SPRINT COATINGS WOMEN’S DIVISION ONE PREVIEW – 19TH MAY

This evening, we have the 4^th round of fixtures from Sprint Coatings Women’s Division One to look forward to, and after a couple of nights where the women’s leagues have been heavily disrupted by the inclement weather, this evening is set fair with sunny skies and warm temperatures finally set to infiltrate the cricket season!

We have a full round of fixtures to look forward to this evening, starting with our featured game this week, which comes from Claremont Road, where YMCA will host The Hills. This game is hugely significant as it’s the first senior game of cricket in Claremont Road since August 15^th 2020.

The home side will therefore be hoping to put on a good showing, and are this week boosted by the return of Gaby Lewis after her spell playing at Fairbreak Global, alongside Georgina Dempsey, YMCA boast two of the most destructive boundary hitters in the league, they’ve got some excellent support with the bat, with Sarah Forbes, Jennifer Gray and Robyn Lewis all in good form in their own right. With the ball, there’s another big boost for the Sandymount side, as Lucy O’Reilly returns to the team for this evening’s game, Dempsey bowled a superb spell last week in taking 4/15, but it was Alice Tector who stole the show on that occasion, her 5/7 including a hat-trick being the moment she announced herself on the Division One stage.

Every member of the side will be hoping to put on a show back in Claremont Road for the home supporters, none more so than skipper Gaby Lewis who is buzzing to be back;

“It’s absolutely brilliant to be back at home at Claremont Road. It’s a very exciting day to be back playing at my favourite ground. There has been massive work done to get us back in this season so a massive thanks to all involved. Hopefully we can start off well with a win tonight for our first home game.”

The Hills enter the game looking for their first win of the season, and with their top order continuously looking like it’s just on the brink of putting together a huge batting performance, they will be hoping tonight is the night they can click and do so. Robyn Searle and Jane Maguire have both gotten starts and shared partnerships in the last couple of weeks, however just as they have gotten going a wicket has fallen and put the brakes on their innings, the pair will need support in the middle order from Clíodhna O’Reardon and Rebecca Gough to help kick their innings’ on to bigger scores in the coming games. With the ball meanwhile, Maguire’s metronomic line and length coupled with just enough movement makes her the side’s premier bowler, whilst Gough, Aimee Maguire and Searle all provided good support last time out. Extras will be an area the bowlers will need to improve upon if they are to restrict their oppositions to more manageable totals in games.

Tonight’s game pits one of the leagues best bowlers against one of it’s best batters, Gaby Lewis will be aiming to make a big impact on YM’s return to Claremont Road, she’ll be looking for big runs at the top of the order. Jane Maguire will be the one standing in her way, if her opening spell can see the back of Lewis, it will go a long way towards restricting the home side’s scoring rate.

KEY BATTLE: Gaby Lewis vs Jane Maguire

Next up, Merrion travel to the park to take on Phoenix. The visiting side are second in the table having strung together three wins in their opening three games, whilst their hosts are the polar opposite, 2^nd bottom having suffered three defeats in three games.

Merrion are without the services of both Joyce sisters and Rachael Delaney for this evening’s fixture, however they too welcome back their skipper Celeste Raack after she too has been playing in the Fairbreak Global event for the last couple of weeks. Rebecca Stokell will continue behind the stumps as she works back from her injury, granted she hasn’t shown many ill-effects from the previous shoulder problem with the bat as yet this season, making half centuries on both appearances thus far at the top of the order. Leah Paul and Raack will be the other pair hoping to provide the bulk of the runs for Merrion in today’s fixture. With the ball, Niamh MacNulty has brilliantly shouldered the bulk of the responsibility with the ball so far, the return of Raack will give middle overs support to Paul in the spinning department, whilst Julianne Morrissey will provide control at the top of the innings.

