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  3. SPORTSHUB PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW - ROUND 11 (JULY 3RD)
2nd July 2025 by Mick Cotter

SPORTSHUB PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW - ROUND 11 (JULY 3RD)

This Thursday sees round 11 of the SportsHub Premier League, there is a full round of fixtures in store to be enjoyed with all teams due to play with the exception of Pembroke who have the night off after booking their spot in the Senior Cup final on Tuesday.

The action in store is a follows: The Hills will host Phoenix at The Vineyard while Rush will travel to Anglesea Road to take on Merrion. Elsewhere Malahide will make the relatively short journey to take on Balbriggan while Leinster will welcome Clontarf to Observatory Lane.

The league table is an intriguing state of limbo at the moment, Pembroke currently sit on top, 14 points ahead of Merrion, however the spanner in the works for Sydney Parade side is the two games in hand Merrion possess over them, they will be hopeful that Rush can do a job for them this week with no opportunity to earn points themselves. From there it is unbelievably tight in the mid table with just 25 points separating 3rd placed Balbriggan from 7th place Rush.

THE HILLS VS PHOENIX

Tahlia Dunne is usually the spearhead of this batting lineup, however she appears likely to miss out with ongoing injury issues, meaning they will be hoping for contributions from the Maguire sisters, Abbi Harrison, and Rebecca Gough, together they form a batting unit that the Skerries side know is capable upsetting the apple cart of any team when if they can produce to the best of their abilities. They will also be thankful for the return of Lara McBride to bolster their batting stocks. Aimee Maguire in particular comes into this game in good form after a fluent 54 last week against league leaders Pembroke.

On the bowling front, with Erin Carroll now out for the season, Jane Maguire will lead the attack, backed up by seamers Gough and Vanessa Scollard. Caoimhe Emmet and Sarah Everard provide additional options in a bowling lineup that certainly isn’t short on depth, however it’s Lara McBride who is again key to her side in this facet coming into this game off the back of 3/26 against Pembroke last week.

Phoenix have endured a tough league campaign in 2025, currently sitting bottom although the glimmer of hope will be that they sit barely a win off of 3rd place in a tight league table. They'll be optimistic about bouncing back this week with the return of star batter Gaby Lewis. She’ll lead the batting lineup, which also includes Lucy McDonough, Zara Craig, Alison Black, and Siúin Woods in a unit that struggled in her absence but will be eager to make amends and will no doubt feel more confident with their leader back amongst the troops.

Zara Craig will head up the bowling attack and is expected to share the new ball with Ali Keenan. The Phoenix Park side will also have seam options in McDonough and Black, whilst they are unfortunately without Arisha Foysal's quality spin threat. With a well-rounded attack, they’ll back themselves to challenge a Hills outfit that have been prone to misfiring this season.

Gaby Lewis is her side’s key, if she fires she will inevitably power her side to a very competitive total. Lara McBride is the form bowler for her side and The Hills will be hopeful she can remove Lewis and put her side on top.

Key Battle – Gaby Lewis vs Lara McBride

MERRION VS RUSH

Merrion will come into this game feeling somewhat disappointed after falling foul of the weather last Thursday while only requiring 3 more overs to be bowled to constitute a game they would likely have gone on to win, however if Tuesday nights semifinal win over Balbriggan didn’t lift their spirits surely returning to the top of the league table will and that will indeed be the outcome should they prevail this week.

Bella Armstrong leads their batting lineup and forms a formidable opening partnership with Annabel Squires, the pair aiming to give their side a fast start as they have done all season, Rebecca Stokell and Leah Paul were both in good touch on Thursday, whilst it will be interesting to see where Celeste Raack along Aoife Brennan and Isabel Light slot into the line-up, with Isobel Joyce once again unlikely to be available for this fixture.

Niamh MacNulty will command the seam attack, and the hosts will be desperate to see her overcome her injury woes and return to the side this week. Should she do so, she will likely end up sharing the new ball with spinner Bella Armstrong, as Síbha Bhoja is absent on InterPro duty, while Aoife Brennan provides the other seam option. In the spin department, the Anglesea Road side boasts a strong duo in Leah Paul, and the aforementioned Armstrong, however their usual third spinner Aisling Lawlor is another who is away on Leinster duty this week, even in her absence however, the Ballsbridge side have bowlers offering plenty of variety through the middle overs in what is possibly the strongest spin attack in the league.

Rush head into this fixture full of confidence and will no doubt struggle to believe the introduction they’ve had to senior cricket. Ocean Bartlett has been stealing the spotlight all season with standout performances and will be key to their success once more this week. She’ll be well supported by a solid batting lineup featuring Aoife Beggs, Georgia Wilson, and Rachel Bolton, forming a unit that will back itself to post or chase a competitive total when they take the field on Thursday.

With the ball, Aisling McCormack will lead the charge and is expected to take the new ball alongside Ramnathpur, forming a reliable opening pair that haven’t let their side down all season. The seam attack possess further depth through the presence of Aoife Beggs and Rachel Bolton, both capable of applying pressure and picking up key wickets. Rush can also turn to their duo of leg spinners, Ocean Bartlett and Ellie McGee, offering a dynamic and well-rounded bowling attack with no lack of options for the skipper.

