read: Eden Hazard to play in a new position at Real Madrid next season

2022-06-18 16:14

South Africa wrap up ODI series with convincing win at Clontarf

(Cricket news) South Africa went on to 189-run win over Ireland in the final ODI of The HBV Studios International Women’s Cricket Series as they bowled out the hosts for 89. Shabnim Ismail continued her great form in the series as she took four wickets inside the first seven overs of the Ireland innings to derail a chase of 279 after Laura Wolvaardt (89) and Sune Luus (93) had starred with the bat.

Luus, the South African captain won the toss and chose to bat first, but it was Ireland who began brightly as they restricted the visitors to 16 runs inside the first five overs before the first wicket arrived in the sixth over when Andrie Steyn was run out after an excellent direct hit from Sophie MacMahon. That brought in-form Lara Goodall to the crease, but the left-hander got out for 18 looking while looking to play a big shot; she advanced down the ground to Rachel Delaney but failed to connect and Mary Waldron did the rest behind the stumps.

At 57-2 in the 14th over, South Africa weren’t in trouble, but also weren't in the most comfortable spot. Wolvaardt and Luus then went on to rebuild the innings; as Wolvaardt advanced to her half-century off 79 balls, while Luus brought up the same landmark from 70 balls. Together they stitched a partnership worth 177, which was subsequently the fifth-highest for South Africa in women’s ODIs. Jane Maguire provided a much-needed wicket in the 45th over, with Wolvaardt departing 11 runs short of what would have been her fourth ODI century. Chloe Tryon came in to hit some quick runs and managed 17 off 12 before finishing the innings at 279

Ireland’s chase got off to the worst start as Ismail who had taken six wickets across the previous two ODIs, got both Gaby Lewis and Rachel Delany caught behind for ducks in her opening over. Ismail’s scintillating new-ball spell then got Leah Paul out in the fifth over, and Shauna Kavanagh was bowled for 10-ball duck in the seventh over to leave Ireland struggling on 8-4. Raisibe Ntozakhe accounted for MacMahon to leave Ireland 13-5. From there on Ireland were rescued by Mary Waldron and Kelly, with the pair putting on a gritty 57 runs for the sixth wicket. But Luus continued her excellent all-round day by having Waldron adjudged lbw for 32. Wickets continued to tumble as Ireland fell from 70-5 to 89 all out, with Ismail fittingly taking the final wicket to finish with figures of 5-8 from 8.5 overs which included four maidens.

MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Women v South Africa Women, 3rd ODI, Clontarf, 17 June 2022

South Africa 278-5 (50 overs; S Luus 93, L Wolvaardt 89; A Kelly 2-40)

Ireland 89 (32.5 overs; M Waldron 32, A Kelly 29; S Ismail 5-8)

South Africa won by 189 runs

Also read: England seamer Katherine Brunt retires from Test Cricket

2022-06-11 15:33

Celeste Raack leaves Ireland camp for family reasons before South Africa series

(Cricket news) Celeste Raack has been granted personal leave from the Ireland Women’s squad for family illness reasons, as the home side completes final preparations ahead of the first one-day international against South Africa tomorrow at Clontarf Cricket Club – the first-ever match Ireland will play in the ICC Women’s Championship.

Raack will not initially be replaced, with Selectors keeping faith with the remaining 13 players in the squad. However, a further assessment will be made after tomorrow’s game.

Last month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the 2022-2025 ICC Women’s Championship match-ups that form the qualification route to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. Ireland Women are set to host England, Australia, South Africa (starting tomorrow) and Sri Lanka, while the squad will travel to play Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and the West Indies over the four-year cycle.

This is the first time that Ireland Women are part of the ICC Women’s Championship, and - along with fellow newcomers Bangladesh - will join Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies as they fight it out for qualification to the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup. The tournament hosts (yet to be announced), along with the top five sides in the Championship standings will earn direct entry, while the two remaining spots will be identified through a global qualifier.

Speaking after training today, Ireland captain Gaby Lewis said: “We’ve had a good chat after the end of the T20I series and we’ll take the positives from that series. We’re really excited about the first Women’s Championship games tomorrow. Going into the ODIs, we just need to remind ourselves to focus on getting our processes right and not get too carried away with what the opposition are doing. Apart from Celeste, we’re sticking with the 13 we have and really looking forward to the series.”

The Ireland Women’s squad is:

Gaby Lewis (captain), Alana Dalzell, Rachel Delaney, Georgina Dempsey, Sarah Forbes, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Kate McEvoy, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Mary Waldron.

The ODI series dates are:

11 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 1st ODI (Clontarf, 10.45am start)
14 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 2nd ODI (Clontarf, 10.45am start)
17 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 3rd ODI (Clontarf, 10.45am start)

Also read: India look to level series against South Africa in Cuttack

2022-05-25 16:31

Ireland Women’s squad named for South Africa multi-format series

(Cricket news) Cricket Ireland selectors have named a 14 player squad for Ireland Women’s upcoming six match multi-format tour against South Africa Women in Dublin next month. Four uncapped players could potentially be making their debuts as head coach Ed Joyce will be without eight of his 20 senior squad members due to injuries or school/college exams.

In the absence of regular captain Laura Delany (recovering from injury), Gaby Lewis will lead the international side for the first time. While still only 21, Lewis has amassed 88 caps so far and is Ireland Women’s fifth-highest run-scorer across all formats. She also became the first child of a former Irish cricket captain to lead her country, following in the footsteps of her father Alan Lewis who led Ireland Men 35 times.

The four potential debutants are Alana Dalzell (Bready CC/Dragons), Sarah Forbes (YMCA CC/Dragons), Arlene Kelly (Malahide/Dragons) and Kate McEvoy (YMCA/Dragons) – while Jane Maguire is also in line to make her T20I debut, if selected.

SQUAD

The Ireland Women’s squad for the T20Is and ODIs against South Africa is:

Gaby Lewis (captain), Alana Dalzell, Rachel Delaney, Georgina Dempsey, Sarah Forbes, Shauna Kavanagh, Arlene Kelly, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Kate McEvoy, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Celeste Raack, Mary Waldron.

Carrie Archer, Chair of National Women’s Selectors, said: “Despite the introduction of contracts, we have a large portion of this year’s performance squad in education and completing important exams at the time of this series. In addition, Eimear Richardson was unavailable for this series and a number of key players are rehabilitating from injuries, including Laura Delany, Rebecca Stokell, Orla Prendergast and Hannah Little. With the long-term in mind, particularly with the significant volume of international cricket ahead, we believe that it was more important to adhere to player’s treatment plans than to try and rush them back.

“When selecting squads, the Selectors seek to maintain a balance between the immediate needs and priorities with long-term planning. We’ve selected a 14-player squad that features five players who will potentially make debuts. We are excited about the inclusion of these potential debutants, but at the same time acknowledge that there’s a lot of years of experience missing.

“We will be facing one of the world’s top-ranked teams, and this is our first outing in the ICC Championship. While the selectors had met a number of weeks ago to confirm the squad, the further injury to Orla Prendergast forced us to consider options that would maintain our competitiveness on the field. As such, despite only recently arriving in Ireland, we have included Arlene Kelly for this series. Arlene brings a wealth of experience and adds depth to the squad as an all-rounder. Her immediate impact upon the Arachas Super Series demonstrated her talent and as an Irish passport-holder she is available to declare for Ireland immediately.

“Despite the challenges, the squad will still feature a number of senior players who have a wealth of experience – Gaby Lewis, Shauna Kavanagh and Mary Waldron have 335 caps between them. We wish Gaby and her team the best for the challenge ahead and have no doubt under Ed Joyce’s leadership they will have prepared meticulously.”

Gaby Lewis, stand-in captain of Ireland Women, said: “While it’s unfortunate that we are without our skipper Laura Delany, it’s an absolute honour to be asked to captain Ireland for the first time. The opportunity to take on one of the world’s leading sides is one I am relishing, and I know the squad is looking forward to the challenge. One of the benefits of a competitive domestic Super Series is that – even with up to nine players missing - we are still able to bring in a talented group of players as cover, showing that we are growing our player pool and developing our emerging talent in the right way.”

