Amy Hunter and Bella Armstrong lead The Dragons to T20 Trophy delight
The 19-year-old shared an opening stand of 171 in 17 overs with New Zealand overseas player Armstrong, matching each other blow for blow, with the latter clearing the ropes three times and hitting 11 fours in her 85 from 54 deliveries.
The Dragons finished on an imposing 202 for four, with two wickets apiece for Irish internationals Sophie MacMahon and Ava Canning.
Gaby Lewis was, however, undaunted by the huge chase, and while she was at the crease the target looked within reach. She thumped 14 fours and a maximum in a fluent 77 from 39 balls, but none of the other batters were able to score at the required rate.
Louise Little made 26 in an opening stand of 59, while Canning bunted two over the ropes in a breezy 24, but they fell 38 adrift on 164 all out.
Arlene Kelly took three wickets, while there were two apiece for Armstrong and Orla Prendergast.
The afternoon game followed a similar script with Hunter and Armstrong adding 141 in 14 overs for the opening wicket.
Armstrong hit 17 boundaries in a rapid 90, while Hunter's 62 included 11 fours. Prendergast kept the runs flowing with a quick-fire unbeaten 25 as The Dragons finished on 191 for three.
Rebecca Stokell got the reply off to a quick start with five fours in a 13-ball 25, but was run out just after a rain break.
Leah Paul looked good in her 45 (five fours), and there was some hope as former Irish captain Laura Delany was joined by Zara Craig (18). The pair added 56 in six overs but the required rate was just too much.
Delany finished unbeaten on 60 from 47 balls (five fours), but the Dragons prevailed by 11 runs.
Meanwhile, in the NCU Women's Premiership, defending champions Waringstown are two wins away from another title after an eight-wicket win at home to Muckamore.
Two wickets apiece from Abigaile Gerken and Lucia Derby helped them restrict the Moylena side to 80 for seven — Nikki Niblock making 22.
Fiona Murray took two wickets in the chase, but a third-wicket partnership of 44 between Amy Caulfield (31 not out) and Gerken (23 not out) clinched the easy win in the 12th over.
Holywood's title ambitions suffered a major jolt when they were beaten by 10 runs (DLS) by CSNI.
The Seapark side were bundled out for just 72 with three wickets for Eva Wilson, and two apiece for Katie West and Emily Carville.
Wilson (19) then added 51 for the second wicket with skipper Jemma Gillan (21 not out) that saw CSNI ahead of the game when the match was stopped by the rain after 15 overs.
North Down's Gracie Keenan hit nine fours in an unbeaten 77, sharing a second wicket stand of 91 with Kiara Fisher (42) as the Comber side made 159 for one against Lisburn.
Gracie Wilson (51) and Lucy Andrews (36) added 92 in 13 overs but the Wallace Park side fell 13 runs adrift in another match curtailed by the weather.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Celtic weighing up moves for TWO strikers as boss Brendan Rodgers plans signing spree with four attackers on shortlist
CELTIC are targeting TWO new strikers as Brendan Rodgers looks to replace Kyogo Furuhashi. Italy Under-21 cap Giuseppe Ambrosino could arrive on loan from Napoli. Advertisement 3 Brendan Rodgers is eyeing up a number of attackers to continue his Celtic signing spree Credit: PA 3 Napoli forward Giuseppe Ambrosino is a loan target for the Hoops Credit: Getty 3 Shin Yamada of Kawasaki Frontale is a long-term target and could be signed Credit: Alamy And a £1.5million deal for Japanese attacker Shin Yamada has moved closer. Rodgers is also closing on Belgian winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha, with Nicolas Kuhn travelling to Como to seal his £17m exit from Parkhead. The Hoops boss, who is in Cork for tomorrow night's friendly, said: "We lost some really important players. "Kyogo went and then Nicolas is possibly leaving. Advertisement "We know we need to improve and I'm pretty sure we will over the summer." Celts have signed Kieran Tierney, who won't make his second debut against Cork, and £1.7m Swedish attacker Benjamin Nygren. Youngsters Callum Osmand and Hayato Inamura have arrived along with Scotland keeper Ross Doohan. But Rodgers will step up his signing spree with Ambrosino, Yamada, Balikwisha and Rapid Vienna winger Isak Jansson on the radar. Advertisement Reports in Italy claimed Ambrosini, who's had four loan spells away from Serie A champions Napoli, is a target. The move for the 21-year-old would have an option to buy. The diggers move in as Celtic