This evening sees the third round of Sprint Coatings Women’s Division One taking place and again we have a full compliment of fixtures to preview ahead of the action. After two comprehensive wins from their two opening games, last season’s runners-up Pembroke sit atop the table, with Merrion the other team with a 100% record hot on their heels.
We kick off this week’s preview with our featured game, which comes from Sydney Parade where Pembroke host Leinster in what should be an excellent encounter between two of last season’s 20 over competition winners, Pembroke the Senior Cup holders, whilst Leinster of course are the current Division One League champions.
The home side have had two excellent wins so far, exerting dominant performances against The Hills and Clontarf, so come into this game on top form. Pembroke have seen an opener make a half-century in each of their first two fixtures, and those strong starts are crucial in the shortest form of the game. Mary Waldron and LouLou Little both have that knack for finding the boundary in the early stages of the game, and with Orla Prendergast and Shauna Kavanagh to follow them in the middle order, any sort of quick start can put immediate pressure on their opposition. With the ball, Pembroke’s medium pace battery has been bolstered by the returns of Little and Louise McCarthy to the bowling crease in the last two weeks. Along with Prendergast, Mhairi Nicoll and Anna Beale, they have possibly the most consistent bowling attack in the league at their disposal.
Leinster on the other hand had a slightly surprising opening day tie to contend with against YMCA, but returned to winning ways last week with a terrific performance away in The Hills, led by a superb all-round display by their captain Sophie MacMahon, following up an unbeaten century with two crucial run-outs in The Hills’ top 3 batters. The away side however are without her and Ava Canning’s services this evening meaning extra responsibility with the bat for Rebecca Rolfe and with the ball for stand-in skipper Jenny Sparrow. Having bowled 4 overs in week one, Joanna Loughran took the gloves last week, it will be interesting to see if she returns to the bowling crease in the absence of two of Leinster’s international stars. The visitors will need several players to step up in a big way if they are to fill the holes left by their two star bowlers.
Given Pembroke’s strength at the top of the order, coupled with a number of their main bowlers being missing, Leinster will be relying on Jenny Sparrow to step up with the ball, possibly the most important wicket in the Pembroke team is Lou Lou Little who has the ability to score incredibly quickly once she gets going, Leinster will need to see her off early to have a good chance of restricting the rest of the Pembroke line-up.
KEY BATTLE: Lou Lou Little vs Jenny Sparrow
Next up, Merrion host The Hills at Anglesea Road, Merrion are very nearly back to full strength this week, not that they showed any signs of missing players in last week’s performance. Celeste Raack is the only player not available meaning Rebecca Stokell will again captain in her absence. Cecelia Joyce and newly crowned Trinity College ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ Leah Paul is also back in the line-up tonight. With Isobel Joyce also in the side, Merrion’s batting looks like it’s close to it’s formidable best for this game. With the ball, Niamh MacNulty has been the clear star for the side so far this season, she bowls with excellent pace and has the ability to move the ball, last week taking a crucial wicket in her opening spell. MacNulty’s raw talent is complimented nicely by Merrion’s experienced spinning attack, Julianne Morrissey has been economical as ever, whilst Leah Paul and Rachel Delaney also both have excellent control, regularly restricting their opponents scoring options throughout the innings.
The Hills side has been strengthened this season by the addition of overseas player Robyn Searle, and will be hoping that after a bit of a nearly performance last week was ended prematurely with a run out, that she can pick up where she left off and help the side run up a big total. Jane Maguire’s ability with the bat to strike boundaries will be important in the PowerPlay overs on Merrion’s lightning fast outfield, in the middle order, Clíodhna O’Reardon and Rebecca Gough will be the players the visitors look to in building a strong innings. With the ball, Maguire remains the chief threat, she is always guaranteed to bowl good lengths and move the ball early in the innings, whilst Gough and Lara McBride also bowled nicely last week, and will need to reproduce similar efforts again.