FIXTURES

The series dates are:

3 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 1st T20I (Pembroke, 4.30pm start)
6 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 2nd T20I (Pembroke, 4.30pm start)
8 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 3rd T20I (Pembroke, 4.30pm start)
11 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 1st ODI (Clontarf, 10.45am start)
14 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 2nd ODI (Clontarf, 10.45am start)
17 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 3rd ODI (Clontarf, 10.45am start)

Also read: RCB look to win their first IPL as they face LSG in the Eliminator

2022-04-06 16:02

Ireland Women’s performance squad set for Spanish preparation camp

(Cricket news) Ahead of a busy summer campaign against a number of the world’s top sides, Ireland Women’s head coach Ed Joyce will be taking the senior performance squad to Spain for an intensive weeks’ warm weather training camp from 21-27 April 2022. The performance squad will train at the Desert Springs Cricket Ground, in Almeria, as they build up to a summer of cricket that will feature fixtures against South Africa, Pakistan and the newly-crowned ICC Women’s World Cup winners, Australia.

Nineteen players (with the exception of Eimear Richardson who is in New Zealand) will travel to the camp for the week for sessions covering technical skills, bowling and batting, strength and conditioning, and both individual and group activities.

Speaking ahead of the trip, head coach Ed Joyce said: “We haven’t played a game or trained on grass wickets since the World Cup qualifiers in late 2021, so this is an opportunity to get outside in sunny weather (hopefully) and get some realistic skills work in before the Super Series starts in May, and South Africa visit in June. We are bringing the entire Performance Squad, minus Eimear Richardson, so we will be able to have a mix of nets and centre wicket/practice matches on the trip.

“A large part of the trip is just getting the winter out of the legs and being used to playing on grass again. We are also working on lots of specific things with the batting, bowling and fielding group which we can continue. These include practising against high-pace for our batters, variations for our seamers, and specific types of catching and throwing for the fielding group.

“The players have worked incredibly hard all winter on all aspects of their game, especially on fielding where we have utilised the indoor 4G surface at the IRFU HP Centre in the Sport Ireland Campus. I’m really happy with the attitude, commitment, and improvements that we’ve made. This camp will be an opportunity to further hone these skills on grass leading into a very exciting 2022 summer.”

And has the recent ICC Women’s World Cup in New Zealand provided any insights for upcoming opponents?

“We all watched a lot of the World Cup. The games were incredibly close, it was a fantastic spectacle. Some of the catching was brilliant, and we are trying to improve this area of our game. It’s been noticeable how the teams with faster bowlers have used the short ball, so we need to prepare for that to some degree. We are also aware that our batters need to be able to manipulate spinners for singles to a greater skill level than we possibly showed last year.

“It has been very useful to see the teams that we will play this season in Ireland in action too. Our conditions here mightn’t be the same as in New Zealand at the World Cup, but we can still see how teams like to operate and get some useful information that way.”

Training camp squad

Laura Delany, Shauna Kavanagh, Sophie MacMahon, Cara Murray, Celeste Raack, Mary Waldron, Ava Canning, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Jane Maguire, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell. Rachel Delaney, Sarah Forbes, Hannah Little, Kate McEvoy.

Coaching and support staff: Ed Joyce, Glenn Querl, Beth Healy, Greg Hollins, Catherine Simpson, Jay Shelat

Also read: Dinesh Karthik, Shabaz Ahmed lead RCB to stellar chase against RR

2022-03-11 15:12

Cricket Ireland unveil professional contracts for women

(Cricket news) Cricket Ireland today unveiled its first-ever full-time professional contracts for Ireland Women as part of a €1.5M investment in the women’s game – and announced three of the world’s best teams would tour Ireland this summer.

The key announcements at today’s event were:

1) 20 women’s playing contracts have been offered - seven full-time, nine part-time/educational and four non-retainer contracts

2) Cricket Ireland’s investment in the women’s game is now €1.5M a year – triple the expenditure from pre-pandemic 2019

3) Ireland Women will host Australia, South Africa and Pakistan at home this summer

Head Coach Ed Joyce has signed a three-year contract extension

PLAYING CONTRACTS

20 playing contracts have been offered in 2022:

International (full-time) contracts

Laura Delany, Shauna Kavanagh, Sophie MacMahon, Cara Murray, Celeste Raack, Eimear Richardson, Mary Waldron.

Education (part-time) contracts

Ava Canning, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Jane Maguire, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell.

Non-retainer contracts

Rachel Delaney, Sarah Forbes, Hannah Little, Kate McEvoy.

All full-time contracts commence in March 2022 and represent Ireland’s first-ever fully-professional women cricketers, and just the second women’s national team in Ireland to introduce full-time, year-round playing contracts.

Education contracts are designed to work around players who are at school full-time or studying at a tertiary level. Players on these contracts gain a significant living allowance to ensure they do not need to find a job during their education years, and can instead concentrate on their cricket. Most of these players will be effectively full-time in the summer holidays.

Non-retainer contracts offer players loss of earnings and match fees, 12-month medical and healthcare insurance, sports science support (strength and conditioning, psychology, performance analysis, nutrition and lifestyle management), specialist coaching support, and for ROI-based players, full access to the Sport Ireland Institute.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S PROGRAMME 2022

Ireland Women have an intensely busy year ahead, with three visiting teams, a T20 World Cup Qualifier and a major tour in late 2022.

South Africa series

3 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 1st T20I (Pembroke)
6 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 2nd T20I (Pembroke)
8 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 3rd T20I (Pembroke)
11 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 1st ODI (Clontarf)
14 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 1st ODI (Clontarf)
17 June 2022: Ireland Women v South Africa Women – 1st ODI (Clontarf)

The three ODIs will be Ireland Women’s first fixtures as part of the ICC Women’s Championship.

Women’s summer tri-series

16 July 2022: Australia Women v Pakistan Women – T20I (Bready)
17 July 2022: Ireland Women v Australia Women – T20I (Bready)
19 July 2022: Ireland Women v Pakistan Women – T20I (Bready)
21 July 2022: Ireland Women v Australia Women – T20I (Bready)
23 July 2022: Pakistan Women v Australia Women – T20I (Bready)
24 July 2022: Ireland Women v Pakistan Women – T20I (Bready)

The ICC are yet to confirm the dates of the T20 World Cup Qualifier, and details of the Ireland Women’s tour to a major full-member nation in late 2022 will be announced in due course (see below for further points of interest about these series).

HEAD COACH SIGNS EXTENSION

Ireland Women’s head coach Ed Joyce has signed a three-year contract extension. Joyce took over the role on an interim basis in July 2019, before being appointed full-time later that year.

The Ireland Women’s squad now has a strong core of full-time coaching and support staff dedicated to the senior side, including:

Performance & Pathway Coach: Glenn Querl
Team Operations Manager: Beth Healy
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Greg Hollins
Physiotherapist: Catherine Simpson
Performance Analyst: Jay Shelat

In further support, the recently announced high performance specialist coaches for Ireland Men – Gary Wilson and Ryan Eagleson – will provide periodic support to the women’s programme as part of their roles, as will the yet to be appointed specialist spin bowling coach.

Also read: Axar Patel set to return as India eye Test series win over Sri Lanka

INVESTMENT

From 2016-2019 the annual investment in women’s cricket was approximately €500K per annum. In 2022, the annual investment will triple to €1.5M.

Expenditure is holistic, demonstrating a strategic approach to the women’s game, and includes areas such as: player contracts and match fees, coaching and support staff salaries, cost of home and away fixtures, uniforms, equipment, venue hire, nutrition and lifestyle management, talent pathway, Academy and Super Series costs.

In addition to this is further investment in the grassroots of the sport which benefits girls and mass participation programmes.

Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said: “Last year we released our new Strategic Plan and our first-ever Women’s & Girls Cricket Action Plan. Both of these documents outlined Cricket Ireland’s national commitment to growing the sport from grassroots to elite levels. Today’s announcements underline our deep commitment to women’s and girls’ elite cricket and put us firmly on the path of not only becoming a major nation in world cricket, but a major sport in Ireland.

“However, the work behind-the-scenes to get to this point has - in reality - been three years in the making. Coming off the back of the team’s performance at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2018, we – as an organisation – committed ourselves to a journey to professionalise women’s cricket. It was not only a good thing to do, it was the right thing to do. Women’s cricket’s time has come around the world – we’ve seen the incredible growth and professionalisation of the women’s game across several major nations like Australia, England and India and the strong focus on female cricket in the new ICC strategy. It’s now Ireland’s turn.

“We are today only the second women’s sport in Ireland to offer 12-month, full-time contracts after the Rugby 7s squad – and this we are intensely proud of. If in the past our focus was primarily on men’s senior cricket, now our focus is equally on the women’s game as the shopfront for advancing our sport. Today we proudly boast a national women’s squad that features full-time central contracts. This is almost the exact path the men’s game followed a decade ago – albeit the progress of the women’s programme will advance at a quicker pace.

