Latest news with #GirlsinGreen
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Ireland claim four-wicket win over Zimbabwe to complete ODI series whitewash at Stormont
The 23-year-old's unbeaten 67 got the Girls in Green home with 11.1 overs to spare to take the one-day international series 2-0 — after three T20 wins — and earned her both the Player-of-the-Match and Series awards. After four one-sided wins over Zimbabwe in the past eight days, finally something akin to a contest broke out at the Stormont ground, despite the tourists being dismissed for a below par 178. Run-rate and overs were never going to be a problem for Ireland — but wickets were. Two went early and after Prendergast had added 49 with Gaby Lewis, the skipper was caught behind for 44, chasing a wide delivery, to leave her side on 95-3 in the 21st over. Suddenly batting didn't look so easy against leg-spinner Loreen Tshuma. Laura Delany battled to 18 from 31 balls, and Leah Paul was even more scratchy in making seven from 19 before she was the first of two victims in an over for Tshuma, who finished with 4-35. With 41 still needed a cool head was required and Prendergast provided it as she notched her fifth ODI half-century while junior partner Ava Canning settled Irish nerves with a mighty six over mid-wicket. 'Zim made us work for every run and put the pressure on, but Ava coming in at the end and whacking that six made it easier,' Prendergast said. 'I want to be the sort of player who's gutsy and stays there in tough situations and I was glad to be able to do that. 'All you ever want to do when you're chasing a total is to stay to the end, especially in a chase like that which became quite tricky.' Opening bowler Alana Dalzell was the pick of the Ireland attack, claiming 4-36, while spinner Laura McBride took three late wickets to cap an impressive start at the international level.
Irish Independent
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Girls in Green complete series whitewash with easy T20 win over Zimbabwe at Sydney Parade
After two single-figure scores, Hunter set the tone for the Girls in Green with 59 from 40 balls, including nine fours and a maximum, to lay the foundations for an imposing total of 180-4. Rebecca Stokell, given the chance to open, added 96 with Hunter and looked set for a half-century of her own before she was run out for 45 from 28 but the momentum continued with lively cameos from Louise Little and Orla Prendergast. The total was well beyond Zimbabwe's capabilities and skipper Gaby Lewis was able to juggle seven bowlers as the tourists were restricted to 129-7. Ava Canning and Sophie MacMahon claimed two wickets each, leg-spinner Cara Murray added another to take her haul to seven from the three games and there were two run-outs. Lewis didn't bat or bowl but was still voted Player of the Series for her 67 and 87 in the first two games. 'It was great to watch from the sidelines but it felt so weird because I can't remember the last time I didn't open the batting for Ireland,' Lewis said. 'Everyone who comes in is really pushing for a starting spot and it's great to see the depth we're building in the squad, and it's only going to get better.' After extending their unbeaten record against Zimbabwe to 10 games in T20s, Ireland will look to follow up with a series win in Belfast when the sides meet for two one-day internationals over the weekend.
Irish Independent
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘I trusted my reactions more' – Gaby Lewis delivers with the bat again as Ireland earn T20 series win over Zimbabwe
Lewis followed up her 67 on Sunday with a superb 87 from 50 balls as the Girls in Green posted 176-4, and then put icing on the cake with a diving catch as extra cover to help dismiss the tourists for 111. 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.
Irish Independent
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Gaby Lewis aiming for fast start to Lloyd Tennant's reign against Zimbabwe
The Girls in Green have a good record against their lower-ranked opponents and will be favourites to complete a clean sweep before moving up to Belfast for two one-day internationals next weekend. 'We can take confidence from past results,' skipper Lewis said. 'But the conditions will be different this time and we can't afford to take any side lightly.' Tennant, who has taken over from Ed Joyce, has only been in the job six weeks but skipper Lewis and her team-mates have already been impressed with his approach and methods. 'It's been a big change,' Lewis said. 'Ed was more on the batting side of things while Lloyd is more focused on the bowling but he also likes to get the two groups working together more, rather than being separate. 'He wants the bowlers to understand what the batter is thinking and trying to do, and how to combat that. I've listened to some of the conversations he's had with the bowlers and they've been brilliant.' One area the Girls in Green will be desperate to improve is their fielding – and particularly catching – which was a major problem during the unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign in Pakistan in April. 'I believe 80pc of fielding is your attitude towards it, and how aggressive you are,' Lewis said. 'If you have a couple of bad days the pressure does build and we have to get rid of that fear because if you're scared you're not in a good head space, and not as clear and relaxed as you should be.' T20I SQUAD: Gaby Lewis (c) (Phoenix), Ava Canning (Leinster), Christina Coulter Reilly (Clontarf), Laura Delany (Leinster), Amy Hunter (Instonians), Arlene Kelly (Malahide), Louise Little (Pembroke), Sophie MacMahon (Leinster), Jane Maguire (The Hills), Lara McBride (The Hills), Cara Murray (Waringstown/Clontarf), Leah Paul (Merrion), Orla Prendergast (Pembroke), Rebecca Stokell (Merrion).
RTÉ News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
What Euro 2025 has taught Ireland about Belgium ahead of October's Nations League play-off tie
October has been marked down in the calendar for quite some time for the Republic of Ireland. After finishing second in their UEFA Women's Nations League group, the Girls in Green were guaranteed a promotion/relegation play-off against a League A team and out of the hat came Belgium. Since the draw was made, Ireland have played world number one USA twice, losing 4-0 back-to-back in Colorado and Cincinnati late last month. Belgium, meanwhile, were busy featuring at the ongoing Euro 2025 and their group in Switzerland was particularly tricky. A 1-0 loss to Italy got them off on the wrong foot, before their elimination was confirmed following an entertaining and high-scoring defeat to World Cup holders and tournament favourites Spain. However, they finished on a high note with a 2-1 win over Portugal. So with that in mind, what can Ireland take from the Belgians' performances at the European Championships ahead of October's two-legged showdown? "Obviously the first game (against Italy) was disappointing for them and when we were watching it, we were kind of thinking, 'We're not miles off this' and we could even beat them," Shelbourne midfielder and former Ireland international Rachel Graham told this week's . "Against Spain, it's obviously a big task for them and they're not going to set up against us how they set up against Spain. You're just going to do your best to keep Spain out. "And (Belgium) did get two goals against Spain and they're a big threat from setpieces. (Justine) Vanhaevermaet I think is six-foot-one. With the retirement of Louise Quinn, I don't think there's anybody who's going to really challenge her in the air, so that's going to be something that's going to be difficult for us." Graham added that the tournament will also have allowed the Belgians to gel together further and the final group game victory over Portugal showed another facet of the threat they will pose. "It was a much better showing than what they had shown in the first two games," she said of a side spearheaded by Inter Milan striker Tessa Wullaert. "It's probably when I was watching thinking, 'God, we do have a tough game against us now in October'. "They looked good when they were breaking away on the counter-attack. That's where we've looked a bit vulnerable in our recent few games, so definitely an area where we need to tidy up on especially now our back four has chopped and changed a bit and we still don't have an out-and-out right back which could prove to be an issue again in October."