Ocean Bartlett has been the batter her side have looked to for leadership all season, Merrion will look to their key spinner Leah Paul to remove her and get her side on top early on.

Key Battle – Ocean Bartlett vs Leah Paul

BALBRIGGAN VS MALAHIDE

These are two sides who unfortunately were knocked out of the senior cup by strong opponents on Tuesday and will be looking to bounce back in this round of league fixtures.

Balbriggan’s batting is ordinarily led by Ciara Gibson, however she’s yet another high-profile player who has fallen foul of injury this week. That means the batting will be underpinned by overseas player Ella Marsh, alongside the Maritz sisters, skipper Tess and all-rounder Lara, both of whom have been in excellent form this season. Balbriggan will take heart from their start to the season knowing they are right in the mix at the top of the table heading into the this fixture.

With the ball, Lara Maritz leads the attack and is expected to take the new ball alongside off-spinner Ella Marsh. The side also has options in Tasmin Hope, Tess Maritz, and Marisa Curtis, giving them a variety of choices in an attack that will be aiming for a sharper showing than Tuesday in what was a tough day for the unit.

Malahide’s batting is generally anchored by overseas pro Meg Thompson, however it appears her side will have to do without her after she sustained a quad injury on Monday in the super series. Sarah Condron will likely take her spot in the top 3 along with Amy Hunter and Arlene Kelly as they aim to get their side off to a fast start, especially crucial on a ground where the powerplay can shape the game with such tough dimensions to defend. If the top order falters, the Village still carry plenty of depth, with the likes of Anna Kerrison, Saibh Mitchell, Sarah Brophy, and Haley Moore capable of steadying the ship through the middle overs should they be required.

Arlene Kelly will drive the bowling unit, supported by fellow seamers Sarah Condron, Maria O’Halloran, Sarah Brophy, and Saibh Mitchell. Malahide also has spin options in captain Anna Kerrison she will be alone in her quest to control the middle phase of the innings with the absence of Meg Thompson again being felt in this department.

Amy Hunter is her side’s key with the bat and will have a greater burden to shoulder in the absence of Thompson. Balbriggan will be hopeful Lara Martiz can remove her and ensure her side are in the box seat.

Key Battle – Amy Hunter vs Lara Maritz

LEINSTER VS CLONTARF

Just 3 points separate these two sides on the table and each will be keen to gain a win and ‘break away’ into the top half of the table.

Joanna Loughran and Rebecca Rolfe will lead the way with the bat, forming a solid foundation at the top of the order. They’ll be joined by Laura Delany at number three, who will be full of confidence following some outstanding performances this season with the bat for her side. The middle order is stacked with international quality, with Sophie McMahon and Ava Canning both capable of taking control and powering their side to an unassailable total. They also have two powerful finishers in Jenny Sparrow and Karina Bell, the latter coming off a strong performances during the week in the super series.

Karina Bell will also take charge with the ball, likely sharing the new ball with Ava Canning in a pairing that have found great success so far this season. Backing them up is a deep seam arsenal that includes internationals in the shape of Laura Delany & Sophie McMahon, before mentioning the strong medium pace options with plenty of experience at this level in the shape of Katie Dillon, Jenny Sparrow, and Orla Bagnall.  

Clontarf enter this match following a bye last week that left them in better position than they started with the whole round with the exception of Pembroke vs The Hills getting washed out.

Skipper Christina Coulter-Reilly is a vital figure in Clontarf’s batting lineup, and they will need her to fire if they are to have the best chance of posting a strong total. Alice Walsh and Julie McNally will likely take on huge responsibility in the top three alongside her, the former off the back of some strong efforts in previous weeks, Freya Sargent will likely be another to move up the order, whilst Susan Lawless is also likely to feature in the batting unit, however they are also hamstrung by the absence of both Gemma Sargent and Genevieve Morrissey who again are on InterPro duties with Leinster U17s. In spite of these absences, it’s a batting lineup the Castle Avenue side will be confident can deliver a strong performance come Thursday.

On the bowling front, left-arm seamer Sinead Thompson leads the attack ordinarily leads the attack, however she is unavailable, meaning the attack will be led by Julie McNally and Alice Walsh. Clontarf also have the swing bowling of young Annabel Walsh to call upon, with Freya Sargent rounding out a balanced and capable bowling unit that Clontarf will know can restrict Leinster.

Christina Coulter-Reilly will have to fire to give her side the best chance in this fixture. Karina Bell will try to blow her away and get her side on top, if Coulter-Reilly can weather the storm, her side will be in a strong position.

Key Battle – Christina Coulter-Reilly vs Karina Bell

SPORTSHUB PREMIER LEAGUE

ROUND 11, JULY 3RD, ALL 18:15 STARTS

At The Vineyard, The Hills vs Phoenix

At Anglesea Road, Merrion vs Rush

At Jack Harper Park, Balbriggan vs Malahide

At Observatory Lane, Leinster vs Clontarf

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