SPORTSHUB PREMIER LEAGUE - TRIPLE HEADER PREVIEW (MAY 31ST)

This weekend sees the inaugural triple header weekend take place in the women’s SportsHub Premier League, it promises to be a cracker. The fixtures are as follows; Merrion welcome both Leinster and their D4 neighbours Pembroke to Anglesea Road, Rush will host The Hills and Malahide in an all Northside affair. Lastly, both Clontarf and Balbriggan will make the trip to the Phoenix Park. Each ground is slated to host 3 games with the 2 visiting teams also taking each other on in the middle game of the day as well. With all that in mind, lets jump right in.

Merrion

Merrion are due to take on both Pembroke and Leinster on their home turf. They come into this fixture riding high after a comprehensive victory over Clontarf on Thursday in around of fixtures that left only themselves and 1 other fixture played due to adverse weather conditions. They are now 2 wins from 2 in the league and carry a game in hand on their 2 main competitors at present in Pembroke and Leinster who were both rained off on Thursday. That said, those 2 are their opponents for this weekend and will be gunning to put themselves in the best positions heading into June, Merrion will have to be at their best to ensure they don’t allow this to happen.

With bat in hand Merrion have a hugely strong side, they are led by their overseas player in Bella Armstrong who has gotten off to a scintillating start for her side blazing it to all parts and was in fine form on Thursday evening with 32 from just 13 deliveries, she will likely be partnered by Annabel Squires who was also in the mood on Thursday with 42 form just 28 and together they will try and take advantage of the first 6 overs and get their team off to a fast start.

Should either Pembroke or Leinster manage to get through this opening partnership the task only gets tougher, Merrion have a trio of Irish cap holders to call on in their middle in Leah Paul, Rebecca Stokell and Isobel Joyce. These 3 have all made significant contributions this season and Merrion will be hoping for much of the same on Saturday. Merrion also have the powerful hitting of Aoife Brennan and Ally Boucher to call on if needed.

Merrion’s bowling unit is generally spearheaded by Skipper Niamh McNulty’s seam however she seems unlikely to feature as we are now only a week out from the leaving cert commencing. Merrion will no doubt still feel confident that they have the bowling stocks available to ensure victory on the day. With the absence of their skipper it will be spin heavy attack, Merrion will look to Leah Paul to lead the attack, she will be supported in the spin department by Celeste Raack and Bella Armstrong. A strong attack will then be rounded out with support from Isobel Joyce, Sophie Stewart and Aoife Brennan.

Bella Armstrong holds the key for Merrion, she will be tasked with getting her team off to a good start in both the bowling and batting powerplays. If she has a good day it will go a long way to ensuring a successful day for Merrion.

Key Player – Bella Armstrong

Pembroke

Pembroke come into this fixture off the back of disappointing rain off on Thursday away to Rush in a tie they were massive favourites for. The come into this weekend in second in the table, the only slight blot on their proverbial copy book being a final over loss to Phoenix at Sydney Parade. Never the less, they will be coming into the weekend feeling confident and knowing that 2 wins will put them atop the tree heading into June.

With bat in hand the Sydney Parade outfit are expected to line out very similarly to how they did 10 days ago against Rush in the cup. The one obvious boost being the return of Orla Prendergast who enjoyed her day out at Anglesea Road last year and will no doubt be in the mood for similar come Saturday. The innings will likely be opened by the international pairing of Sarah Forbes and Lou Lou Little who will look to get their side off to a fast start in the powerplay. They will be joined by the aforementioned Prendergast, Shauna Kavanagh, Isobel Jennings and Zoe Bell in a strong top 6. Pembroke also have the powerful hitting of Mhairi Nicoll at 7 if required.

The bowling unit will be hopeful of Prendergast doing the damage, she will be joined in the seam department by the Little sisters who have both had a great starts to the season along with the miserly Anna Beale. Pembroke also have a trio of spinners to call on if needed in Louise McCarthy, Zoe Bell and Sarah Forbes who round out a strong attack with depth in all departments.

The key for Pembroke is the return of Orla Prendergast, she will lead her side with both bat and ball and will be raring to go after missing out on the action on Thursday.