“It may surprise many people to hear that the first evidence of women’s cricket in Ireland dates back 138 years, with Ireland Women playing their debut international in 1983. I would doubt that many of the women playing up until recent times would ever have dreamed we would be where we are today. That is progress and an organisation holding its hands up and acknowledging things have to change. That is where we are today, but this is not the destination, rather the start of a new era.”

Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said: “Today’s announcements demonstrate a clear intent to not only further develop our performance pathway, but now forge a career pathway for our women cricketers. To get where we are today has been a true journey - not a smooth journey, and certainly not a straightforward one, but we are finally seeing the delivery of commitments we have made over recent years.

“To see a €1.5 million spending commitment this year on the women’s performance programme is remarkable. We have tripled the annual budget of the programme since 2016, and this commitment has been achieved through hard work, research, consultation and seeking expert advice.

“However, it is important to note that today’s announcements are not a case of ‘done and dusted’. This is not a final destination. This is just the start of our new era. In 2021 our women’s senior side qualified for the ICC Women’s Championship – we don’t want to just compete in this competition once, we want to stay there. We want to entrench ourselves in the top ranks of the women’s game. Today may be the culmination of three years' work, but it also represents the first day of a new project. A project to keep us in the top tier and to not only participate, but truly compete against the top nations.

“Now, do we expect to be a top cricketing nation overnight? Of course not. However, with gradual and determined planning and programme development, we believe we can steadily make our way up the rankings and be a side of international renown. We’ll be ambitious, but realistic – we’ll seek opportunities, but remain grounded. We see women’s cricket only heading in one direction over coming years – growing at the elite level, and inspiring the next generation of girls at the grassroots. We want to live that well-worn phrase: If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.

“Not only are we excited to announce the investment and the contracts, but also the international fixtures this summer. South Africa, Australia and Pakistan. And these 10 home internationals this summer will be complemented by a T20 World Cup Qualifier and an exciting away tour against a Full Member nation. I believe we’ll look back on 2022 as a watershed year for women’s cricket in Ireland, and I hope we can inspire that new generation of youngsters to take up the sport.

“I congratulate all players receiving contracts in 2022, but like all important advancements in the sporting world, we have not achieved this on our own. We would like to thank Hanley Energy for their sponsorship support of the national side since 2017. We would like to thank the Irish Government and NI Executive – and their sports authorities, Sport Ireland and Sport NI – for their ongoing commitment and funding support for the women’s programme. Thanks also to the Irish Cricketers Association for working with us on this project, and to the Cricket Ireland High Performance Committee for their expertise, insight and guidance.”

Laura Delany, Ireland Women’s captain, said: “As a squad we are truly excited and thankful for this opportunity – it is something that many of us never would have dreamed of when we started out playing the sport we love. While thankful, though, we also acknowledge the hard work, sacrifice and commitment shown by the players to achieve the honour of representing our country at the highest levels.

“And, as fortunate as the players here today are for having this opportunity, we know that we are standing on the shoulders of the giants that came before us. For many years, legends of our Irish women’s cricket have fought hard to achieve successes on and off the field. To the generations of women who came before us, we say thank you. You have helped us get here today, and we hope we can do you proud.

“To the squad I say simply, enjoy it. Enjoy this opportunity – be thankful, but know that you’ve earned the right to stand where you are. This is Day One of what I hope is an incredible journey we will take together - it may get tough at times, it may be challenging, but it should be an experience like no other. To travel the world playing cricket for Ireland – there’s no better feeling.”

2022-03-10 16:42

Ireland's Arachas Super Series returns to three-team format in 2022

(Cricket news) Ireland’s premier domestic women’s cricket competition – the Arachas Super Series – is set to be ‘bigger and better than ever in 2022 as the series reverts to a three-team format, with Irish international Leah Paul being named the new captain of the returning Dragons side.

The Arachas Super Series features three representative teams - the Dragons, Scorchers and Typhoons – competing for the Arachas Super Series 50 Cup and the Arachas Super Series T20 Trophy. Condensed to a two-team affair over the last two years (without the Dragons), in 2022 the competition will revert to the original three teams featuring the best 45 female cricketers in Ireland.

Irish international Leah Paul will captain the Dragons, having moved from the 2021 title-winning Scorchers this year, while Gaby Lewis and Laura Delany remain captains of the Scorchers and Typhoons respectively.

With the growth of women’s cricket in Northern Ireland, and the emergence of talent in the two northern provincial unions, the Dragons will provide more than a dash of Northern Irish flavour with half the squad hailing from clubs from the Northern Cricket Union and North West Cricket Union, and will also feature a Northern Irish-based coach. In addition, five matches this year will be played north of the border to make the game even more accessible to the fans around Ireland.

Irish international James Cameron-Dow has accepted the role of head coach of the Dragons squad, while Glenn Querl will return to coach the Scorchers. The Typhoons will be seeking a new head coach for 2022 after Clare Shillington stepped down from the role over the off-season.

Cricket Ireland, in partnership with HBV Studios, will once again provide livestreaming of most matches in the competition. Cricket Ireland is proud to acknowledge Arachas Insurance returning once more as title sponsor of the series.

THE SQUADS:

Dragons

Leah Paul (captain) (Merrion), Amy Caulfield (Muckamore), Alison Cowan (CSNI), Zara Craig (Eglinton), Alana Dalzell (Bready), Mollie Devine (Fox Lodge), Sarah Forbes (YMCA), Abbi Harrison (Waringstown), Amy Hunter (Malahide/Instonians), Charlotte Lyons (Waringstown), Kia McCartney (Coleraine), Kate McEvoy (YMCA), Cara Murray (Waringstown/Clontarf), Orla Prendergast (Pembroke), Jemma Rankin (Bready).
Head coach: James Cameron-Dow

Scorchers

Gaby Lewis (captain) (YMCA), Christina Coulter Reilly (Clontarf), Rachel Delaney (Merrion), Shauna Kavanagh (Pembroke), Anna Kerrison (Malahide), Hannah Little (Pembroke), Sophie MacMahon (Leinster), Niamh MacNulty (Merrion), Aimee Maguire (The Hills), Jane Maguire (The Hills), Lara Maritz (Balbriggan), Ellie McGee (Rush), Eimear Richardson (Leinster), Jenny Sparrow (Leinster), Siúin Woods (YMCA).
Head coach: Glenn Querl

Typhoons

Laura Delany (captain) (Leinster), Ava Canning (Leinster), Sarah Condron (Malahide), Georgina Dempsey (Phoenix), Rebecca Gough (Rush), Maria Kerrison (Leinster), Robyn Lewis (YMCA), Louise Little (Pembroke), Joanna Loughran (Leinster), Tess Maritz (Balbriggan), Lara McBride (North County), Celeste Raack (Merrion), Freya Sargent (Clontarf), Rebecca Stokell (Merrion), Mary Waldron (Pembroke).
Head coach: vacant

Carrie Archer, Chair of National Women’s Selectors, said: “Most followers will agree that the quality of cricket on display in the condensed two-team format over the last two years was remarkable. However, with the national team’s qualification for the ICC Women’s Championship, it is now more important than ever that we expand the talent pool supporting the international level to provide a sustainable pipeline of talent. With a greater volume of international cricket comes a greater need to have players ready to step up to the international stage – and to achieve this, it is essential that we have a strong Super Series competition that draws players from all parts of the island.

“With the prospect of playing regular international cricket against the world’s best sides, the competitiveness of the Super Series is only set to grow further.

“This year the Selectors have been encouraged to see so many players over recent years from the two northern provincial unions really put their hand up and make compelling arguments for selection. In recognition of this, we have selected the highest number of players ever drawn from clubs north of the border to play in the Super Series.

“The decision to have a Northern Irish focus within the Dragons composition and coaching staff adds another fresh and exciting dimension to the competition, and as selectors, we are looking forward to seeing the new players across all three squads and closely following both individual and collective progress and performances when competing at this level. As players from overseas are confirmed and signed for clubs, we also hope to see them appear on squads. Additionally, we have approached a panel of players outside of the main squads who will have opportunities to train with, and play on, the squads throughout the season, further strengthening our base and player pool.

“The selection panel would like to congratulate all players selected this year and look forward to what should be a bigger and better-than-ever competition in 2022.”

Leah Paul, newly appointed captain of the Dragons, said: “I was delighted to be asked to captain the Dragons in 2022. Taking on a new challenge like this will be exciting, and I am looking forward to working with a new head coach and a new squad of players over the coming season.

