WINS FOR PEMBROKE, PHOENIX, MALAHIDE & THE HILLS - SPRINT COATINGS DIVISION ONE ROUND UP (JUNE 20TH)

This week's fixtures in Sprint Coatings Women's Division One saw Pembroke extending their lead at the top of the table, Malahide gaining their first win of the season, whilst wins for The Hills and Phoenix saw the middle of the table become even more condensed.

Our featured action this evening was in Sydney Parade, where league leaders Pembroke hosted second in the table Clontarf. Home skipper Shauna Kavanagh won the toss, and decided that Pembroke would bowl first, as they have done in every game so far this season, to a 100% success rate.

Robyn Searle and Christina Coulter-Reilly started off strongly, moving the score to 33 in the fifth over, before the latter fell for 17 to KimLi McDonald. Two balls later Genevieve Morrissey also fell to the same bowler and suddenly 'Tarf were under the cosh.

A tight spell of bowling between Sarah Forbes and Mhairi Nicholl saw them account for the wickets of Julie McNally, Gemma Sargent, Lucy Barry and Molly Butler, with the away side falling from 85/4 to 96/6, before the return of McDonald saw her taking two more wickets to finish with 4/13 from three overs.

When Searle was run out by a Forbes direct hit for 36, the score was 96/9 and it took a late flourish from Sinead Thomson's bat to guide the visitors to 110/9 from their 20 overs.

Pembroke's chase started in a similar vein, only losing Robyn Lewis, having made 17, with the score on 34 in the 5th over, Sarah Forbes and Lou Lou Little added 20, before both were caught at deep square leg by Julie McNally off the bowling of Lucy Barry in the space of just three deliveries.

McNally then came on to bowl, immediately having Orla Prendergast caught behind by Coulter-Reilly for 3. Shauna Kavanagh and Isobel Jennings made the most of every opportunity they got to add 40 for the 5th wicket, before Jennings was run out, with Clare Shillington sealing the victory with a boundary, Kavanagh finishing 19* as the home side won out with 8 overs to spare.

Elsewhere, in Skerries, The Hills racked up 160/4 thanks primarily to 61 from Tahlia Dunne and 33 from Jane Maguire, with Elise Noble and Aimee Maguire both adding 20s. Balbriggan made their way to 30/2 before the wheels came off, Noble bowling an inspired spell taking 5/4 in just 12 balls, with support from Lara McBride who took 3/11 from 3.2 overs as they wrapped up a 105 run win inside 11 overs.

In the Phoenix Park, Leinster batted first and an excellent unbeaten 77 from Laura Delany guided the side to 157/6 in their 20 overs, she shared a good third wicket stand of 72 with Ava Canning who made 22. Two wickets apiece for Georgina Dempsey and Ali Keenan keeping tabs on the away side. Phoenix flew off in the chase, both Dempsey, with 54 from 37 balls, and Gaby Lewis, with 77 from 50 deliveries, bringing the score to 150/0 in the 14th over. Jenny Sparrow and Clare Webber combined for three wickets to cause a minor wobble, however the home side won out by 7 wickets with 26 balls to spare.

Finally in Anglesea Road, Merrion batted first, and a second unbeaten half-century of the season from Annabel Squires saw them make what looked a below par score of 105/8 from their 20 overs, Arlene Kelly and Sarah Brophy the pick of the Malahide bowlers taking 2/9 and 2/11 respectively. The chase was far from straightforward however, as only Kelly, making 39, passed 15 in the face of a fine Merrion bowling effort, ultimately however they just didn't have enough runs on the board, and Anna Kerrison sealed the 5 wicket victory with a single off the second last ball of the game.