Amy Hunter helps Dragons roar past Typhoons in opening game of Super 20 Trophy defence
The 19-year-old followed up her midweek 155 with an unbeaten 94, as her side recovered from a precarious six for two to post 138 in a game reduced to 15 overs a side.
Irish international Hunter hit 14 fours and a six in her 53-ball knock, sharing an unbroken third wicket stand of 132 with Waringstown's Abbi Harrison, who scored 31 not out.
Alana Dalzell, playing on her home ground. picked up two wickets at the start of the chase to reduce the Typhoons to 24 for three, but they rallied thanks to an unbeaten 57 (six fours, two sixes) from former Irish captain Laura Delany.
The required rate, however, just proved too much despite Delany's 68-run partnership with Leah Paul (31).
It didn't get any better for the Typhoons in the afternoon game as they were trounced by the Scorchers.
Delany (30) was again their top-scorer, but a total of 118 for seven looked light at the halfway juncture and so it proved.
Gaby Lewis clubbed four fours and two maximums in a 14-ball 33, sharing an opening stand of 59 with Louise Little (32) that had them halfway to their modest target inside five overs.
Eimear Richardson (28 not out) continued the carnage as the eight-wicket win was achieved with almost eight overs to spare.
Just one match survived in the NCU Women's Premiership, as North Down joined CSNI in third place after a narrow 18-run win.
Rebecca Nield hit four boundaries in a top score of 42 as North Down made 114 for six — two wickets for Holly Faulkner.
Eva Wilson thumped four boundaries in a run-a-ball 30 to take the Stormont side to 61 for one before the wheels came off, losing the last nine wickets for 35 to be 96 all out — two wickets apiece for Gracie and Evey Keenan.
Meanwhile, in the North-West, Coleraine moved top of the Premiership with a remarkable chase at Brigade.
Scott Macbeth hit seven sixes in a top-score of 88, adding 116 in 13 overs with Iftikhar Hussain (86) to set what seemed a formidable target of 292 in a match reduced to 45 overs.
All seemed set for a comfortable Brigade win as Macbeth's three wickets left the Bannsiders on 83 for four, before the game was turned on its head.
Former Brigade player David Cooke and Marcus Poskitt both made centuries in a superb fifth wicket stand of 210 to seal the win with 15 balls to spare.
Poskitt made 111 from just 97 balls (11 fours, six sixes), while Cooke reached his landmark hundred with his tenth four.
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Belfast Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Amy Hunter helps Dragons roar past Typhoons in opening game of Super 20 Trophy defence
The 19-year-old followed up her midweek 155 with an unbeaten 94, as her side recovered from a precarious six for two to post 138 in a game reduced to 15 overs a side. Irish international Hunter hit 14 fours and a six in her 53-ball knock, sharing an unbroken third wicket stand of 132 with Waringstown's Abbi Harrison, who scored 31 not out. Alana Dalzell, playing on her home ground. picked up two wickets at the start of the chase to reduce the Typhoons to 24 for three, but they rallied thanks to an unbeaten 57 (six fours, two sixes) from former Irish captain Laura Delany. The required rate, however, just proved too much despite Delany's 68-run partnership with Leah Paul (31). It didn't get any better for the Typhoons in the afternoon game as they were trounced by the Scorchers. Delany (30) was again their top-scorer, but a total of 118 for seven looked light at the halfway juncture and so it proved. Gaby Lewis clubbed four fours and two maximums in a 14-ball 33, sharing an opening stand of 59 with Louise Little (32) that had them halfway to their modest target inside five overs. Eimear Richardson (28 not out) continued the carnage as the eight-wicket win was achieved with almost eight overs to spare. Just one match survived in the NCU Women's Premiership, as North Down joined CSNI in third place after a narrow 18-run win. Rebecca Nield hit four boundaries in a top score of 42 as North Down made 114 for six — two wickets for Holly Faulkner. Eva Wilson thumped four boundaries in a run-a-ball 30 to take the Stormont side to 61 for one before the wheels came off, losing the last nine wickets for 35 to be 96 all out — two wickets apiece for Gracie and Evey Keenan. Meanwhile, in the North-West, Coleraine moved top of the Premiership with a remarkable chase at Brigade. Scott Macbeth hit seven sixes in a top-score of 88, adding 116 in 13 overs with Iftikhar Hussain (86) to set what seemed a formidable target of 292 in a match reduced to 45 overs. All seemed set for a comfortable Brigade win as Macbeth's three wickets left the Bannsiders on 83 for four, before the game was turned on its head. Former Brigade player David Cooke and Marcus Poskitt both made centuries in a superb fifth wicket stand of 210 to seal the win with 15 balls to spare. Poskitt made 111 from just 97 balls (11 fours, six sixes), while Cooke reached his landmark hundred with his tenth four.