With the abundance of quality at the top of Merrion’s order, they will surely be looking to pile on a big score and hope to bowl tightly to defend it, their most free-scoring player is Rebecca Stokell, and if she can get going they will have a good chance of doing just that. Jane Maguire’s opening spell therefore becomes all more important as she’ll need to make inroads to give her side a foothold in the game.
KEY BATTLE: Rebecca Stokell vs Jane Maguire
Our third fixture sees Clontarf and Phoenix facing off at Castle Avenue, a game which both sides will see as a good opportunity to get their season up and running with a victory, having both emerged winless from the first two rounds of fixtures.
The home side boast a serious pool of potential stars, made up primarily of Clontarf’s tremendous Girls Colts team from last season, all of whom will likely have good cricketing careers at this level and beyond. Anna Marshall’s batting at the top of the order alongside Aoife Brennan is important for the home side, with Christina Coulter-Reilly at number 3 more than likely all to remain in the same positions for this week, however they do not have the services of Anna Kirk or Cara Murray this time out, with promotions in the order likely for Freya Sargent and Julie McNally, who have both scored plenty of runs at youth level and below 1st XI in the last couple of seasons. With the ball, Emma Butler is the captain and comfortably most experienced player in tonight’s side, however she has been supported well by McNally, Sargent and Marshall in the past two games, someone will need to step up to account for the overs lost which Murray would usually bowl, but in general ‘Tarf look set to give a strong account of themselves this evening.
Phoenix took a giant leap forward from week one to week two, as several of their players experiencing their first taste of Division One began finding their feet, whilst those who have stepped up into bigger roles this season grew in stature. Captain Nevedha Saravanarajan is an important wicket at the top of their order, with herself and Alison Black looking to give the side a solid start. The bulk of the side’s runs can be expected to come from that pair, along with Lucy McDonough, Ali Keenan and Sarah White in the crucial 3/4/5 axis in the side. With the ball, White provides a wicket taking threat, whilst Keenan usually bowls quite economically, but Saravanarajan was the pick of the bowlers last time out. Sophie McDonough and Black will be the pair hoping to make inroads at the top of the order, and if they can, it will give them a great chance of a first victory.
With the ability to hit the ball to the boundary being so important, Phoenix skipper Nevedha Saravanarajan will look to get her side on the front foot from the get-go, should ‘Tarf elect to open with Freya Sargent again, it’s her who will be the one that will be tasked with keeping a lid on the Phoenix opener.
KEY BATTLE: Freya Sargent vs Nevedha Saravanarajan
In our final game in Malahide, YMCA are the visitors for a game which pits two sides with some of the most impressive young players in Ireland against each other. For Malahide, Amy Hunter and Caoimhe McCann lead the way with the bat and will be crucial if they are to outscore YM in this tie. With the ball, both Kerrison sisters will be important in the middle overs, with Maria’s medium pace and Anna’s left arm spin supporting opening pair Sarah Condron and Isobel McCormack in what is ultimately a well-rounded attack.
YMCA’s batting is still without Gaby Lewis, so will be relying on Sarah Forbes to continue her good form from last week when she was the backbone of the chase against Phoenix. Georgina Dempsey and Robyn Lewis will be the next two up in the middle order and will be looking to accelerate the scoring rate suitably to put Malahide’s explosive openers under significant pressure with the scoring rate. With the ball, Dempsey, Alice Tector and Katie O’Reilly will be the main trio tasked with keeping the run rate down and taking the crucial wickets in the early overs.
Malahide’s top order are certainly the most destructive around, and if Amy Hunter can get on a roll they will be sure to score very freely, it’ll be up to her international team-mate Georgina Dempsey to try take her wicket and give YM an immediate front foot position in the game.
KEY BATTLE: Amy Hunter vs Georgina Dempsey
SPRINT COATINGS DIVISION ONE
THURSDAY - MAY 12TH
At Sydney Parade - Pembroke vs Leinster
At Anglesea Road - Merrion vs The Hills
At Castle Avenue - Clontarf vs Phoenix
At Malahide - Malahide vs YMCA