Key Player – Orla Prendergast

Leinster

The Rathmines side come into this game placed on top of the table with 2 wins from 3 after a disappointing rain draw against Phoenix on Thursday in a tie they would’ve felt confident of winning. They will be looking to keep up the momentum from a strong start but will be under no illusions of the challenge they face at Anglesea Road on Saturday. They will feel confident however knowing the talent and strength in depth they possess in their ranks.

With bat in hand Leinster will be led by Laura Delany, she will likely bat 3 and be tasked with holding the innings together while the rest bat around her. They will open with 2 internationals albeit from different eras in Rebecca Rolfe and Joanna Loughran, they will know they will need to get their team off to a good start on a traditionally fast scoring ground. Their top 5 will be rounded off by 2 more internationals, one past and one present in Sophie McMahon and Eimear Richardson. Leinster will also be able to call on the hard hitting of Ava Canning and Karina Bell if needed.

With the ball, Leinster are led by their overseas quick Karina Bell who will likely form an opening partnership with the swing of Ava Canning. They will be complemented in the seam department by the metronomic Laura Delany and Sophie MacMahon. The spin of Eimear Richardson will round out a strong Leinster attack. They also have the seam of Jenny Sparrow to call on if required who has enjoyed a strong start to 2025.

Leinster will look to Sophie MacMahon to lead in all facets this weekend, they will know if they come away with two wins on Saturday they will be away to the races and very hard to catch.

Key Player – Sophie MacMahon

Rush

Rush will be looking to get their season back on track this weekend after enduring a tough start to the season, they will see this weekend as a huge opportunity and will definitely see both of their games this weekend as hugely winnable.

Rush will be looking for a reset after chastening Thursday evening at home to Pembroke. Their two most pivotal players to ensure this happens will be Ellie McGee and Ocean Bartlett. The will likely form the opening partnership for the side from Kenure and will look to start strongly getting their team off to  a flier in the powerplay. The top 5 is likely to be completed by the O’Donohoe sisters and Wilde in some formation, Rush will need them to contribute alongside their openers if they are to post 2 winning totals on the day.

With ball in hand Rush will again rely heavily on McGee and Bartlett who both bowl excellent leg spin. Aisling McCormack will support them, she will be high on confidence after an outstanding 2024 leading her to being the top bowler in Division 2 last year. Elsewhere the O’Donohoe sisters will again feature and will have a massive job to do in ensuring two strong batting outfits from The Hills and Malahide are kept under control.

Ellie McGee will be the key for Rush, she will know her side will look to her to lead with bat and ball, if she has a day out her side will strong chance of getting their first points on the board for 2025.

Key Player – Ellie McGee

The Hills

The Hills have had a tough start to 2025, they remain without a win for 2025 having fallen to Balbriggan on Thursday on a tough night out in the rain. They will be looking forward to this weekend however knowing that it is a great opportunity to get their season off and running.

The Hills batting is headlined by overseas Tahlia Dunne, she forms a strong opening partnership with Lara McBride who the Skerries side will be looking to to step up after a winter of training with the Irish U19s. The top 5 will likely be completed by Rebecca Gough and the internationally capped Maguire twins. The Skerries side it also have the powerful hitting of Cliodhna O’Reardon at 6 in the ‘finisher’ role should she be required. They will be hoping for some increased support for Dunne coming into this weekend and will know if they can form some partnerships with her, her powerful hitting will lead them to an insurmountable total.

With ball in hand The Hills are led by the Maguire sisters, Jane will open with her away swing and Aimee will keep the batters quiet in the middle spinning a web with her left arm orthodox. There is some doubt as to Aimee Maguire’s availability due to the leaving cert, but  will be hopeful of her availability as it obviously a massive boost for the skerries side. Rebecca Gough will be the 3^rd seamer in the attack, the spinners will once  again be led by Tahlia Dunne who will be supported in that department by the right arm off spin of Lara McBride.

Tahlia Dunne is the key for The Hills, they will need her to bat through in order for her side to post a winning total.

Key Player – Tahlia Dunne

Malahide

Malahide are coming into this weekend off of the back of a bye on Thursday so will no doubt be raring to go come Saturday. They have a had a good start to the season being 1 win from 2 in the league and securing safe passage to the senior cup semifinal. They will also be coming into this fixture with a slightly greater ‘pep in their step’ knowing that a series of games ended in ‘rain offs’ on their ‘bye’ week.

