SPRINT COATINGS WOMEN'S DIVISION 1 - PEMBROKE, LEINSTER & PHOENIX OPEN WITH WINS (10.6)

The opening night of Sprint Coatings Women’s Division One saw wins for Phoenix, Leinster and Pembroke. With some eye-catching performances around the grounds from several international stars on show.

The highlight of the evening was no doubt Lara Maritz’s magnificent 110 from just 75 balls for Phoenix, as her side became just the third ever in Women’s Senior 20 over cricket to pass the 200 mark. Maritz was assisted by 27* from Ashlee King with whom she shared a stand of exactly 100 and 22 from Georgina Dempsey.

The same trio kicked the second innings off with some tight bowling, smothering The Hills’ top three and seeing the run rate rise rapidly. When Tess Maritz fell to Phoenix skipper Ali Keenan, and Clíodhna O’Reardon was run out it was left to Sarah White and debutant Zara Craig to really turn the screw and allow The Hills as few runs as possible. White finished with 2/21 but Craig’s figures of 1/7 from 4 overs were particularly impressive in seeing the home side run out 121 run winners.

If Maritz was the highlight with the bat, it was her fellow international Ava Canning who was the highlight with the ball in this evening’s fixtures.

Bowling first at Rathmines, Leinster in the main were tight without breaking the door down, that was until the first ball of the 6^th over, Canning then entered the attack and bowled a destructive spell, sending Aoife Brennan, Anna Marshall and Laura Cullen all back to the hutch in her first three overs.

Isobel Joyce survived this onslaught, as well as another three wicket spell from Maria Kerrison (3/10), and had made her way to 29 before Laura Delany trapped her LBW in the 19^th over. Canning returned to bowl Hannah Pasley and finish with excellent figures of 4/12 from her four overs.

Leinster’s opening pair of Sophie MacMahon and Ellen Ridgeway appear hell bent on starting innings’ as quickly as possible this season and this game was no different. MacMahon the main aggressor as she struck 29 from just 21 balls in an opening stand of 53, which was broken the first ball after the powerplay when Freya Sargent bowled MacMahon.

Laura Delany came to the crease and alongside Ridgeway added the 45 runs left for victory in double quick time, taking just another 21 balls to complete the chase. Opener Ridgeway finishing unbeaten on 33, while Delany was 18 not out from just 9 deliveries.

The featured game of the evening saw Malahide visit Pembroke. Having won the toss, the away side elected to bowl first. Having seen Clíona Tucker dismissed early for just 3, LouLou Little was the main protagonist in a partnership of 54 with Shauna Kavanagh, the former making 35 before being dismissed with the score on 69.

Orla Prendergast came and went for 7, courtesy of an excellent full length diving catch by Anna Kerrison on the boundary off the bowling of Aoife Mitchell, before Eimear Mullen was bowled by Saibh Mitchell for the same total. Kavanagh was joined by Clare Shillington and the pair added a further 32 before the Pembroke wicket-keeper fell for the top score of the innings with 37.

Having been slow into her rhythm, Shillington picked up the baton and accelerated the Pembroke innings, finishing on 36* from 25 balls to bring her side to 167/6. Wickets were shared around for Malahide, with 5 bowlers taking one each and a late run out.

Excellent opening spells from Prendergast and Hannah Little had almost put an end to Malahide’s chances of chasing the target before they’d had a chance to get going. Little removed Caoimhe McCann and Sarah Condron in the space of three balls before Prendergast dismissed Emma McMurray. At the end of the powerplay, Malahide were 45/3 and needed 10 an over to win.

Their chances were dealt a real hammer blow in the 9^th over as Amy Hunter having negotiated the opening spell, ran past an Eimear Mullen wide to be stumped by Kavanagh for 24, leaving the visitors 49/4 and on the verge of collapse.

Thankfully for them, Anna Kerrison and Gemma Devally dug in and batted through the remainder of the innings, taking advantage of any loose deliveries and ensuring they accumulated every run possible on offer in adding a partnership of 81, unbroken, for the 5^th wicket. Kerrison finished up on 30, with Devally on 26, to see their side to 130/4 from their 20 overs.

At Sydney Parade
Pembroke – 167/6, 20 overs (S Kavanagh 37, C Shillington 36*, L Little 35)
beat
Malahide – 130/4, 20 overs (A Kerrison 30*, G Devally 26*; H Little 2/23)
by 37 runs

At Observatory Lane

Clontarf – 97/8, 20 overs (I Joyce 29; A Canning 4/12, M Kerrison 3/10)
lost to
Leinster – 98/1, 9.1 overs (E Ridgeway 33*, S MacMahon 29)
by 9 wickets

At Phoenix Park

Phoenix – 210/4, 20 overs (L Maritz 110, A King 27*; A Byrne 2/47)
beat
The Hills – 89/5, 20 overs (C O’Reardon 23; S White 2/21)
by 121 runs