“While I will miss the camaraderie that the Scorchers squad built up over last season’s successful Cup and Trophy campaigns, you just have to look at the Dragons squad to recognise that they are a group of players who will be keen to show their talent on the field. I expect the captaincy challenge will be as much about getting team dynamics right as it will be about getting team tactics right – but it’s a challenge I am absolutely looking forward to.

“The Arachas Super Series gets better in standard each year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how far this squad can go in what will undoubtedly be another highly competitive series.”

Also read: Women's World Cup: New Zealand completely outplay lackluster India

2022-01-21 18:15

Cricket Ireland announce Women's Performance and Development squads

(Cricket news) Cricket Ireland has today announced the Women’s Performance Squad and Women’s Development Squad for 2022, with Ireland Women’s head coach Ed Joyce stating there has been a need to further improve the talent pathway now that Ireland is the ICC Women’s Championship.

After the end of the recent ICC Women’s World Cup Global Qualifier it was confirmed that Ireland Women have qualified for the ICC Women’s Championship for the very first time. Just like the men’s Future Tours Programme, the Women’s Championship guarantees participating teams regular fixtures against high-ranked opponents in women’s cricket over a four-year cycle.

A number of the changes in 2022 built upon work already started on evolving the women’s high performance programme to meet the needs of the national team in future years. The new changes include:

Reflecting the change in philosophy to the developmental or emerging talent programme through renaming the ‘Academy Squad’ to ‘Development Squad’; Refocusing the selection process and profile of the Development Squad to proactively seek to produce specific skill-sets required for the national team in future years; Appointing a Head Coach for the Development Squad; Organizing a programme of competitive fixtures annually for the Development Squad; and Dovetailing the training programme of the Development Squad with existing Super Series squad training programmes so they are complementary.

Ed Joyce, Ireland Women’s Head Coach, said: “It has been an enjoyable couple of years for me coaching the national women’s team. The pandemic has, of course, created challenges around the training and playing programme, but the commitment and ambition of the group has been incredible. The players should take a huge amount of credit for their attitude during this period. I’d also personally like to thank the management team for their support and energy. It’s a fun and committed group to be around, which is doubly important when dealing with ‘bubbles’ and ‘managed environments’ on tour.

“One of our main aims going forward is to create a slightly deeper pool of players that will help the national team become more competitive on the field, and also feed into the Super Series competition. We need coaching and support services to achieve this, and Cricket Ireland have backed us with the addition of full-time staff – a Physiotherapist, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Team Operations Manager, Assistant Coach, and Performance Analyst.

“We are not finished yet, but gradually we are shaping the pathway to provide for our national needs – and the players are responding. However, the players also know that with increased support and structural improvements comes a greater level of expectation. This, though, I have no doubt they can handle, and am excited to see how far we can take this group as we enter a new phase.

“Below the international layer, we have made a change in the structure and emphasis of what was previously known as the ‘Academy Squad’ for 2022. It has been renamed as the ‘Development Squad’ as part of our shift in focus for our emerging talent, and with a view towards the ICC Under-19s Women’s World Cup in early 2023.

“Glenn Querl will oversee the group as Head Coach, with annual fixtures being organised to provide high-quality competitive experience for the next tier of emerging talent.

“Now that the Super Series teams have their own training sessions before and during the season, this has offered us the opportunity to refine the purpose and profile of the Development Squad. The group will now have a slightly more youthful composition with selection targeting specific skill-sets that we need in Irish women’s cricket for the years ahead.

“While the Development Squad may still feature players with senior international experience who were unlucky to miss out on Performance squad selection, we believe the overall change will support our talent pathway twofold – by increasing depth in the Super Series competition in the short-term, and for the national side in the medium-to-long term.

“Amongst the 2022 squad named, there’s a heavy emphasis on spin bowlers especially, but there are also two wicketkeepers and some exciting all-rounders and pace bowling talent selected. Although some of the talent is quite raw, with a solid and structured training programme, these players will make a lot of progress in 2022.”

Women’s Performance Squad 2022

Laura Delany (captain) (Leinster CC), Eimear Richardson (Northern Districts), Gaby Lewis (YMCA CC), Celeste Raack (Merrion CC), Orla Prendergast (Pembroke CC), Leah Paul (Merrion CC), Mary Waldron (Pembroke CC), Shauna Kavanagh (Pembroke CC), Sophie MacMahon (Leinster CC), Rebecca Stokell (Leinster CC), Louise Little (Pembroke CC), Hannah Little (Pembroke CC), Cara Murray (Waringstown CC), Georgina Dempsey (Phoenix CC), Rachel Delaney (Merrion CC), Jane Maguire (The Hills), Amy Hunter (Malahide CC/Instonians), Ava Canning (Leinster CC), Kate McEvoy (YMCA CC), Sarah Forbes (YMCA CC).

Women’s Development Squad 2022

Anna Kerrison (Malahide CC), Zara Craig (Eglinton CC), Rebecca Gough (Rush CC), Siúin Woods (YMCA CC), Freya Sargent (Clontarf CC), Ella Pasley (Phoenix CC), Niamh MacNulty (Merrion CC), Kia McCartney (Coleraine CC), Aimee Maguire (The Hills), Joanna Loughran (Leinster CC), Sophie McDonough (Phoenix CC), Sam Todd (Lurgan CC), Abbi Harrison (Waringstown CC), Mollie Devine (Fox Lodge).

Also read: Vitality Blast set to celebrate 20th edition of T20 tournament

2021-11-26 17:50

Ireland Women win against the Netherlands in World Cup Qualifier

(Cricket news) A brilliant overall performance by Ireland Women’s skipper Laura Delany led her team to a win over the Netherlands in the second Group A clash of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier at the Sunrise Sports Club in Harare today.

Delany struck 75 from 75 balls and claimed 1-24 from 10 overs in a skillful display of leadership and guile. Ireland’s longest-serving captain has reached a different level under head coach Ed Joyce and today demonstrated why she is still a lynchpin of the squad she has been part of for 11 years. She not only rescued Ireland out with the bat from a tricky situation of 85-5, but turned spinned webs with the ball and removed Babette de Leede – and to top off her performance, she inflicted two Dutch run outs. Delany was deservedly named Player of the Match.

After losing the toss put in to bat first for the second straight game in the tournament, Ireland’s openers Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul gave their team a good start again with their second consecutive fifty run opening stand. The left-hand / right-hand combination was used to great effect as the pair regularly turned the strike over and didn’t allow the Dutch bowlers to settle on a consistent line and length.

Lewis was the aggressor in the partnership, looking formidable as she pounced on anything over-pitched, finding the boundary seven times in her innings of 46 from 47 balls. However, after seeing off the Netherlands seamers with ease, Lewis dragged a long hop from leg-spinner Caroline de Lange straight to mid-wicket – slapping her pads with her bat out of frustration at what was her first false stroke of the day.

With the score on 61-1 in the 13th over, Ireland’s batters were seemingly well set to push on for a big score, but just as they did during the last match against the West Indies, the girls in green lost wickets in clusters – with four wickets tumbling in the next five overs and Ireland teetering on 85-5.

Needing some cool heads and patient batting to recover the situation, it was left to captain Delany and the experienced Eimear Richardson to lead the fightback. The pair batted decisively, running their ones and twos well, and finding the boundary regularly. Their 85-run sixth wicket partnership was broken by leg-spinner Silver Siegers, with Richardson (27) falling leg before trying to sweep a quicker delivery.

Also read: Indian bowlers left frustrated after failing to get a single wicket after 57 overs on day 2

Delany struck her third international half-century in the 50-over format from just 47 balls, and looked to push on further after the loss of Richardson. The skipper punched two boundaries through the covers and looked to be ready to accelerate further until she played around her pad to Siegers to also fall leg before for 75 off 75 balls.

Siegers then cleaned up the tail, finishing with figures of 4-24, and Ireland was all out for 199 in the 42nd over.

Orla Prendergast started well with the ball, removing opener Juliet Post with an in-swinger that knocked back the off stump, but Babette de Leede (34) and Sterre Kalis (47) stabilised the innings with a 59-run second-wicket stand. While the Dutch batting was cautious, the Irish bowlers couldn’t find a breakthrough until Delany introduced herself and soon had de Leede back in the pavilion, feathering a catch through to Mary Waldron.

Kalis found renewed support after the loss of de Leede with the aggressive Robine Rijke joining her for a 73-run stand for the third wicket – a partnership that seemed to swing the momentum firmly in the direction of the Dutch side.