Park pitch is dug up Celts are also keen on Kawasaki Frontale striker Yamada and could conclude a deal this week. That could allow Irish striker Johnny Kenny to leave on loan, but Rodgers wants him to sign an extension. Advertisement He added: "I spoke to Johnny this morning about his plan. "We'd really like him to sign another deal with Celtic and decide on what's going to be best for his development, whether it's to stay or if he needs another step to go out." Reports in Belgium claim Celts have also stepped up interest in Balikwisha. SunSport revealed that Jansson is also a target for the Hoops. Advertisement Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Newsboy's racing tips for Tuesday's four meetings, including Uttoxeter nap
DE TELLERS FORTUNE (7.00, nap) can give punters a gift at Uttoxeter in the Visit The Gunroom At Eaton Hall Handicap Chase over three miles and two furlongs. A former Irish point winner, Nicky Henderson's six-year-old scored a maiden victory over hurdles at Ffos Las in May last year, and followed up that success seven months later with his first chase win at Taunton, getting up in the dying strides to beat subsequent winner Langly Hundred by a neck. After three moderates starts this spring, the son of Soldier Of Fortune bounced back with an emphatic victory on good ground over this course 52 days ago, despite having to negotiate a loose horse prior to the last fence. My selection has been given an extra 4lb for that success, but as a fresh horse on his favoured good ground he can go in again. CANDY WARHOL (5.10) is the pick in the Download The Raceday Ready App Handicap at Pontefract. Scott Dixon's six-year-old won well at Wolverhampton last time in a handicap over the same five furlong trip by two and a half lengths. The gelding has been progressing well on the all-weather and looks primed for a first win on turf at a track that should suit him. Tuesday's selections PONTEFRACT 2.10 SPARKLING PINK 2.40 MUHAAJIM 3.10 SPARKS FLY 3.40 ROUSING ENCORE 4.10 ANALOGICAL 4.40 LOVE IS THE LAW 5.10 CANDY WARHOL (NB) UTTOXETER 6.00 HOPE RISING 6.30 SOVEREIGN STAR 7.00 DE TELLERS FORTUNE (NAP) 7.30 KITESURFER 8.00 PESCATORIUS 8.30 TURPIN GOLD 9.00 THE HUSTLER
Scotsman
6 hours ago
- Scotsman
Scotland's Lions fears intensify - Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones deserve Test chance but others now ahead
Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As Andy Farrell noted, there is still time for Lions hopefuls to 'play themselves in and play themselves out' of Test selection, but those not included in the team to face the ACT Brumbies in Canberra on Wednesday are entitled to start fretting. The widely held perception is that the side Farrell named on Monday will be very similar to the one which takes the field against Australia in Brisbane on July 19. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If so, that's bad news for the bulk of the Scots on tour, with only Blair Kinghorn and Finn Russell from the eight-strong tartan contingent picked to play the Brumbies. The team is dominated by Ireland and England players who supply 21 of the match-day 23, 12 Irish and nine English. Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotus started together for the British & Irish Lions against the NSW Waratahs in Sydney. | Getty Images The most startling omissions from a Scottish perspective are those of Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, but is there a danger in reading too much into Farrell's latest centre picks? The head coach has gone for the Ireland combination of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose for the Brumbies game, a duo he knows inside and out to use a centre analogy. Jones is the tour's top try-scorer Tuipulotu and Jones started together in Saturday's laboured win over the Waratahs in what was the most turgid Lions performance since they arrived in Australia. There was a lack of sparkle against opponents who raised their game but Tuipulotu and Jones emerged with some credit, particularly the latter. Jones scored two tries, one of them created adroitly by Tuipulotu, and is now the tour's top try-scorer on three. His double against the Waratahs came in the first half but unlike the previous games against Western Force and the Queensland Reds when they racked up 50-plus points, the Lions didn't press home their advantage in the second half on a frustrating evening in which the required accuracy was missing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Huw Jones scores