Belfast Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Lower-League pair's Challenge Cup Semi-Final dreams are dashed as top-tier foes reign supreme
Judd Markham hit seven fours and two sixes in a 51-ball 58 but received little support from the rest of the Donacloney Mill batters as they were bowled out for 126. The Lisburn bowling quintet of Neil Whitworth, Adam Kennedy, Ryan Macbeth, Josh Manley and Matthew Humphreys all took two wickets apiece. Ross Adair (12) went cheaply, but that was to be the sole success for the visitors as, conscious of the showery weather, Humphreys was promoted up the order. The move paid off as the Irish international added 88 in eight overs with overseas professional Faiz Fazal. Fazal top-scored with an unbeaten 53, while Player of the Match Humphreys made 44 not out, both hitting six fours and three maximums as the nine-wicket win was sealed in just the 11th over. It was a similar story at Middle Road where, batting first, Carrick would have been pleased to have reached 101 for one against Waringstown, with Atish Varape (54) and Iain Parkhill (34) sharing a century stand. The wheels came off in spectacular fashion, though, as they lost nine wickets for just 44 runs to be all out for 145. Waringstown captain Greg Thompson (four for 24) was the destroyer-in-chief, while there were two wickets apiece for Adam Dennison and James Mitchell. The game was all but over in the powerplay of the chase as Sam Topping and Dennison took the home side attack apart in an opening stand of 128. Topping bludgeoned eight fours and five sixes in a whirlwind 72 from only 29 deliveries, while Dennison's undefeated 61 saw him hit eight fours and two sixes as the nine-wicket win was sealed in the 15th over. Cade Carmichael made it back-to-back hundreds as he and Nikolai Smith made sure Instonians made short work of what looked like a challenging target of 212 in 38 against North Down. Carmichael has enjoyed a prolific 2025 campaign with his form bringing him Irish international recognition, and he was soon into his stride at Shaw's Bridge, hitting 15 fours and three sixes in a rapid 87-ball unbeaten 124. His stand with Smith was 215 in just 29 overs, with the skipper no slouch himself in an even-time 85 not out (nine fours). Mickey Copeland (88) and Tyron Koen (66) both made half-centuries for the Comber side, but their bowling unit had no answer to the blitzkrieg of boundaries that the Inst openers unleashed. If the first three ties were one-sided affairs, then the fourth certainly made amends as Woodvale beat Cliftonville Academy in a last-ball thriller. Varun Chopra's unbeaten 104 and 56 from Hayden Melly took CA to 253 for eight, with three wickets for Ludwig Kaestner. A shower meant an adjusted target of 242 in 43 overs, and the chase always seemed to be lagging a little behind as the required rate climbed. Harry Warke (45) and Stephen Bunting (28) got starts, but when the visitors lost Ruhan Pretorius for just five, the odds were heavily stacked against the Ballygomartin Road side. However, Kaestner proved the man for the big occasion as he and Finn Restieaux (37 not out) set about chasing down the score. With eight needed from the last three balls, Restieaux slashed a boundary, followed by a single to leave Kaestner needing three from the final ball. His powerful cut raced to the boundary amidst great scenes. He finished unbeaten on 112 (nine fours, six sixes), making the Man of the Match award a formality. The Semi-Final draw will be made on Tuesday during the T20 inter-pro series at Stormont.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
New managers, no players and another season fast approaching... no wonder clubs are feeling the heat this summer
These are stressful times for Premiership managers as they anxiously set about reshaping their squads, but the transitional process cannot possibly be as challenging as it is for Dumbarton. The League Two club caused no end of amusement over the weekend by announcing on social media that their team for a friendly at Ochilview would be comprised entirely of trialists. 'The team news is in,' they posted excitedly on X ahead of kick-off. 'Trialist between the sticks,' they confirmed before offering a helpful run-down of every other position. 'Trialist and Trialist in the centre of the park. Trialist leads the line.' At least they were able to see the funny side. Dumbarton are an extreme case, not least because their exit from administration has prevented them from registering new signings, but it is a reminder of the task facing clubs at this time of year. Assembling a new team, very often a whole new squad, with the season fast approaching, is a taxing and increasingly regular staple of the football calendar. Loan deals, short-term contracts and free agents all contribute to the huge turnover of players that is now accepted as part of the job for just about every manager. Some clubs don't have the resources to retain even their modest assets. Others lack the foresight to put in place a long-term strategy. All of which means that quickly identifying players and moulding them into a serviceable unit is more important than ever in management. Scotland's Premiership clubs are returning to pre-season training around now, some with a new boss, some with only a skeletal squad and almost all trying