Then, with the score on 139-2 in the 39th over, the Dutch stumbled and the Irish side pounced on their opportunity. In all, eight wickets fell for just 31 runs in just over eight overs. First, a slew of running mix-ups saw no less than three run outs, and then opening strike bowler Prendergast returned to the crease with renewed vigour and demolished the tail. The Pembroke pace bowler took 4-24 with all of her wickets bowled.

These were Prendergast’s first international wickets in the 50-over format, and couldn’t have come at a more important juncture with the game balanced on a knife edge.

Richardson wrapped up the Netherlands innings with her first wicket of the day, but the team performance - under the on-field leadership of Delany – stood out most impressively, and going into Monday’s final Group Stage match against Sri Lanka, head coach Ed Joyce will be pleased with the way his side handled the pressure and saw out today’s win.

Ireland’s next match is on Monday at the same venue against Sri Lanka.

MATCH SUMMARY

Ireland Women v Netherlands Women, Women’s World Cup Qualifier, Sunrise Sports Club, 25 November 2021

Ireland 199 (41.5 overs: L Delany 75, G Lewis 46, E Richardson 27; S Siegers 4-24)

Netherlands 170 (48 overs: R Rijke 56; O Prendergast 4-24, L Delany 1-24)

Ireland Women won by 29 runs

2021-11-24 18:15

Laura Delany reflects on the World Cup Qualifier loss against the West Indies

(Cricket news) Ireland Women’s skipper Laura Delany said today that her team is determined to use yesterday’s loss against the West Indies as motivation for their qualifying campaign ahead of tomorrow’s crucial match against the Netherlands in the ICC Women’s World Cup Global Qualifier.

Despite a great start to the match yesterday, Ireland eventually lost to the Caribbean side by 6 wickets, however, they fought all the way demonstrating a never-say-die approach to their game.

Speaking from the team hotel, Delany said: “Gaby [Lewis] and Leah [Paul] started off well yesterday, which is pleasing to see their good form continue on from the Zimbabwe tour from last month. They put on some great partnerships during that series, and have batted well together at the Super series level over the last two years. It’s great to see that translate into international performances at this level, and I hope they continue to cement their roles in the team as our opening pair in this format.

“After the opening stand, we then lost a few wickets in quick succession. As a batting unit we know that we are capable of a lot more and, hopefully, we will display this over the next few days.

“I was delighted to have Eimear [Richardson] back in the side after she missed last month’s tour - she’s a very skilled player, and has a lot of experience, so it’s great to have her back around the group.

“Our bowling attack bowled well in the middle period, but we didn’t take early wickets in order to build pressure, and Deandra Dottin played incredibly well. We just didn’t have enough runs on the board, but I was pleased with how the bowlers acquitted themselves and how we took it into the 40th over.

“I said yesterday after the match, we know we haven’t played our best cricket yet, and there are two matches still to go, so we’re looking ahead to Netherlands tomorrow and Sri Lanka on Monday to show what we can do.”

All fixtures in the Qualifier tournament will be live streamed through www.icc.tv.

The ICC Women’s World Cup Global Qualifier Squad:

Laura Delany (captain), Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Gaby Lewis, Louise Little, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Celeste Raack, Eimear Richardson, Rebecca Stokell, Mary Waldron.

Head coach: Ed Joyce

In addition, as part of Covid-19 protocols, the following players have been named as reserves: Sarah Forbes, Alana Dalzell and Kate McEvoy

Fixture schedule:

For the tournament proper, nine teams will compete for three places at the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup, set to be held in New Zealand (the tenth team, Papua New Guinea, withdrew and were not replaced in the draw).

Also read: India set out to seek revenge for the WTC final loss in 1st Test match against New Zealand

The Qualifier groups are:

Group A: West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands
Group B: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Zimbabwe, USA

As a consequence of the Papua New Guinea withdrawal, the playing schedule has been amended from previous advice. Ireland Women’s playing schedule is:

23 November: Ireland Women v West Indies Women (scorecard)

25 November: Ireland Women v Netherlands Women (World Cup Qualifier Match 2, Old Hararians Sports Club; start 9.30am)

29 November: Ireland Women v Sri Lanka Women (World Cup Qualifier Match 3, Sunrise Cricket Club; start 9.30am)

The top three teams from each group go to the Super 6 stage, with group stage points carrying over to the next phase. From there, the top three after the Super 6 stage will qualify for the Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 being held in New Zealand next year, along with the hosts, Australia, England, South Africa and India, who have directly qualified for the event.

As a bonus, the top five teams will also qualify for the next edition of the ICC Women's Championship, which is expanding from eight teams to 10.

The ICC will livestream the matches on ICC.tv, as well as live scoring and providing a range of digital content.

If successful, this will be the first time that Ireland Women have played in a 50-over Cricket World Cup since 2005.

2021-11-23 16:00

Ireland Women to face West Indies at first World Cup Qualifier

(Cricket news) The Ireland women’s cricket team is set to face West Indies at their first World Cup qualifier today with captain Laura Delaney speaking about the build-up, state of the squad and her message to the team before the action begins. The 28 year old has been Ireland womens’ longest serving captain (since 2016) and recently played her 150th match for the country. She was also named the International Women’s Player of the Month for October by the ICC for her performances in the 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe.

Speaking after training at Sunrise Sports Club today, Delany said: “The Thailand warm-up game was used as a settling-in practice match – we batted eleven, but gave all of our bowlers a run through and all 15 players in the squad had an opportunity to field and begin to re-acclimate to conditions. It gave particularly our bowlers the opportunity to increase their workloads, so while the result wasn’t what we wanted, it wasn’t the focus for us that day – it was more about getting our processes right and giving everyone an opportunity early on.”

“The second game was a really good game against Pakistan – we would have liked 20-30 more runs. We dropped a few chances early on, but our bowlers bowled really well and attacked the stumps. The main thing was that it was an intensely competitive game, which is just what we were looking for ahead of our first game against the West Indies tomorrow.”

“My message for the squad is that this is a brilliant opportunity for us to show the world what we can do. We had a great series against Zimbabwe last month, and had some great performances in a few T20 series in the summer. We will be coming up against a few sides we haven’t played in a long time, but for the younger players it will be their first time up against the likes of West Indies and Sri Lanka. The players just need to focus on their processes and make sure we deliver on the field what we have been working on in training – then, if we do, the outcome will take care of itself. Enjoy it, focus on processes and work together as a team – if we do that, we can pull off a few results.”

“It goes without saying that we are going to play our strongest batting and bowling line-up in every game – however, the personnel may change from match-to-match depending on who we are playing against and the wickets we’ll play on.”

The Squad is as follows:

Head coach: Ed Joyce

The Qualifier groups are:

Group A: West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands
Group B: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Zimbabwe, USA

As a consequence of the Papua New Guinea withdrawal, the playing schedule has been amended from previous advice. Ireland Women’s playing schedule is:

23 November: Ireland Women v West Indies Women (World Cup Qualifier Match 1, Old Hararians Sports Club; start 9.30am)

25 November: Ireland Women v Netherlands Women (World Cup Qualifier Match 2, Old Hararians Sports Club; start 9.30am)

29 November: Ireland Women v Sri Lanka Women (World Cup Qualifier Match 3, Sunrise Cricket Club; start 9.30am)

Also read: Three takeaways from the India vs New Zealand T20 series as they begin their 2022 T20 World Cup preparations

2021-11-12 16:00

Cricket Ireland announces squad for Women’s World Cup Qualifiers

(Cricket news) A 15 player squad has been announced for Ireland Women’s participation at the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe later this month. Laura Delaney is set to captain the side, having been named the ICC Player of the Month for October and Eimear Richardson (Player of the Tournament at the recent ICC Women’s T20 Europe Qualifier and ICC Women’s Player of the Month for August) will also return to the squad.

The squad is:

Carrie Archer, Chair of National Women’s selectors, said: “Over the last few years, the hard work of Ed Joyce and the Cricket Ireland support staff has made our job as selectors a tough one - there are so many talented, emerging players within the Irish game at the moment. As selectors, we've been delighted to follow the development and progression of this squad. Despite some players being unavailable to travel this month, the quality and depth of talent that we have to call upon means that our final travelling squad remains a strong unit.