the second of his two tries against the Waratahs. | Getty Images And so Farrell has turned to Aki and Ringrose. If you include the Argentina send-off game, it is the fifth different centre pairing selected by the Lions and the one with which Farrell is most familiar and probably most comfortable. It was his go-to combination at the last World Cup and it wouldn't be a surprise if the coach felt this was an area of his team where familiarity could give them an edge. Tuipulotu: only five-and-a-half games since injury If Farrell is swithering between all-Scottish and all-Irish pairings, the smart money would be on the latter - the Brumbies game has long been identified as the dress rehearsal for the first Test at Suncorp. There is one more game after the Brumbies and before the showdown with the Wallabies a week on Saturday and that is against an Invitational AU & NZ side this weekend. The suspicion remains that Farrell will rest his big guns for that one but it does offer a last opportunity for those on the periphery of Test selection to stake a claim. It feels as if Tuipulotu in particular is in need of a big game. The Glasgow Warriors man has played only five-and-a-half matches since returning from the pectoral injury which caused him to miss the Six Nations. Three of those have been for the Lions and he now finds himself in a straight fight with Aki for the No 12 Test jersey. At 35, Aki has the edge in experience and possesses formidable power but Tuipulotu has more guile and is certainly no slouch when it comes to physicality. Much is made of his understanding with Jones and rightly so because it is a pairing capable of opening up the meanest of defences. But when it comes to impressing Farrell, time is short for Test-match hopefuls and the stodgy fare served up by the Lions in Sydney is unlikely to have done the Huwipulotu combo many favours, even if Jones did weigh in with a brace. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The half-back situation is more clear-cut. Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell will start against the Brumbies and it would be a major surprise if they didn't do likewise in the first Test. Russell in particular has been the outstanding candidate in his position and nothing Fin Smith did at the weekend would give Farrell cause to look beyond the Scot. Meanwhile, Marcus Smith, the other fly-half in the squad, has yet to start a game at 10 which is telling. Finn Russell (R) and Jamison Gibson-Park celebrate after the Lions' victory over the Queensland Reds. | Getty Images Sticking with the backline, and Kinghorn may just have timed his run to perfection. The Scotland full-back missed the Lions games against Argentina, Western Force and Queensland Reds due to the late finish to the French season. But having helped Toulouse to another Top 14 title, Kinghorn has arrived in camp brimming with confidence. Winger's chances of facing Wallabies are receding He started on the wing against the Waratahs and although he didn't see a lot of the ball, he showed good awareness and is rewarded with the full-back's jersey against the Brumbies. If he impresses on Wednesday he will surely keep it for the first Test. Duhan van der Merwe's chances of facing the Wallabies appear to be receding, however. The Edinburgh wing started all three Tests against South Africa four years ago but it is Tommy Freeman and James Lowe who now look in pole position, with Mack Hansen as back-up. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Van der Merwe started against Argentina and the Reds and came off the bench in the Waratahs game but hasn't quite recaptured his Scotland form thus far. Blair Kinghorn started on the wing for the Lions against the Waratahs but will be at full-back for the Brumbies game. | Getty Images Like Kinghorn, Ben White was late to the party - an injury replacement for the unfortunate Tomos Williams - but the Scotland No 9 is behind Gibson-Park and Alex Mitchell in the scrum-half pecking order. Up front, Scotland are represented by Pierre Schoeman and Scott Cummings but neither is in the 23 for Wednesday's match in Canberra. Schoeman, the Edinburgh loosehead, has a lot to do if he is to be picked ahead of either Ellis Genge or Andrew Porter in Farrell's Test 23. Cummings, meanwhile, struggled with the restarts in the Western Force match but played well against the Waratahs and has an outside chance of making the bench against Australia in Brisbane where Maro Itoje and Joe McCarthy are certain starters in the second row.
