LAURA DELANY will get her first taste of captaincy at international level when she leads Ireland A in a four-match series against ECB Academy next month.
The Leinster all-rounder assumed the senior captaincy mantle from Isobel Joyce last month, and will be at the helm when Ireland take on South Africa and Bangladesh in major series later this summer.
The 23 year-old is relishing the chance to pit her wits against the ECB Academy. "I am really looking forward to captaining this side at the start of next month where we will be playing against tough opposition," said Delany. "The ECB Academy will have some excellent players with a lot of experience of playing at a high level.
"It will be great for Kim Garth (vice-captain) and I to have a chance to gain some experience of working together as we try and put our own stamp on these positions this summer.
"The girls have been working hard and the selected squad consists of a nice blend of experienced players along with some very young players dipping their toes into the waters of international cricket. It's a great opportunity for them to put their names forward ahead of the South Africa and Bangladesh series."
For Head Coach Aaron Hamilton the games give him a welcome chance to assess the pool of talent available.
"These games are a great opportunity for some of our players to continue their good form from the Toyota Super 3 and domestic cricket. It will expose some of the younger players in our system to the next level.
"We are hoping that these Ireland A fixtures against ECB Academy have a regular spot in our calendar for many seasons to come. These type of matches are vital for the growth of women's cricket in Ireland, and we're grateful to the ECB for their help in organising the series."
The matches will all be 50 overs games and are scheduled to take place at Loughborough University on June 7, 9, 11 and 13.
Cricket Ireland have also confirmed changes to the originally announced South African Women's tour schedule. It will now be a six-match series rather than seven, with T20I's on Monday August 1 and Wednesday 3 - both at YMCA. The 1st ODI will be at Merrion on August 5th, with the second at YMCA on Sunday August 7. Malahide will be the venue for the 3rd game on Tuesday August 9, with the series concluding at The Hills on Thursday August 11.
IRELAND A WOMEN'S SQUAD
Laura Delany (Captain) (Dragons), Rachel Delaney (Dragons), Kim Garth (Scorchers), Jennifer Gray (Dragons), Isobel Joyce (Scorchers), Shauna Kavanagh (Dragons), Amy Kenealy (Typhoons), Robyn Lewis (Typhoons), Lara Maritz (Dragons), Ciara Metcalfe (Dragons), Louise McCarthy (Dragons), Leah Paul (Typhoons), Una Raymond-Hoey (Scorchers),Mary Waldron (Dragons).