ED SPORTS PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCH DAY 1 (APRIL 26TH)

This Sunday see’s the ED Sports Women’s Premier League season get underway for 2026. Merrion CC led the way in Women’s Competitions in general in 2025, and their 1^st XI are the first of their sides to begin their defence of their title, this week in the Premier League with a home tie against The Hills.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Pembroke will host Phoenix at Sydney Parade, Leinster make the opposite trip to the Northside to take on Malahide, finally Rush will host Clontarf at Kenure.

Cricket Leinster would like to thank ED Sports for expanding their support of Cricket in Leinster to include all Women’s competitions for 2026. It is greatly appreciated.

MERRION VS THE HILLS

We start off with the clash in Anglesea Road, where this season, Merrion's batting is once again built around returning overseas player Bella Armstrong, whose first season in green was nothing short of excellent, amassing 547 runs at 32.18, her form has continued in such a vein back in New Zealand, to the extent that a call up to their ‘A’ side means Merrion must wait to see her feature this term. Leah Paul and Annabel Squires will likely shoulder much of the burden in the side this weekend, with the middle order full of potential in the shape of Aisling Lawlor and Aoife Brennan set to be marshalled by the experienced Isobel Joyce, with wicket-keeper Ally Boucher and skipper Niamh MacNulty the all-rounders in the side.

MacNulty leads the seam attack and will be the key wicket-taking threat, she is supported by Sibha Bhoja with the new ball, whilst Aoife Hayden and Aoife Brennan also feature in a well-rounded seam unit. It is in the spin department however where Merrion's depth lies, with Leah Paul’s left-arm orthodox and Julianne Morrissey’s offies providing the frontline options, whilst the promising young duo of Ashwi Manoj and Aisling Lawlor offer off-spin and leg-break options respectively.

The Hills arrive into this tie with much of their hopes centred around the international duo of Jane Maguire and Lara McBride. The former has fond memories only of weekend club cricket, having made a century against Rush on her last weekend appearance for the Skerries outfit. McBride plays a far greater role with the bat at club level, whilst their pair of U17s Molly Butterly and Aimee Scollard will both get a chance to shine at Premier League level this weekend. Eve Meachen is their key off-season signing, who they will be hoping can deliver with the bat, especially in weeks like this where the likes of Aimee Maguire and Abbi Harrison are unavailable.

Jane Maguire leads the bowling attack and will need to be at her best with some of the absentees this weekend, Vanessa Scollard and Tara O’Brien are the other two obvious seam options in the side. The spinning duties will be shared by the off-spin of their most recently capped international in McBride, and the leggies of Kiwi Meachen and if that duo can cause problems through the middle overs, The Hills will give themselves every chance of causing an upset.

Neither side is quite at full strength with either bat or ball this weekend, meaning that their respective top orders will need to be in good fettle. Annabel Squires was a key player early doors for Merrion last term and is likely to be the first up against Jane Maguire this weekend, if she can get on top against The Hills’ premier bowler, Merrion will be well in the battle.

KEY BATTLE: Annabel Squires vs Jane Maguire

MALAHIDE VS LEINSTER

Malahide endured a difficult campaign last year, managing just four wins across the season to finish sixth, however the arrival of the Sargent sisters from Clontarf is the headline move of the off-season, and adds significant strength to the side. Gemma Sargent arrives having been Clontarf's leading wicket-taker last season, whilst Freya who’s off-breaks add some genuine star-quality to the bowling attack the duo means they have added real quality and experience to their side following a challenging 2025. That duo are thrown into an attack that includes another off-spinner in captain Anna Kerrison, whilst Sarah Condron, Haley Moore and international Arlene Kelly mean a four-pronged seam unit is set to do battle this time around.

The batting is anchored by the return of overseas player Meg Thompson, who leads the way from the front , with Freya Sargent a probable opening partner for her. The side are without Amy Hunter, however with Kelly, Kerrison and Condron, as well as Sorcha O’Carolan-Murphy all having contributed throughout the 2025 season, still boasts a stronger batting line-up than it has on several occasions in the past few years.

Leinster’s batting can often be choc-full of international class, however this weekend it’s more about who isn’t in the side than who is, as they’re without Joanna Loughran, Sophie MacMahon, Laura Delany, Ava Canning and Jenny Sparrow. Rebecca Rolfe takes the captain’s armband this weekend, and with the only other 1.1 starred player in the XI this weekend being the complete unknown quantity of Alexandra Sheedy, it seems likely that duo along with Tash Richardson will lead the way with the bat.  

With the ball, Orla Bagnall is the only likely member of a ‘full strength’ bowling unit who features this weekend, meaning that they appear set to look to the likes of Isabella Merriman and Aisling O’Kelly on the seam bowling front, however with very few of their selected XI even appearing to be among the first names on the team-sheet in the 2^nd team, it will be intriguing to see who steps up for the Rathmines outfit on the bowling front.

Leinster simply must make a big total to give themselves any chance in this game, Rebecca Rolfe is the ‘known’ star quality they have in their team this time around, and she’ll need to take-down Irish star Arlene Kelly to give her side some hope of victory.

