North Kildare Win Junior Cup with Decisive Victory over Phoenix

North Kildare won the Academy+ Women’s Junior Cup Final with a dominant performance against a young and coming Phoenix in Railway Union on Friday evening.

Having won the toss and opted to bowl first, Melissa Scott-Hayward’s charges were deserved winners despite some eye-catching performances from a Phoenix side on the rise.

Opening bowlers Shana Ngai and Rose Neuman Jones both took 1 for 16 from their five overs as they bowled the first six and final four overs in tandem.

In between times, Phoenix captain Ali Keenan batted well for her 16 before being expertly run out by Neuman Jones with a direct hit. The most impressive performance with the bat came from young Ella Pasley (30).

Pasley smashed some lovely boundaries, targeting mid-wicket in particular, in combination with some clever running, before she fell to an equally good catch from Jennifer Lowry, again in that mid-wicket area.

Ngai had a direct hit run out of her own, while Zoe Lipson also chipped in with a run-out, as North Kildare restricted Phoenix to 94/7 off their 20 overs.

What might have appeared a challenging target, became a straightforward one in the hands of Scott-Hayward (34*) and player of the match Elaine Douglas (44*).

Having been the bowler for the wicket of Pasley and outscoring her opening partner, it was no surprise that Douglas got the nod for the accolade as North Kildare chased down the target with six overs to spare.

Congratulations to North Kildare on their victory but keep an eye out for these Phoenix players, their day isn’t far off.

Academy Plus Women’s Junior Cup Final

North Kildare v Phoenix, Park Avenue, Friday August 23^rd   

Phoenix 94/7 (Ella Pasley 30, Ali Keenan 16; S Ngai 5-0-16-1, R Neuman Jones 5-0-16-1, E Douglas 5-0-32-1, M Bursey 3-0-14-1)

North Kildare 95/0 14 Overs (E Douglas 44*, M Scott-Hayward 34*)

North Kildare won by 10 wickets