SPRINT COATINGS WOMEN’S DIVISION ONE PREVIEW – MAY 26TH

This week sees the 5^th round of fixtures in Sprint Coatings Women’s Division One, in what is the last round of fixtures before the league takes a break until June 23^rd, in part to facilitate both state examinations and the Irish Women’s series with South Africa over the coming weeks.

There are four games to look forward to as ever this evening, and we’ll kick off proceedings in this preview with our featured game, which comes from Rathmines where Leinster face Phoenix. Both sides have been beaten by Clontarf in recent weeks, and both will need to bounce back to try get their seasons on track.

The home side and holders have had a torrid start to the year by their standards, not helped by injuries to Laura Delany and Sophie MacMahon more recently. This leaves them heavily reliant on Jenny Sparrow and Ava Canning with both bat and ball, and whilst there have been contributions from elsewhere, they need their top order, including Ellen Ridgeway and Rebecca Rolfe, to find the form which they carried through most of last season if they are to turn around the already large deficit towards the top of the league.

Phoenix on the other hand have worked hard over the last couple of weeks, with their bowling performances being in general quite strong, led well by Alison Black and Sophie McDonough, with support from Nevedha Saravanarajan. With the bat they have struggled to score runs quickly enough, but having been blown out of the water by Clontarf two weeks ago will be happy to have batted through the innings last time out against Merrion, they’ll need to bowl well again this week to give themselves a chance.

With their batting not being as strong as it could be this season, Nevedha Saravanarajan will be vital to Phoenix’s cause here, whilst Ava Canning will be the one gunning to get Leinster off to a flying start with the ball.

KEY BATTLE: Ava Canning vs Nevedha Saravanarajan

Next up is Merrion’s visit to Sydney Parade to face Pembroke, in a game which is already quite important at this early juncture, with the side who wins more than likely to enter July at the top of the table. Whilst the side who loses could see themselves fall to third in the table should results fall that way.

Pembroke have been relentless this season dropping points for the first time last week in what remained a comprehensive victory over Malahide. The good form of their top three of Mary Waldron, Lou Lou Little and Shauna Kavanagh has propelled them to a couple of big scores, and a couple of rapid time chases in their games so far, and they will be hoping to continue in that vein this evening. With the ball they are without Orla Prendergast’s services, however Louise McCarthy and Lou Lou Little have both provided good tight bowling for the side so far this season and have really led the way in the attack.

Merrion have coped well with mixed availability so far this season, dropping just 5 points on their way to also being 4 wins from 4, the return of Celeste Raack last week is a big boost ahead of this game, and if the side are at their full bowling compliment for this evening’s game they will also be able to call upon spin from Leah Paul and Rachel Delaney. Julianne Morrissey and Niamh MacNulty have produced wickets at the top of the innings regularly, and if that pair can get into Pembroke’s top order, it will give the spinners a chance to put the squeeze on through the middle of the innings.

Without Orla Prendergast’s middle order batting in the side, Mary Waldron’s skills against spin become very important to the home team. She will need to get through the opening burst of Niamh MacNulty to give Pembroke a chance of combating Merrion’s lethal spin attack.

KEY BATTLE: Mary Waldron vs Niamh MacNulty

Next up, Malahide travel to Skerries to face the luckless The Hills side who have been extremely unfortunate not to pick up a point as yet this season.

The home side showed plenty of character last week, having lost Robyn Searle and Jane Maguire early in the piece they could have crumbled, however their middle order, mainly Clíodhna O’Reardon and Rebecca Gough showed a lot of backbone in counter-punching and bringing their side up to 100. If their batting order can click into gear, they will make some big scores this season, and tonight could be as good a time as any to start. Maguire will bowl a crucial spell at the top of the innings in this game, with Searle’s leg-breaks also likely to be important through the middle overs.

Malahide will see some of their players bouncing into this game, Caoimhe McCann is in great form with the bat off the back of her knock last week, whilst Arlene Kelly put in a fine Super Series performance which has seen her called into the Ireland squad for the upcoming series. With Amy Hunter also looking threatening, without going on to get a big score, so far this season, Malahide will be looking at this game as a chance for them to bounce back from the three straight defeats they’ve suffered since their opening day victory.

The Malahide top order is the winning and losing of this game, if Jane Maguire can put a stop to Caoimhe McCann’s innings early doors it will be a big moment for The Hills, however if The Village’s captain gets the better of the exchange, the game will be set up perfectly for the away side to capitalise.

KEY BATTLE: Jane Maguire vs Caoimhe McCann

Finally Clontarf welcome YMCA, who are the third unbeaten team in the league this season, their record only tainted by an opening day tie. The home side have kicked into gear the last two weeks, firstly beating Phoenix followed by an ‘upset’ against Leinster last time out.

Clontarf’s burst has coincided with Christina Coulter-Reilly finding her bowling arm in the past couple of games, she’s now taken 8 wickets in their past two victories, whilst last week’s runs from youngster Alice Walsh were also a welcome new contribution to the side. With Anna Kirk back in this week providing more support with the ball to skipper Emma Butler and Freya Sargent, Clontarf are certainly not going to give up their current winning run without a serious battle.

YMCA’s success so far this season has naturally come alongside some excellent form from their top order, whilst Gaby Lewis was dominant last week, it was also Sarah Forbes’ second time putting together a contribution vital to the outcome of the game in the past couple of weeks. With the ball, Georgina Dempsey enters the game off the back of a spectacular 7 wicket haul in the Girls Schools Senior Cup Final on Wednesday afternoon, whilst Robyn Lewis has bowled economically throughout the opening weeks of the season. Alice Tector and Kate McEvoy will support that pair in the quest to keep Clontarf’s batters under wraps.

Alice Walsh’s runs last week, in particular the aggressive manner in which she scored them, were vital for Clontarf in the winning of the game, if she gets going again this week, the home side will be a very tough proposition to deal with, it will stand with Georgina Dempsey to get the early wickets which prevent her from getting into that free-scoring role again this time around.

KEY BATTLE: Alice Walsh vs Georgina Dempsey

SPRINT COATINGS WOMEN’S DIVISON ONE

THURSDAY MAY 26^TH

At Observatory Lane – Leinster vs Phoenix
At Sydney Parade – Pembroke vs Merrion
At The Vineyard – The Hills vs Malahide
At Castle Avenue – Clontarf vs YMCA