Their batting unit is led by their overseas player Meg Thompson who has enjoyed a great start to the season, the village will also be hopeful of the availability of Amy Hunter who would prove a formidable partner for Thompson. They will be joined in the top 5 by the impressive Arlene Kelly, the skipper Anna Kerrison and Sarah Condron. Malahide will no doubt feel they have sufficient depth to ensure they put up two winning totals on Saturday.

Arlene Kelly deal the bulk of the damage with her seam, she will be supported in the that department by Sarah Condron and Marie O’Halloran. Their attack will be rounded by the spin of overseas Meg Thompson and their skipper Anna Kerrison,

Meg Thompson is the key  for Malahide, she has been the focal point of Malahide’s batting efforts this season and has allowed them to post competitive totals, everyone at Malahide will be hoping for much of the same this weekend.

Key Player – Meg Thompson

Phoenix

Lasty for this weekend Phoenix will host Clontarf and Balbriggan, they will be looking for a change of fortune after a disappointing couple of weeks, getting knocked out of the senior cup and then being defeated by the rain on Thursday.

Phoenix will hope the last 2 games were nothing but a hiccup in their 2025 season which sees them in a good position with 2 wins from 3 in the league. With the bat, Phoenix will rely heavily on Gaby Lewis and Zara Craig who have both contributed strongly in the games that Phoenix have won so far. The top 5 will likely be made up of Suin Woods, Arisha Foysal and Nevedha Saravanarajan. Phoenix have had no let-up in the infirmary  still missing key operator Georgina Dempsey with a knee injury while also being without Alice Tector who is also out with a niggle. None the less the Phoenix Park side will feel confident and will no they have what it takes to post two competitive totals this Saturday on their home soil.

With ball in hand Craig is likely to feature again with the new ball alongside Ali Keenan, together they form a formidable opening partnership. Rhea Nair is likely to complete the seam attack in the middle overs and the 3 above will endeavour to keep things tight ensuring that their most dangerous operator in Arisha Foysal can bowl with freedom and really attack in the middle overs.

Pheonix will rely heavily on Gaby Lewis with the bat due to missing two key players with injuries. They will need her to fire to ensure two competitive totals on the day,

Key Player – Gaby Lewis

Clontarf

Clontarf, very similarly to Phoenix will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing early exit from the senior cup and a tough day out on Thursday against a strong Merrion side. They will no doubt see Saturday as an opportunity to put things right heading into a busy time of the year.

Clontarf’s batting is steered by Christina Coulter Reilly while everyone bats around her, she is without a doubt the key wicket that Phoenix and Balbriggan will most crave, Clontarf will hope she can ‘go big’ in order to ensure they post a winning total. She will be hoping for the arrival of Robyn Searle along with support from Julie McNally and Alice Walsh to help her in posting competitive totals against both Balbriggan and Phoenix.

With ball in hand Clontarf have a strong attack to call on, they 3 strong seam options to call on in the form of left arm Sinead Thompson, and right arm pair Alyssa Pasley and Lucy Barry, they will be supported by Walsh and McNally to round out a strong attack.

Christina Coulter Reilly is the key for Clontarf, if she can get a big score, her team will post a very competitive total.

Key Player – Christina Coulter Reilly

Balbriggan

Balbriggan come into this fixture on something of a high having pulled off an upset over Phoenix to get to the Senior Cup semi-final and a thumping victory over The Hills on Thursday taking just a 10 over bash to knock off the runs. They will be confident going into Saturday and know a couple of victories will kickstart their league season heading into June.

The treble of overseas arrivals prior to their senior cup win has seen the side from Jack Harper Park really strengthen over the last couple of weeks. Ella Marsh, Madison Landsman and Ciara Gibson have all joined the Balbriggan ranks in for the 2025 season and hit the ground running despite some delays around travel logistics. They have provided some much needed reinforcements for the Martiz twins who along with the 3 mentioned above will likely round out a strong top 5 for the 'Brig.

As a bowling unit Balbriggan will look to Lara Maritz to lead the charge, seam support for her will come in the form of Erin Knight and Reena Devi. Landsman  and Marsh will round off a well balanced attack with their off spin which will no doubt prove pivotal for their side in a ground that is traditionally very quick to score on.

Lara Maritz is the key for Balbrigan, if she can remove one or both of Lewis or Coulter Reilly that will go a long way to putting her side on top in Saturday’s battles.

Key Player – Lara Maritz