
‘I trusted my reactions more' – Gaby Lewis delivers with the bat again as Ireland earn T20 series win over Zimbabwe
After the early loss of Amy Hunter, the Ireland skipper and her deputy, Orla Prendergast, added 131 for the second wicket to put the game beyond Zimbabwe.
Lewis struck 14 fours and six while Prendergast found the boundary seven times in making 52 from 44 balls, following an unusually slow start.
'I trusted my reactions more than Sunday, and got going quicker,' Lewis said, after being presented with her second Player of the Match award.
'The pitch had more pace in it and that played into our hands because we're better with the ball coming onto the bat.
'With the bowling, Lloyd [Tennant, the new women's head coach] wants us to be more ruthless and look to get people out rather than just trying to limit the runs, and that's a big change we've made.'
Leg-spinner Cara Murray took 3-17 from four overs – her second successive three-wicket haul – with Prendergast and Leah Paul sharing four wickets.
The final match of the series starts at 4.0pm on Wednesday at the Pembroke club before the sides travel north for two one-day internationals in Belfast over the weekend.

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The 42
4 hours ago
- The 42
Dublin and Meath renew rivalry, top stars, key battles - All-Ireland final talking points
1. Dublin and Meath renew rivalry A repeat of the 2021 All-Ireland ladies senior football final, Dublin and Meath go head to head on the biggest stage once more [throw in 4.15pm, TG4]. Four years ago, Meath stunned Dublin to win their first All-Ireland title in their debut final. The Royals also ended Dublin's Drive for Five, their remarkable rise under Eamonn Murray well documented. Meath went back to back in 2022, Dublin roared back for their fifth success in eight seasons under Mick Bohan in 2023, and Kerry reigned supreme in 2024. Recently, it has been a more open championship, a far cry from the Cork-Dublin duopoly of 2005 to 2020. The Leinster rivals meet again in All-Ireland fare, with new faces at the helm. Paul Casey and Derek Murray stepped up from the backroom to lead Dublin this year, while Shane McCormack is in his second season in charge of Meath. There has been some change in playing personnel, six Dublin and five Meath starting survivors from 2021 to this year's semi-finals, but there are plenty of familiar faces on both panels. They have collided three times this season, Dublin keeping a 100% record after wins in the National League (2-19 to 0-9), Leinster round robin (2-10 to 0-6) and Leinster final (2-13 to 1-12). But Meath have been on an upward curve, dethroning defending champions Kerry with a convincing six-point semi-final win. The Dubs, meanwhile, needed extra-time to beat Galway by the same margin. 2. Meath's twin threat When you think of Meath, you immediately think of Vikki Wall and Emma Duggan. Advertisement The Royals' twin threat were key figures through their magical times in '21 and '22. Wall was Player of the Year in 2021, the creative spark also taking the Player of the Match award in the final. Duggan laid the platform for success against Dublin with an early long-range goal and finished with 1-2. A Leaving Cert student at the time, the star forward stormed to back to back All-Star awards. Emma Duggan and Sinéad Goldrick facing off. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO While Meath suffered consecutive quarter-final defeats to Kerry, Wall and Duggan haven't been front and centre in the ladies football spotlight in recent years, but they're most certainly back. Wall, of course, has had a whirlwind sporting career in the interim. She joined AFLW outfit North Melbourne after the '22 final, and starred as they secured their first-ever Premiership title last November. She also played rugby sevens for Ireland, but missed out on 2024 Olympic selection. Duggan (2-33) and Wall (2-10) have again led the Meath scoring charge through the championship, and they'll need big games to overcome Dublin and get their hands on the Brendan Martin Cup again. 3. Dublin's experienced stars Hannah Tyrrell is Dublin's three-sport threat. 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While Áine Sheridan, Mary Kate Lynch and Katie Newe — who is doubtful — have been solid in the Meath full-back line, this will prove their toughest task yet. At the other end, Wall and Duggan are named in the Royals' full-forward line. Leah Caffrey is sure to be tasked with a big man-marking job, but Wall will likely operate further out. Goldrick may prove her tracker. The midfield battle will be key; Éilish O'Dowd and Hannah McGinnis, and Orlaith Sheehy and Marion Farrelly, named the starting eight and nines, but Niamh Hetherton has switched between there and the forwards for Dublin. Goalkeepers Abby Shiels and Robyn Murray will be in focus, their shot-stopping and kick outs big factors, as are strong runners from deep, which both sides have. Referee Gus Chapman. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO All eyes will be on referee Gus Chapman, too, and how he officiates the game, with rules, physicality and Wall's treatment among the talking points this summer. Related Reads The 2011 All-Ireland winner targetting more success with Dublin 'I was trending number one in Ireland on Twitter ahead of Rashford and Coldplay!' Leading Meath, AFLW adventure, and a couple chasing All-Ireland glory 5. Festival of football at Croke Park The All-Ireland intermediate and junior deciders are also down for decision. The action gets underway at 11.45am when Antrim and Louth go head to head for the West County Hotel Cup at junior level. Louth lost last year's final by two points to Fermanagh. Under new manager Kevin Larkin and with Kate Flood leading the scoring, they'll hope to turn the tables like they did in 2018-19. Antrim did the same in 2021-22, bouncing back from defeat to win the following season after a replay. Maria O'Neill and Lara Dahunsi are among the key players for Michael Devlin and Chris Scullion's side. Laois and Tyrone face off in the intermediate showpiece at 1.45pm, with the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup and promotion to the senior ranks the prizes on offer. Laois, champions in 2022, are targetting an immediate return to the senior ranks after their gut-wrenching, last-minute relegation. Mo Nerney (4-19) and Emma Lawor (5-15) are the leading scorers for Stephen Duff's side. Tyrone, meanwhile, lost last year's final to Leitrim by the minimum. Darren McCann's side have come through two extra-time battles in the knockout stages, overcoming Fermanagh and Westmeath. Aoife Horisk (3-25) and Sorcha Gormley (6-16) have been in stunning scoring form. A real shootout awaits. LGFA President Trina Murray on Tuesday said the attendance is 'on track to getting up there near 56,000″. The record is 56,114 from 2019. *****


Extra.ie
a day ago
- Extra.ie
Three players that stood out in Ireland's comeback win over Scotland
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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
'A testament to her': Dubs boss Casey hails ageless wonder Tyrrell
When Hannah Tyrrell kicked the long-range free to keep Dublin in their All-Ireland semi-final, taking Galway to extra-time, she didn't celebrate. Not even a flicker of a smile. Later on, deep into extra-time, as Galway captain Kate Geraghty sprinted up the field with the ball, corner-forward Tyrrell remarkably chased her down, eventually cutting a 15-metre gap down to zero, and defying the 12-year age difference, before executing a textbook near-hand tackle to win the ball back and then force a free. That one she celebrated with gusto, punching the air twice and releasing a roar of pure satisfaction to nobody in particular. With 1-6 also tucked away in Tullamore that evening, Tyrrell got the Player of the Match award. At 35, there is no sign of the former rugby international slowing down despite conceding in a recent interview that she was ' the gap' last winter. Her 8-33 haul so far in this year's championship is a big part of the reason why Dublin are favourites to win back the Brendan Martin Cup tomorrow. "A bit of talking, a bit of understanding of her situation, and what she'd be able to give us," said Dublin joint manager Paul Casey, explaining how they coaxed Tyrrell back for 2025. "But she's been as committed as any other player. To see her at 35 years of age, tracking back in extra-time, making those sorts of tackles, it's a testament to her. "I think I might have said after the game, we're lucky in this country, we have many, many great sports women but she's up there with them to have done it in soccer, rugby and to be still doing it at 35 in our sport, with a child at home. It's a testament to her commitment to anything she applies herself to." Tyrrell wasn't long back playing football when Dublin ran into Meath in the 2021 All-Ireland ladies final and surprisingly lost. Two years later, she kicked up a first-half storm in the final against Kerry, blasting eight of Dublin's 11 points in that period, and finally got her medal. Last season, however, was a giant anti-climax, Dublin's title defence ending at the quarter-final stage with a loss to Galway. "Last year, we look back and ironically, we would have missed a lot of free kicks, I think of the one Hannah hit the post, it came back, and she hand-passed it into the net, and then the kick that she had the last day, that was probably a tougher kick the last day," said Casey. "It was tougher than any of the kicks last year and she slots it." That's not just the mark of Tyrrell's determination, according to Casey, but of the team's. From the various injuries that have threatened to undermine their campaign - Dublin have had to use 30 different players in just seven championship games since the start of the Leinster championship - to needing Kate Sullivan to rescue a draw against Waterford, to the late heroics against Galway, they've consistently dug deep. They sickened tomorrow's opponents Meath too, in the Leinster final, when reeling off eight late points in a row to win that one. "I think the defeats we've had, the 2021 final, the following year to Donegal, against Galway last year, they've all really stood to the players that are still there," said former Dublin wing-back Casey. "People talk about that 2021 final and will it be any motivating factor for us? I don't think so. I'm sure they're not looking back and saying they have to get revenge for the Leinster final. You're playing on the biggest day of the year, you're going out to try to win the game and that's motivation enough for any team."