KEY BATTLE: Arlene Kelly vs Rebecca Rolfe

PEMBROKE VS PHOENIX

Pembroke finished second in 2025 and will arrive into this campaign with genuine title ambitions once again, Orla Prendergast, the star of the show in so many games for the Sydney Parade outfit, is absent this weekend due to her English domestic commitments. Their batting, however is set to be opened by what could be an international pairing in Sarah Forbes and Lou Lou Little, with the rotation and correctness of Forbes allied with clean-hitting of Little. There is a fresh face as captain this season, with Isobel Jennings leading the way and likely to also bat in the top 3, whilst Eimear Mullen will feature alongside youth internationals Izzy McLean and Susie Whaley in what is a well-stocked batting unit, before mentioning their new overseas signing, Kiwi Marama Downes. McLean will be set to step up behind the stumps for much of this season in the absence of their most recent captain Shauna Kavanagh, who is unlikely to feature at all this term.

With the ball, the onus doesn’t necessarily fall on one person to cover for Prendergast's absence, as there are still plenty of options for Jennings to turn to. Kimli McDonald appears likely to partner Downes with the new ball, whilst Little, Anna Beale and Vanshika Shukla are the other seam-up options in the side. Their spinners however offer a lot of depth, with Bell and Forbes both very likely to roll out four economical overs each.  

Phoenix meanwhile arrive looking to kick on from a 2025 campaign that saw them finish fifth, they are without Gaby Lewis, who has seen her stint with Lancashire cut short due to injury. Her absence places a greater batting burden on fellow internationals Georgina Dempsey and Alice Tector, who become the key figures around whom Phoenix's hopes will revolve this weekend. Siúin Woods and Zara Craig are also expected to contribute in the top order, whilst all-rounders Arisha Foysal and Darcey Dalwood round out the frontline batters, giving Phoenix a unit that retains plenty of ability even in Lewis's absence.

Tector and Dempsey are likely to lead the bowling effort as well, and whilst they’re the likely opening pair, Craig has shown strong performances at the start of the innings and lends further support in the seam department, alongside Dalwood. The point of difference for Phoenix looks set to come in the form of Arisha Foysal, whose leg-spin caught the eye in a breakout 2025 campaign and will be looking to build on that promise here.

Two sides missing their biggest names makes this one harder to call, however the quality runs deep in both camps. If Foysal can work her magic with the ball, it could give Phoenix the edge they need to cause problems for their hosts, for whom new skipper Isobel Jennings will be looking to lay down a marker.

KEY BATTLE: Isobel Jennings vs Arisha Foysal

RUSH VS CLONTARF

Finally Clontarf make the trip from Castle Avenue to Kenure, and are another team with a depleted side early-season. Christina Coulter-Reilly is the standout name in the side and steps up to skipper in the absence of Lucy Barry, she will doubtless be central to whatever Clontarf produce this weekend. The return of Robyn Searle must wait, as she still hasn’t received her working visa, whilst Julie McNally, who topped the run charts for the side last season with 284, is also missing. Genevieve Morrissey and new signing Rosie Neuman-Jones are players Clontarf will be looking to step up this weekend, with opportunities to make their mark seeming to come thick and fast as the season begins.

With the ball, 'Tarf will rely on a battery of young seamers to cover for the departures, with one of Alyssa Pasley and Annabel Walsh likely to open the bowling alongside left-armer Sinead Thompson. The return of Genevieve Morrissey is another welcome boost, having missed out on bowling in 2025 through injury, and her presence adds real options to what is an attack that will need to punch above its weight this weekend. Neuman-Jones will provide the spin for the side this weekend.

Rush arrive into 2025 with a change of overseas player, with Ocean Bartlett, who was nothing short of exceptional, not returning this term. She lead the way not just in her own side but the entire league in run-scoring with 491 runs at 40, whilst her leg-spin chipped in with 12 wickets as well. She is replaced by fellow New Zealander Cate Pederson, who is an excellent prospect for the hosts, and they will be hoping can be every bit as big of a hit as Bartlett was. Aoife Beggs showed she is capable of providing plenty, managing 312 runs in 2025 at the top of the order, and alongside Ellie McGee and Rebecca Lowe, Rush will be hoping they have enough fire-power to compete once again this time around.

With the ball, Aisling McCormack will lead the way, with Beggs and Elyse Jones providing the support in the seam bowling duties, Ellie McGee’s leg-spin will be the frontline spin option this season and should complement the seamers nicely, giving the attack a reasonable spread of options to work through.

Christina Coulter-Reilly will look to set Clontarf off to a flyer here, and will need to get on top against Aisling McCormack in the PowerPlay to do so. ‘Tina has proven to be one of the most destructive around in domestic cricket in recent years, and if she can get a flying start, could find herself taking advantage of a quick-scoring Kenure this weekend.

KEY BATTLE: Aisling McCormack vs Christina Coulter-Reilly

ED SPORTS PREMIER LEAGUE

MATCH DAY 1 – APRIL 26^TH – ALL 12 Noon Start

At Anglesea Road, Merrion vs The Hills

At The Village, Malahide vs Leinster

At Sydney Parade, Pembroke vs Phoenix

At Kenure, Rush vs Clontarf