desperately to sign players early. Among the honourable exceptions are Celtic who have stability and continuity thanks to a sound business plan and a sensible player trading model. A sustained period of success, such as Celtic have become used to, makes everything easier, including pre-season. Neil Lennon, their former manager, used to say that January was the most important transfer window because it represented an opportunity to bed in new signings and ensure that an established squad was ready for European qualifiers at the start of the following campaign. With no need to make significant changes to his title-winning squad, Brendan Rodgers has signed only one player so far, but it is a top-quality one. Kieran Tierney agreed a pre-contract with Celtic in January so he is already in the door and ready for the opener against St Mirren on August 3. Celtic will complete more signings between now and then – a striker and a centre-half are surely the priority – but there is no immediate rush. They have time to conduct their business in a measured way and give themselves the best chance of signing the right players for the right money. The same cannot be said for Rangers, who have new owners, a new manager in Russell Martin and a playing staff in drastic need of an overhaul. With the remains of last season's inadequate squad returning to training this week, there is no time to waste. As yet, they have signed only Lyall Cameron from Dundee. A loan deal for Bournemouth defender Max Aarons is expected to be announced any time now, but they will need an awful lot more if they are to be ready for their Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos in less than a month. What to do with James Tavernier, whether to sell Cyriel Dessers and how much change is too much in a short space of time is the devilish challenge for Martin and Rangers' sporting director, Kevin Thelwell. Their first season will be shaped by what they get right – or wrong – in these first few weeks at Ibrox. No pressure then. When it comes to building a new team at short notice, Stephen Robinson takes a bit of beating. He has repeatedly done that at Motherwell and now St Mirren, although even he would admit that his success owes more than a little to Martin Foyle, the recruitment chief who recently departed for Carlisle. John Park has replaced Foyle at the Paisley club, who lost the usual raft of well-developed players this summer. The rebuild has started with former Aberdeen defender Jayden Richardson and Jamaica international Richard King, while Killian Phillips and Roland Idowu, both loan signings a year ago, have agreed permanent deals. With his track record, you would expect Robinson to get it right. So, too, are the signs promising for Hearts, whose new manager Derek McInnes has strengthened his hand with a number of substantial signings. Claudio Braga, Elton Kabangu, Alexandros Kyzyridis, Oisin McEntee, Christian Borchgrevink and Stuart Findlay have been added to a squad that has lost only Jorge Grant and Barrie McKay. The future of Lawrence Shankland is still to be resolved. Despite their struggles last season, there has been no clearout at Tynecastle. Nor is major surgery needed at Hibs, whose biggest coup would be keeping Rocky Bushiri and Nectar Triantis. While Aberdeen have their weaknesses, the Scottish Cup winners are certainly not ripping it up and starting again. While those three are building on a strong core, there is less certainty elsewhere. The long list of departures at Kilmarnock, Motherwell and the two Dundee clubs places a huge burden on their respective managers, some of whom have only just arrived. Dundee got rid of almost an entire team, as well as their manager, Tony Docherty. His surprise successor, Stephen Pressley, will be cut little slack if the team he builds from scratch is not successful. So far the club have signed only Drey Wright and Paul Digby. Kilmarnock's squad has been gutted, leaving new manager Stuart Kettlewell with it all to do. Towering striker Marcus Dackers, Dundee's Scott Tiffoney and Ayr full-back George Stanger are among his early acquisitions. So, too, are Motherwell entering a new era under Jens Berthel Askou. Their bloated squad has undergone a much-needed cull, with Lennon Miller sure to follow the many departures. The Lanarkshire club have signed only Jordan McGhee and Lukas Fadinger. Perhaps most intriguing are the Premiership's newly-promoted clubs who are adopting contrasting approaches to the top-flight challenge. While John McGlynn will add strength in one or two key areas – an experienced defender is one of the priorities – he is showing faith in the Falkirk players who won the Championship title. David Martindale, on the other hand, is bolstering his Livingston squad with a conveyor belt of new arrivals, the pick of which is probably Shane Blaney, most recently of Motherwell. Not all are convinced that Stevie May, Graham Carey, Cammy Kerr, Connor McLennan and Zak Rudden will be first-team regulars, never mind take Livingston to another level. Still, Martindale knows more than anyone about keeping Livingston in the Premiership, given how many times he has done it in the past. And his signings have arrived soon enough to settle in, respond to his demands and hit the ground running when the new season starts. Not everyone can say the same.