“Our selection priority for this squad was to provide Ed and Laura [Delany] with a group of players that not only covered all facets of the game, but also offered experience playing in major tournaments. We are acutely aware that despite being a talented squad of players, five of those selected only made their ODI debuts on last month’s tour. The value of the senior players in the squad will be more than just in playing talent, but in their off-field support and guidance, sharing their knowledge and experience of tournament cricket. Tournaments see matches come thick and fast, and this brings its own challenges at this level. The ability to impart knowledge to the newer members of the squad is also an important consideration for our selection discussions.

“We wish the squad well and have confidence that they will do Ireland proud on the field over the coming weeks.”

Ed Joyce, Head Coach of Ireland Women, said: “It is great to see the squad finally confirmed – especially the return of Eimear Richardson to the set-up. Eimear is not only a talented all-rounder on the field, but is a role model with over 15 years international experience to call upon. You can’t put a price on experience, and she is always an asset to the squad both on and off the field, and we thank Northern Districts for releasing her to play in the Qualifier.”

“We saw in Zimbabwe last month the confidence that our batting and bowling units gained from spending time training and playing in Zimbabwean conditions – especially how to adapt to altitude and dealing with the challenges of touring life. The facilities were first-rate, and that tour, I believe, saw a number of our players prove to themselves that they belonged in international cricket.

“After last night’s training session it is clear to see that the players have a determination and clear focus on making this tournament count. We know our squad, we have our game plans in place – we just need to execute our skills on the field and, if we do, we will give a good account of ourselves against some of the world’s best teams.”

Also read: T20 World Cup: Australia defeat Pakistan by 5 wickets to progress into the finals

The official warm-up match will take place against Pakistan and Thailand with nine teams competing for three places at the 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup.

The Qualifier groups are:

Group A: West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands
Group B: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Zimbabwe, USA

16 November: Ireland Women v Thailand Women (warm-up match, Old Georgians Sports Club; start 9.30am)

19 November: Ireland Women v Pakistan Women (warm-up match, Harare Sports Club; start 9.30am)

23 November: Ireland Women v West Indies Women (World Cup Qualifier Match 1, Old Hararians Sports Club; start 9.30am)

25 November: Ireland Women v Netherlands Women (World Cup Qualifier Match 2, Old Hararians Sports Club; start 9.30am)

29 November: Ireland Women v Sri Lanka Women (World Cup Qualifier Match 3, Sunrise Cricket Club; start 9.30am)

2021-10-12 17:10

Amy Hunter leads Ireland Women to first series victory on foreign soil by win against Zimbabwe

(Cricket news) On her 16th birthday, Ireland’s Amy Hunter hit an unbeaten maiden century and became the youngest cricketer (men or women) to score an international ton as Ireland Women claimed a 3-1 series victory over Zimbabwe in emphatic style.

The Belfast-born Hunter scored a near flawless 121* off 127 balls, which include 8 boundaries – her innings total bearing the highest individual score for Ireland Women by one run (Karen Young scored 120 v Pakistan in 2000).

However, it was not just Hunter that achieved records and milestones today – the Ireland Women’s total of 312-3 in 50 overs was their highest-ever ODI total, Gaby Lewis continued her great run of form hitting a third consecutive half-century of the series, and both captain Laura Delany and wicketkeeper Mary Waldron played in their 150th international match for Ireland (across all formats).

The 3-1 series win was also Ireland Women’s first-ever bilateral ODI series win on foreign soil.

Earlier in the day, captain Delany lost her fourth toss of the series and Ireland was put into bat first. This turned out to be a decision that Zimbabwe would regret.

Lewis and opening partner Paul – who together had scored consecutive century opening stands prior to today – again looked solid in a 40-run partnership, before Paul was bowled for 12.

Lewis and Hunter then put on 104 for the second wicket. Lewis the aggressor of the pair struck 78 from 87 balls (her third straight half-century of the series) before falling to a diving caught & bowled by Loryn Phiri (1-51). Lewis had an outstanding series with the bat finishing top run-scorer with 263 runs at an average of 87.67.

That brought captain Delany to join Hunter at the crease and the pair mounted an assault on the home bowlers. Their 143-run third wicket stand came off just 115 balls with Delany hitting 68 from 53 balls, and Hunter registering her maiden international century off 110 balls. While Delany was impressive with her stroke play and power, Hunter rotated the strike regularly - the 45 singles and 16 twos she registered a testament to her ability to pace her innings well and compile runs with ease.

Also read: Should Indian Women be happy with their performance in Australia?

Orla Prendergast (12 off 10 balls) and Hunter struck 25 off the final three overs and carried Ireland Women’s total to 312-3 after their 50 overs.

In response, the Zimbabwean innings got off to a bad start losing Modester Mupachikwa for 2 in the second over, and while the partnering of Ashley Ndiraya (38) and Josephine Nkomo (66) mounted a 96-run second-wicket stand, the home side never looked in the hunt.

Ireland’s bowlers impressed again on what looked a batter-friendly pitch - Jane Maguire (1-24), Cara Murray (1-33) and Celeste Raack (1-24) made key breakthroughs, while impressive spells from Delany (2-32) and Sophie MacMahon (2-44) ensured the Zimbabwe batters found it hard to score freely.

The hosts eventually finished on 227-8 after their 50 overs, with Ireland claiming the match today by 85 runs and the series 3-1.

MATCH SUMMARY

Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women ODI Series, 4th ODI, Harare Sports Club, 11 October 2021

Ireland 312-3 (50 overs: A Hunter 121*, G Lewis 78, L Delany 68; J Nkomo 1-45)

Zimbabwe 227-8 (50 overs: J Nkomo 66, A Ndiraya 38; L Delany 2-32, S MacMahon 2-44)

Ireland won by 85 runs (Ireland won series 3-1)

2021-10-11 18:15

Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul reflect on their impressive opening stands in Zimbabwe

(Cricket news) Ireland Women’s new One-Day international opening pair Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul are not so new to each other and it’s the strong bond they formed at the domestic level that is now reflecting on the international stage as Ireland look for a series victory.

With Ireland Women so close to winning their first bilateral W-ODI series on foreign soil when they take on Zimbabwe tomorrow morning, one of the biggest positives to take from the series so far has been the opening partnership that has been formed at international level between Lewis and Paul. The pair have got partnerships of 28, 135 and 145 in the three matches on this tour – the latter two respectively being the fourth-highest and second-highest opening stands in the history of ODI cricket for Ireland Women.

However, while the openers are new at the international level, right-handed Lewis and left-handed Paul have built their batting relationship at the domestic Super Series level, most notably in the ODI Cup format.

In 2020, Paul (295 runs at an average of 49.17) and Lewis (249 runs at an average of 35.57) led the Scorchers from the top to finish first and second respectively in the competition's run scoring department. While Paul had a more circumspect season in 2021 (85 runs at 17.00), Lewis struck 332 runs at 66.40. Despite the discrepancy in individual scores, the pair's contributions at the top of the order proved valuable to their team with partnerships of 74, 106 and 87 in three of the five completed matches.

Also read: Australia whitewash India in W-T20I series; comfortably winning multi-format series

As a result, close observers of Ireland's game won’t be surprised by the successful partnership between the 20-year old Lewis and 22-year old Paul in this series – but will be pleased that the potential they offer is now being recognised on the big stage.

On the tour to date, Lewis has struck scores of 24, 65 and 96* (185 runs at 92.50), while Paul has registered scores of 13, 95 and 63 (171 runs at 57.00).

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s fourth and final match of the current ODI series, Lewis said: “I absolutely love batting with Leah - we haven't really batted with each other at the international level before, but we have built up a strong bond during the Super Series - so to carry that through has been great. We know each other’s roles well and seem to complement each other.”

“Pauly has been brilliant on this tour so far - she's really shown what a good player she is and what a confident player she has become. We have built trust in each other and that's what really helped us form the opening partnership we have - and hopefully will continue to do in the long run.”

“The batting conditions out here have been quite nice and the pitches pretty good. The first two matches seemed to have been played on new pitches, but yesterday's was cracking a little and turning a bit more. The Zimbabwean spinners got a bit of turn out of them, but we played them well and just waited for those over-pitched balls to hit.”

“Conditions haven’t meant a need to change my game much, just the heat and fatigue means you have to concentrate that little bit more. Obviously in T20 cricket I would typically play more aggressively and look for runs, but in this longer format I have been more patient and trusting of my instincts - playing each ball as it comes and sticking to my processes - which seems to have worked well for me so far.”

Paul added: “It’s also been great to have a coach like Ed Joyce to work with - his knowledge and experience has been invaluable and he gives the batting unit a lot of confidence going into matches like these.”