Phoenix will have been disappointed by their backward step last week against Clontarf, however putting a line through that they had performed much better against YMCA the previous week and will hope to get back on track in building on that effort. Last week’s batting effort was dealt a blow with Sarah White having to retire early in her innings after the opening pair had made a solid start. Phoenix will be hoping Lucy McDonough and Alison Black can produce a similar effort at the top of the innings this week. With the ball, again they felt White’s absence, with Black and Diya Syam providing the best of the control, that pair will again be key if they are to keep Merrion’s powerful top order under wraps.

The wicket of in-form Rebecca Stokell will be crucial to Phoenix’s hopes of staying in the game this evening, it’s likely to fall to Alison Black with the ball to battle it out with the Irish International.

KEY BATTLE: Alison Black vs Rebecca Stokell

Up next, Clontarf travel to Observatory Lane to face a Leinster side who have proven themselves to be mortal this season, not least with last week’s 9 wicket trouncing they received from Pembroke. Clontarf on the other hand enter buoyed by the momentum of a 9 wicket win of their own over Phoenix and that performance is sure to give them confidence of producing an upset this evening.

For the home side, after last week’s chastening defeat to Pembroke they welcome back Ava Canning and Ellen Ridgeway to their side, but are still without Sophie MacMahon, whilst Joanna Loughran and Rebecca Rolfe are both also out this week. Canning will likely take a spot at the top of the order alongside Ridgeway, with both players well capable of finding the boundaries early on, it will be up to them to produce a fast start for the home side. With the ball, Sue O’Connor is back in the team and will provide support to the returning Canning along with skipper Jenny Sparrow.

Clontarf’s performance last week was all about Christina Coulter-Reilly’s individual showing, she backed up a five-for with 20* in a good run chase for tonight’s visiting side and will be hopeful of continuing that good form again tonight. Freya Sargent was the other stand-out bowler last week on a night where everyone bowled with excellent control and never gave their opposition room to breathe, that will again be crucial tonight against a Leinster side who’s batting will be under serious pressure after a below par performance last weekend.

Given the need to exert pressure on their visitors early on Ava Canning will be aiming to put her side on the front foot from the outset with some powerful hitting, if she can get on top of Emma Butler it will set the tone for the side and give them a good foothold in the innings.

KEY BATTLE: Ava Canning vs Emma Butler

Finally we look to Sydney Parade, where the 100% side Pembroke welcome Malahide, who haven’t won since the opening night of the season, to Sandymount.

Pembroke are without Orla Prendergast and Louise McCarthy this evening, both of whom opened the bowling with great control last week, but do have the services of Lou Lou Little, Mary Waldron and Shauna Kavanagh to call upon, whilst Clíona Tucker and Eimear Mullen both return to the side having missed last week’s game. With the ball they need to replace two four over spells which conceded just 8 and 9 runs last time out, and will hope that Anna Beale and Little are again on form after both producing spells which were extremely tight last week themselves.

Malahide on the other hand were shorn of Amy Hunter in last week’s defeat to YMCA, and if she returns to the side could be a big boost to her side. Caoimhe McCann comes under yet more pressure to make runs without her regular partner in the side so a return for the Irish International would be more than welcome across the side. In general the bowling kept it tight in last week’s game and the addition of Arlene Kelly has certainly strengthened the side, Anna and Maria Kerrison will both be important in the middle overs, backing up what are usually good opening spells from Isobel McCormack and Sarah Condron, early wickets for Malahide would be a big boost to them with Pembroke missing Prendergast in their middle order.

Without Prendergast at number 4, Shauna Kavanagh’s influence on the game becomes even more important, her ability to rotate strike and keep the scoreboard moving throughout the innings will be important to work around the boundary hitting ability of the others at the top of the order and ensure that if Pembroke do lose early wickets, they can still build a big score, Anna Kerrison’s left-arm spin will be tasked with keeping Kavanagh’s scoring rate down in the middle overs.

KEY BATTLE: Shauna Kavangh vs Anna Kerrison

SPRINT COATINGS WOMEN’S DIVISION ONE

THURSDAY MAY 19^TH

At Claremont Road – YMCA vs The Hills

At Phoenix – Phoenix vs Merrion

At Observatory Lane – Leinster vs Clontarf

At Sydney Parade – Pembroke vs Malahide