Photo Credit: Cricket Ireland
The Clear Currency All-Ireland T20 Cup Finals day is tomorrow at Bready Cricket Club and three sides are left – Bready and CSNI (who play a semi-final) and Pembroke (who meet the semi-finalist winners in the decider). Here’s what you need to know.
The schedule
• Semi-final: Bready v CSNI (starts 10.30am)
• Final: SF Winner v Pembroke (starts 3pm)
How to Attend, Watch or Follow the games
• Attending: The finals day is free entry at Bready Cricket Club, Magheramason.
• Livestream: Watch the livestream on www.youtube.com/CricketIrelandLive
• Livescoring: Follow the games on the Cricket Ireland Match Centre
A free match scorecard will be available to spectators at the ground.
THE CLUBS
Meet Bready
Norman Allan from Bready says:
“Bready Ladies first formed in the 1950s with the mainstays of the team being the Allen sisters and star player Betty Love. The side played for around 12 years – winning several cups – before interest in the game died out.
“Women’s cricket started again in the early 1990s, again winning several league and cups, with star players Jenny Dunn and Sharon Neely.“The current league in the North West has been in existence for around 20 years with teams like Creevedonnell dominant in the beginning. Fox Lodge has been the team to beat in recent years with their dominance only being broken by a strong all-round Bready team this season who completed the double – being very well captained by inter-provincial player Alana Dalzell.”
The Finals Day squad
Alana Dalzell (C), Jemma Rankin, Stephanie Wilkinson, Rachel Hepburn, Abbie McKnight, Abi Pollock. Kaylee Barnard, Charley Scott, Mansie Bhavsar, Amy Campbell, Emma Killen, Kathryn Rough, Alix Dalzell, Vee Buchanan.
More information
Visit the club’s website
Meet CSNI
Rachael Thomas from CSNI says:
“The CSNI women’s team was formed in 2005 and began playing competitively within the NCU from 2013. Since then, the team has progressed significantly, appearing in each of the last four NCU Challenge Cup finals – being successful on two occasions and winning the Premier League once. Alison Cowan was awarded the Cricket Ireland Women’s Player of the Year in 2019 for her excellent performances and we were extremely proud of this achievement as a club.
“In recent years, we have put an emphasis on growth and development. We are now able to field a 2XI – a few years ago this would have been unachievable and we feel this showcases the growth we are seeing within our team. Our age range varies from early teens to older mothers who have taken an interest in cricket through their kids, leading to multiple family partnerships within the team!
“We’re extremely pleased with the success we have had this season, winning the NCU Gallagher’s Challenge Cup, as well as the wider growth and development we have seen across the club. We’re looking forward to playing in the Clear Currency All-Ireland T20 competition and are expecting a competitive, yet enjoyable competition!”
The Finals Day squad
Rachael Thomas (C), Andrea Adair, Leah Beattie, Annabelle Burton, Ali Cowan, Aoife Fisher, Jemma Gillan, Katherine Harrison, Ash Healy, Beth Healy, Abbi Leckey, Sarah Rountree, Sophie Thomas.
More information
Visit the club’s website
Meet Pembroke
Becca Gallagher from Pembroke says:
“Pembroke Cricket Club, based in the Dublin suburb of Sandymount, boasts a strong presence in Irish and Leinster Women’s Cricket. With the first Pembroke women’s team taking to the field in 1977 Pembroke has consistently continued fielding women’s teams for more than four decades.
“In 2021 Pembroke fielded three women’s teams in the Leinster-based women’s competition alongside a considerable number of female youth teams, including; U17s, Colts, Juniors, Minors and more. Women’s (and girls) cricket in Pembroke is held in high regard across the entire club membership and is an intergral part of our club, making up approximately 30% of all cricket played in the club.
“The first-ever century in T20 Leinster Women’s cricket was scored by Pembroke’s Laura Flood in 1978, while Janice Walsh became our 1st female international player in 1987. Since then Pembroke has proudly ‘produced’ many International players, including some well-known names in cricket circles Shauna Kavanagh, Orla Prendergast, and Kim Garth (currently playing in Victoria, Australia), along with Hannah and Louise (LouLou) Little. Also, while not playing in Pembroke at the time of her Irish debut, Mary Waldron our current 1st XI skipper, also started her cricket career in Pembroke, when she joined our Women’s 3rd XI! We have been lucky over the years to also have some top-quality players and coaches come to join the ranks including names like Ciara Metcalfe, Miriam Grealey and more recently Clare Shillington our current Club Head Coach and Player / Coach to our Women’s teams.
“We are absolutely delighted to continue to be a part of the ever-increasing rich history of Irish Women’s Cricket and are excited to compete for the 1st ever All Ireland Women’s T20 Cup – “C’mon the Brook”!”
The Finals Day squad
Mary Waldron (C), Anna Beale, Pippa Guy, Shauna Kavanagh, Hannah Little, Louise Little, Lainey Martin, Kimli McDonald, Eimear Mullan, Mhairi Nichol, Clare Shillington, Clíona Tucker.
More information
Visit the club’s website
Name of Author: Cricket Ireland
Cricket Ireland, officially known as The Irish Cricket Union Company Limited by Guarantee, is the governing body for cricket on the island of Ireland. It oversees the national men’s and women’s teams and organizes the Inter-Provincial Series, Super 3s, and All-Ireland club competitions. Ireland achieved Test status for women in 2000 and for men in 2017 when it became a Full Member of the ICC.
