DEVELOPMENT DAY AT AIRLIE PARK DELIVERS VALUABLE LONGER-FORMAT CRICKET FOR U17 GIRLS

Cricket Leinster’s U17 Girls were due to travel to Lurgan on Monday to face the NCU, but when the hosts were unable to field a side the fixture was reshaped rather than written off. Adamstown Cricket Club opened Airlie Park at short notice, a number of additional players were brought into the group, and the day became an internal 30-over development match between two Leinster teams captained by Aisling Lawlor and Arisha Foysal.

Longer-format cricket asks questions of young players that a T20 never quite does — batters have to build an innings rather than chase the game from the first ball, bowlers have to work through a spell and find a second and third plan, and everyone has to stay in the contest through the quieter periods. With a good number of this group set to push for U19 Interprovincial selection next summer, time spent in that rhythm now is time well spent.

Leinster Navy, captained by Aisling Lawlor, batted first and posted 121 across their 30 overs. With a smaller batting group, several players returned for a second visit to the middle in the closing overs — precisely the kind of extra opportunity the day was designed to create. Across her two innings Georgia Beatty top-scored with 26, while Lily Morgan made 16, Aisling Lawlor and Eve McBride 14 apiece and Samiya Singh Ahluwalia 13. Tara O’Brien (6), Aoife Hayden (6) and Erin Knight (5) also spent useful time at the crease.

Leinster Blue’s bowling effort was led superbly by Síbha Bhoja, whose six overs brought five wickets for 22 in a probing, consistent spell. Ashwi Manoj supported her well with 3-22 from six, Lauren Bolton claimed 2-12 from five tidy overs, and Samaira Singh Ahluwalia picked up 1-9 from four. Juliet Gargan’s six overs also brought a wicket, and the fielding behind the bowlers was sharp throughout, with a number of well-taken catches.

“When the fixture fell through, the priority was making sure the girls didn’t lose the day. Thirty overs asks different things of them — you have to build an innings, work through a spell, and stay patient when it isn’t going your way, and those are the habits that carry players forward. A lot of this group will be in and around the U19 Interprovincial setup next Summer, so getting them that time in the middle now is really valuable. I was delighted with the attitude they brought to it, and hugely grateful to Adamstown for making it possible at such short notice.”

— Naomi Scott-Hayward, Cricket Leinster Disability, Inclusion and Participation Manager

The chase was anchored by Bhoja once again, this time with the bat, her 25 at the top of the order setting the tone. Anna Darcy’s composed 19 before retiring not out was among the innings of the day, while Arisha Foysal (16) and Aimee Scollard (12) both spent valuable time in the middle. Juliet Gargan and Lauren Bolton, unbeaten on 7 apiece, saw the side home, with the target passed in the 27th over.

There was plenty for the Navy bowlers to take from the innings too. Aisling Lawlor was the pick of them with 2-11 from three overs, Aoife Hayden bowled six for 1-17 and held a smart caught-and-bowled, Georgia Beatty returned 1-8 from four and Eve McBride 1-7 from three, while Erin Knight struck early to remove the opener.

Leinster Navy 121 (30 overs) — Georgia Beatty 26, Lily Morgan 16; Síbha Bhoja 5-22, Ashwi Manoj 3-22, Lauren Bolton 2-12

Leinster Blue 122-6 (27 overs) — Síbha Bhoja 25, Anna Darcy 19 ret. not out, Arisha Foysal 16; Aisling Lawlor 2-11

Leinster Blue won by four wickets.

Cricket Leinster is grateful to Adamstown Cricket Club for providing Airlie Park at such short notice, and to the coaches, umpire and scorer, and parents who made the change of plan work so smoothly. Massive thank you to Chuka Uba, Michael Hingston, Adam Doyle and Mitchell Thompson for the assistance in running the day. Attention now turns to the Winter programme and to next season for these players.