WINS FOR RUSH, MALAHIDE AND PEMRBOKE - ED SPORTS PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND 2

The second round of ED Sports Women’s Premier League fixtures saw Rush and Malahide run out very comfortable winners over Phoenix and Balbriggan respectively while Pembroke got over the line in the tightest game of the evening against Clontarf by just 1 run.

Phoenix lost to Rush by 9 wickets

Rush won the toss and put Phoenix into bat. This was a decision that reaped immediate benefit as Mable O’Donohoe (3/12) and Darcie Armstrong 2/20) took apart not just the Phoenix top order but the guts of their middle order too as together they reduced Phoenix to 10-6 in the third over. However an innings that threated to fall away completely found new fire, as a sensational 67* off 47 balls from Alice Tector along with support from Sophie McDonough (14) and Elizabeth Walsh (13) managed to carry their side to, what was at one stage an unlikely, under par 126/8 from their 20 overs.

In reply Rush took control. They had moved to 28 in the third over before losing Lowe for a breezy 19 including 4 boundaries. This brought Ellie McGee to the crease to join Cate Pederson, together they put on 99 to ensure their side took home full points, Pederson was particularly impressive in finishing 63*. Georgina Dempsey was the only wicket taker on a night to forget for Phoenix.

Malahide beat Balbriggan by 10 wickets

Balbriggan will have travelled to Malahide with high hopes of getting their 2026 off to a strong start having had a bye in week 1. However it was not to be as they were comfortably beaten. Julia Hoal was the mainstay of their batting effort as she contributed a magnificent 76 off 48 balls but Balbriggan could get nothing going at the other end no batter was able to contribute more than 14 and none at better than a run a ball. Sarah Condron was the pick of the bowlers with 3/19 including the prized scalp of Hoal, there was also two wickets for Haley Moore and 1 apiece for the Sargent sisters as their side strangled Balbriggan to 128/9 off their 20 overs.

It is fair to say that Malahide carried momentum into the second innings as their openers blitzed the Balbriggan attack to all parts. Freya Sargent was the main aggressor contributing 68* while Meg Thompson supported with 46* of her own. When all was said and done Malahide had run out comfortable victors by 10 wickets with over 4 overs to spare.

Pembroke beat Clontarf by 1 run

Having won the toss and elected to bowl Clontarf had Pembroke ‘on the run’ for much of the first innings, Pembroke fell to 60/5 at the ten over mark however will feel they were the somewhat the architects of their own downfall with 2 runouts in that period. Clare Shillington (21) and Eimear Mullen (35) proved the mainstay of their side’s batting effort as they battled hard and in doing so managed to get to 143/7 from their 20 overs albeit with the help of 21 wides. Katie O’Toole was the pick of the bowlers with 2/22 while there were also wickets for Sinead Thompson, Lucy Barry and Genevieve Morrisey.

Clontarf’s chase was built on the exploits of Robyn Searle, she finished with 50 off 44 balls but couldn’t get her side over the line. There was support from Morrisey (22) and Barry (22) but Pembroke were able to keep things tight, even with Searle at the wicket. When Anna Beale took the ball for the final over she had 12 to defend, Searle was runout off the second ball attempting a tight second to long on and with that the tide swung. With 3 required off the final ball Clontarf could only manage 1 and in doing so ran out losers by the tightest of margins. It was a tight bowling effort from Pembroke headlined by their hero, Beale, who took 2/25 from her 4 overs.