“It was nice to spend some time in the middle – especially with Gaby - and contribute some runs to a couple of team wins. We were so disappointed with how we bowled and fielded in the first game, so it was great to bounce back and put on a solid performance in the next two games. The challenge of opening the bowling in the longer format has also been a challenge, but one I’m enjoying greatly.”

The final ODI between Ireland Women and Zimbabwe Women starts at 9.30am (Harare time) tomorrow and will be available to watch via Zimbabwe Cricket’s YouTube channel.

THE SQUAD

Laura Delany (captain), Zara Craig, Georgina Dempsey, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Gaby Lewis, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Celeste Raack, Rebecca Stokell, Mary Waldron.

THE FIXTURES

5 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 1st ODI
7 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 2nd ODI
9 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 3rd ODI
11 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 4th ODI (Harare Sports Club)

2021-10-04 16:30

Shauna Kavanagh determined to make her mark in series against Zimbabwe after returning from illness

(Cricket news) The Ireland Women’s Cricket team have arrived in Zimbabwe to begin a four-match One-Day International series. Shauna Kavanagh has amassed 90 caps for Ireland was forced to miss out on the recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier but has now recovered and is raring to go.

In a press release by Cricket Ireland, Kavanagh said “Zimbabwe is a great place to play cricket and the welcome has been brilliant. A few players in the squad have been here before so know what to expect, but for most, it’s a new experience.”

“We have been training at Harare Sports Club, which is where we will play all four games, and the facilities are great. We have had access to everything we need to make sure we’re as well prepared as we can be.”

“Personally, I have positive memories of playing cricket here in Zimbabwe, and that will certainly give me confidence heading into this series. It was very tough missing out on the T20 World Cup Europe qualifiers in La Manga at the end of August, so I am really excited to be playing cricket again - and hopefully spending lots of time in the middle.”

“Conditions have been great, and they look good wickets that we’ll be playing on. It’s warm - around 25-30 degrees – but that’s a nice temperature to be playing cricket in.”

“Everyone in the squad has recovered from the travel here and are fit and ready to go, which is brilliant as it means we have all 15 players to select from. Every one of us knows that this series is an opportunity to put their hand up and contend for a spot in the World Cup qualifying squad next month.”

THE SQUAD

THE FIXTURES

5 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 1st ODI (Harare Sports Club)
7 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 2nd ODI (Harare Sports Club)
9 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 3rd ODI (Harare Sports Club)
11 October 2021: Zimbabwe Women v Ireland Women – 4th ODI (Harare Sports Club)

Also read: Ireland cricketer Ben White enjoying cricket preparations ahead of Men’s T20 World Cup

2021-08-09 12:30

Scorchers wrap-up title at Oak Hill after Super Over win against the Typhoons

(Cricket news) The Scorchers win both games at Oak Hill to clinch the Super Series title, in the second game the Typhoons put up a great fight which resulted in this year’s first Super Series Super Over.

The Typhoons won the toss and elected to bat first beneath overcast skies in the first game of today’s doubleheader at Oak Hill in Co. Wicklow,

The batting side may have been ruing their decision after the first powerplay as they found themselves 3 wickets down for just 17 runs. Hannah Little (2-9) and Eimear Richardson (2-23) were the pick of the bowlers.

Georgina Dempsey came in at number 6 and started to counter-attack. Dempsey hit three boundaries of Cara Murray's over. Her quick fire 35 off just 31 balls got her side closer to a respectable total, but her run out once agains swung things in the Scorchers favour as the Typhoons were once more struggling at 60-7 in the 14th over.

Also read: Got my rhythm back playing ODI series against Sri Lanka: Skipper Joe Root

The Typhoons scored 36 runs in the last five overs, the target of 97 didn't look enough against a talented Scorchers line-up.

The Typhoons picked up the big wicket of Gaby Lewis early after Lewis dragged her first ball onto her stumps and Eimear Richardson was soon dismissed for 7. Scorchers were 30-2 at the end of the power play, opener Leah Paul looked to anchor the innings with her confident stroke play.

Paul, who scored 63* in the last Super 20 match, scored an unbeaten 44 from 55 balls, hitting four boundaries in the process. Lara Maritz (29 from 23) provided significant support, the pair took the game away from the Typhoons who managed to get over the line with a comfortable 7 wicket win in the first game of the day.

The second game of the day saw a very similar outcome in terms of the toss with the Typhoons winning again and electing to bat first. While the side in Blue batted better than they did in the earlier innings, it was still an innings of frustration with the majority of the Typhoons top order getting to double figures, but no one to convert it into a big innings. They finished their innings at 111-8 thanks to Georgina Dempsey, who scored 28 from 23 balls in the second game to follow her 35 from 31 balls in Game One.

The pitch was inconsistent in its bounce but the Scorchers bowlers held a good line and length. Ashlee King (2-21) and Cara Murray (2-27) in particular were impressive with the ball.

In the response, however, the Scorchers struggled initially courtesy of a fantastic opening spell from Jane Maguire as she picked 2-3 off her first two overs. With the Scorchers on 31-2 after the powerplay, Gaby Lewis (50) and Shauna Kavanagh (32*) put together 65 runs and Scorchers were once again in a strong position to win. Georgina Dempsey (1-14) and Ava Canning (1-19) bowled impressively at the death to lead the comeback for the Typhoons, meaning the Scorchers had to get 5 off the last over.

A tense and tight final over from Dempsey, which included Kavanagh being dropped on the 5th ball, ultimately led to a tie in the scores leading to the first Super Over of the Super Series season.

Gaby Lewis scored an impressive 19 runs from five balls, with Eimear Richardson striking the last ball to the boundary. The Typhoons were always on the back foot from there, losing two wickets and conceding the match on the second last ball.

Lewis was named Player of the Match for her half-century in the match followed by a devastating 19 in the Super Over.

MATCH SUMMARY

Scorchers v Typhoons, 3rd Match Arachas Super 20 Trophy, Oak Hill, 8 August 2021

Typhoons 96-9 (20 overs; G Dempsey 35: H Little 2-9, E Richardson 2-23)

Scorchers 99-3 (18.2 overs; A Canning 1-19: L Paul 44, L Maritz 29)

Scorchers won by 7 Wickets

2021-06-09 16:25

Ireland Cricketer Ava Canning joins Senior Performance Squad

DUBLIN – Cricket Ireland on Wednesday announced that bowler Ava Canning has been handed a non-retainer contract and has joined the senior women’s performance squad.

The 17 year old made her international debut in the first T20I against Scotland, last month. She represents the Typhoons in the Arachas Super Series and Leinster Cricket Club at club level – a clubmate of Irish skipper Laura Delany.

Canning, in the recent international series took three wickets. She had the second-best economy rate of the series - 4.15 runs/over and claimed her wickets with an average of 18.00 with her dot ball percentage also being the second-best for either team at 66.67.

Ava Canning said: “I was delighted to be selected for the senior squad and to make my debut, especially in a home series. I’ve worked very hard on my game since my injury last year. Being given the chance to play for Ireland was so rewarding and the team couldn’t have been more supportive throughout the series. I was quite nervous going into that first game, but taking a wicket early in the game was the dream start for me. It really helped to calm my nerves and allow me to relax into the rest of the game.”

“It’s now very exciting to receive the offer of a place on the senior performance squad, as the training and support from the coaches will be great to experience. I think it’s a brilliant opportunity to help improve my game and allow me to spend more time training and playing with the other squad members.”

Carrie Archer, Chair of National Women’s Selectors, said: “Ava has been on our radar for a couple of years, but unfortunately had a full season out last year with injury. She has impressed greatly on her return to fitness in both the Arachas Super Series and during the four T20 Internationals against Scotland recently. Her accuracy and control, combined with the swing she can create with a new ball, has made life difficult for numerous batters, and we felt she was ready to take that step up within the system. We wish Ava well in what will be a big year for women’s cricket in Ireland.”

Senior Performance Squad - 2021

Part-time retainer contracts

Laura Delany

Shauna Kavanagh

Mary Waldron

Gaby Lewis

Celeste Raack

Orla Prendergast

Leah Paul

Non-retainer contracts

Eimear Richardson

Lara Maritz

Hannah Little

Louise Little

Rebecca Stokell

Una Raymond-Hoey

Sophie MacMahon

Cara Murray

Georgina Dempsey

Rachel Delaney

Jane Maguire

Amy Hunter

Ava Canning

2021-05-31 12:24

Arachas Super 50 Cup: Gaby Lewis' ton powers Scorchers to a 140 run victory over Typhoons to clinch the Cup title

DUBLIN – Scorchers captain Gaby Lewis's maiden century led her side to the Arachas Super 50 Cup title after defeating the Typhoons by 140 runs at Malahide Cricket Club.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Player of the Match Lewis continued her purple patch from last week's international outing and brought up her half-century from 47 balls, and her first century at this level from 109 balls. Lewis hit 15 boundaries in her innings of 115, hitting shots all around the ground.

