BALBRIGGAN WIN NAIL-BITER TO CLAIM DIVISION 4 CUP!

The SportsHub Division 4 Cup final today saw an absolutely nail-biting affair fall in favour of Balbriggan, as they claimed a low-scoring thriller against North Kildare in Terenure by just one run.

The Jack Harper Park side batted first and thanks to an unbeaten 27 from Iseult McDonnell, 21 from Erin Knight and another not out effort from Zoe Harper, making 19, they put together a modest total of 94/3 in their 20 overs. Maggie Lynch was the pick of the bowlers for North Kildare, claiming 2/17 from her four overs.

North Kildare's chase started promisingly, as having lost Zoe Lipson early on, Meishan Zhang and Susan Cavanagh added 58 for the 2nd wicket. The run out of Cavanagh however sparked a mini-collapse, as Anna Vezhakattu then removed Zhang and the captain Michelle Taylor in consecutive balls, with the opening bowler finishing her spell with 3/15.

This left North Kildare needing 14 from the final four overs, however a tight couple of overs from Erin Knight from the top end kept the pressure on, and in the end left Balbriggan had restricted them to needing 6 from the last over. A nerveless final over from Vezhakattu, bowling to Naomi Scott-Hayward, went for just four runs, seeing Balbriggan seal victory by one run, in an incredible finish, one which could be an early contender for the tightest of the season!

Congratulations to Balbriggan on this excellent achievement of winning the SportsHub Division 4 Cup for 2025, and a massive thanks to SportsHub for their support of Women's Competitions in Leinster this season.