BEATTY AND BOWEN BRING BROKE TO GLORY

Pembroke became the second side this week to lift a trophy in their home ground, as they secured the Sprint Coatings Division 4 Cup – the Stella Downes Trophy, with an excellent team performance in an 8 wicket victory over Phoenix.

The hosts lost the toss and Phoenix’s stand-in skipper, Aine Gallagher, elected to bat first. Her and Arisha Foysal added 58 for the first wicket, before Foysal was run out for 15 as they attempted to increase the run rate.

Two wickets in an over from Barbara Musgrave, both thanks to excellent catches, the first behind the stumps by Naomi Mitchell off a double deflection, dismissing Gallagher for a brilliant top score of 38, before Becca Gallagher made her chance look straightforward at mid-wicket.

Pembroke’s bowlers tightened the screw, with Georgia Beatty in particular standing out, she finished with excellent figures of 2/14 from her 5 overs, whilst Sorcha Mooney was equally economic, her 5 overs costing just 16 runs, as Phoenix managed to recover themselves to 87/5 from 20 overs.

In response, Pembroke started well in spite of Diya Syam’s superb opening burst. Becca Gallagher and Gayle Bowen had managed to move the score to 38 before Syam breached Gallagher’s defense to bowl her for 15. Syam finished her spell with the brilliant, but still somewhat unlucky, figures of 1/18 from 5 overs.

The wicket of Gallagher had brought Naomi Mitchell to the crease, she and Bowen then shared a stand which brought the side all the way to the brink of victory. Mitchell however was on 20 and succeeded in picking out Arisha Foysal at mid-wicket off the bowling of Aine Gallagher.

Fittingly this meant that Pembroke’s skipper Natasha Robinson was the one to hit the winning runs, however the chase owed itself to Bowen, who carried her bat throughout the 15.4 over long innings to finish unbeaten on 30, as Pembroke ran out 8 wicket victors.

Cricket Leinster would like to thank our ever-willing hosts Pembroke CC and the GM by Choice team for their hard work to provide a ground once again for this event

Further thanks are due to competition sponsors, Sprint Coatings, in particular Alan and Michelle Maginnis who have been magnificent supporters of the Women’s Competitions for the past number of years, those in attendance at the game this evening were delighted to hear first hand from Alan that Sprint Coatings would be continuing it’s sponsorship into the 2023 season, and this comes as a great boost to everyone involved in Women’s cricket to allow the sport to plan into the future.

Congratulations to Pembroke on being crowned the Sprint Coatings Division 4 Cup Champions for the 2022 season, well done to all players, coaches, officials, parents and supporters associated with the side on this fantastic achievement.