This was the fifth century in the history of the Cup after Meg Kendal (125), Cecelia Joyce (118), Clare Shillington (116) and Orla Prendergast's 116 which he scored three weeks ago at Rush.

Lewis received decent support throughout, first from Leah Paul (29) whom she shared a 106-run opening partnership with, following a 74-run stand with Shauna Kavanagh (34). Sophie MacMahon played an unbeaten cameo of 31 at the end of the innings, as the Scorchers finished on 271-5 from their 50 overs.

For the Typhoons, five bowlers claimed a wicket each, while Jane Maguire’s spell of 0-26 from 7 overs was brilliant in terms of her ability to restrict the run rate and bring in a few moments of nervousness for the batters.

In reply, the Typhoons lost the wicket of Rebecca Stokell in the first over, but despite a 75-run second wicket partnership between Louise Little (34) and Rachel Delaney (41) the team struggled throughout the run chase. Delaney batted well, but with her team in need of an acceleration in the scoreline, her steady inning came to an end holding out at mid off.

Orla Prendergast contributed late runs – her 26 off 23 balls featured three fours and a stunning six over the deep cover boundary – but the Typhoons lower order disappointed, losing 6-7 in just under three overs to be skittled out for 131.

Leading wicket-takers for the Scorchers were Lara Maritz (3-10) and Cara Murray (3-16). Leah Paul (2-38) also continued her bowling form from the recent Scotland T20I series where she picked 9 wickets at a brilliant average of 4.44.

The Scorchers' dominating 140-run victory has essentially handed them the 2021 Arachas Super 50 Cup title as they lead the competition 3-1 with one game to play.

MATCH SUMMARY

Scorchers v Typhoons, 5th Match Arachas Super 50 Cup, Malahide, 30 May 2021

Scorchers 271-5 (50 overs; G Lewis 115, S Kavanagh 34; Z Craig 1-9)

Typhoons 131 (31.3 overs; R Delaney 41; L Maritz 3-10, C Murray 3-16, L Paul 2-38)

Scorchers won by 140 runs

2021-05-21 15:08

Orla Prendergast all set to make return to International Cricket for Ireland

Ireland’s Orla Prendergast will end her 624 day wait when she dons her Irish jersey against Scotland’s Women on sunday. In her absence, Ireland’s women have had four tours and series cancelled and a world cup qualifier postponed.

Prendergast made her international debut in August 2019 and the all-rounder has eight caps so far. She was awarded a part time player contract by Cricket Ireland in August 2020. She scored 151 runs at an average of 25.17 in the 2020 Super Series along with taking 10 wickets at 18 runs apiece.

Her form was described as “outstanding” by Ireland womens captain Laura Delaney and scored a maiden century two weeks ago, scoring 116 runs from 129 balls and taking 2-17 in the same match.

Ahead of the Scotland series, Prendergast said “It’s absolutely brilliant to finally be back playing international cricket and definitely an added bonus to have our first home fixture in two years. The possibility of spectators being allowed to attend is a really exciting prospect and hopefully, all going well that will be able to happen. We’ve had a long training block over the last 18 months, so it’s really exciting to be able to compete again and see where we are.”

“The Super Series this year has provided an excellent opportunity for us to prepare for the upcoming series. While we’ve obviously been extremely lucky to continue training over the last months, it’s been vital for us to get time out batting and bowling in the middle to prepare for upcoming international matches. Personally, I feel the Super Series has really helped me prepare for the upcoming series, both bowling and batting. The century I scored two weeks ago has definitely boosted my confidence, and hopefully I’ll carry some of that form through to the Scotland series.”

“Being without international cricket for a long period has left me with a lot of time to work on things that I wouldn’t have wanted to change if I had upcoming matches. I’ve been working on my bowling action and consistency a lot, and also my game plan with the bat.”

“The part-time retainer contract has also been a welcome opportunity. Having extra coaching contact time with Ed [Joyce] and Glenn [Querl] has really helped me further my game already, and it’ll be great to have some matches to test my skills again.”

“With regard to the Scotland series, I’m expecting some high standard and very close games. The two sides look quite evenly matched, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the series plays out. In relation to my own specific goals, I don’t really have any. Obviously, I’m hoping to take wickets and make some runs, but my main focus is just on helping the team win.”

SQUADS FOR THE SERIES

Ireland Women:

Laura Delany (capt), Ava Canning, Rachel Delaney, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Gaby Lewis, Jane Maguire, Lara Maritz, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Celeste Raack, Jenny Sparrow, Rebecca Stokell.

Scotland Women:

Kathryn Bryce (capt), Sarah Bryce, Becky Glen, Lorna Jack, Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Ikra Farooq, Abtaha Maqsood, Samantha Haggo, Katie Mcgill, Priyanaz Chatterji, Ailsa Lister, Katherine Fraser, Ellen Watson, Megan McColl.

SERIES FIXTURES

The fixtures in the Celtic International T20 Challenge Series are:

23 May 2021: Ireland Women v Scotland Women - 1st T20I (Stormont, starting 1pm)
24 May 2021: Ireland Women v Scotland Women - 2nd T20I (Stormont, starting 1pm)
26 May 2021: Ireland Women v Scotland Women - 3rd T20I (Stormont, starting 1pm)
27 May 2021: Ireland Women v Scotland Women - 4th T20I (Stormont, starting 11am)

Cricket Ireland’s match centre will livestream and livescore the matches and capped and controlled crowds are expected at games 2,3 and 4.

2021-05-13 11:35

Ireland Women's squad announced for T20I Series against Scotland

DUBLIN – Cricket Ireland on Wednesday announced a 15 player Ireland Women’s squad for the upcoming T20 International series against Scotland at Stormont. The series will feature four T20I matches between 23-27 May 2021.

The Ireland side will be led by Laura Delany who is returning after an injury. The squad features five such players who will be bidding to make their international debuts. Cara Murray and Rachel Delaney will also make their respective comebacks to the international squad after featuring in their last international match in June 2018.

Ireland and Scotland have met fourteen times in women’s T20Is, with Ireland winning in 11 outings, Scotland winning twice and one with no result. However, the two teams met twice in 2019, clinching a one victory each.

The squad is:

Laura Delany (capt), Ava Canning, Rachel Delaney, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Shauna Kavanagh, Gaby Lewis, Jane Maguire, Lara Maritz, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Celeste Raack, Jenny Sparrow, Rebecca Stokell.

The series will be played as follows:

23 May 2021: Ireland Women v Scotland Women - 1st T20I (Stormont, starting 2pm)

24 May 2021: Ireland Women v Scotland Women - 2nd T20I (Stormont, starting 2pm)

25 May 2021: Reserve Day (1st & 2nd T20I’s, 2pm start)

26 May 2021: Ireland Women v Scotland Women - 3rd T20I (Stormont, starting 2pm)

27 May 2021: Ireland Women v Scotland Women - 4th T20I (Stormont, starting 11am)

The games will be livestreamed and livescored through the Cricket Ireland match centre. Spectators won't be currently permitted at games in Northern Ireland due current government restrictions.

Carrie Archer, Chair of National Women’s Selectors, said: “There is great anticipation to see how this young side will perform, given the exceptional performances in the Arachas Super Series over recent weeks. With an average age of less than 21, it is one of the youngest squads we have ever selected, but one full of talent and potential. With a big year ahead, it is vital that these players get as much competitive cricket as they can, and I have no doubt they will require little additional motivation to perform in this long-awaited return to the international arena.”

“With a number of players still overseas and unavailable, there is an opportunity now for several emerging players to make their mark ahead of the two world cup qualifier tournaments later in the year.”

“We have selected five players who may make their debuts. They are all here on merit, after impressing in the Super Series, and should take the confidence of knowing this into the series.”

Ed Joyce, Head Coach of Ireland Women, said: “We’ll be going into the Scotland series off the back of a solid build-up in training and a competitive Super Series to date. It’s great to see players being rewarded for their performances in the Super Series - it goes to show all players that there is a defined pathway to international cricket and that performances are being recognised with higher honours. There is no doubt that international cricket is yet another step up for the players, but I know that all of those selected are desperate to get out there and show what they can do on the world stage.”

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