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Ireland Women will be full of confidence going into the ICC Europe Women’s T20 Championship that will be held in Bready next week as they extended their lead at the top of Division 3 of the ECB Women’s County Championships
Ireland women’s team go into the Europeans Championships on the back of another resounding win in the ECB Division Three County Championships after defeating Hampshire at the nursery ground at the Ageas Bowl last Sunday.

After four matches in the competition – another three have been washed out – Ireland look likely to qualify for the play-offs for a spot in Division Two next season with just one game left to play against Scotland next week.

Hampshire won the toss and decided to bat on a wicket that promised much but turned out to be very two-paced. It was the sixth over before opener Louise McCarthy claimed the first wicket, her first of three as she went on to account for the top order.

Kim Garth claimed two wickets in her second spell and there was one each for Isobel Joyce, Shauna Kavanagh and Melissa Scott-Hayward. Laura Delany was unlucky not to take a wicket, bowling three maidens in her five overs which went for seven runs, and Mary Waldron did a great job behind the stumps in tough conditions and took two good catches.

But Hampshire were determined to bat the overs and did so while only scoring 124 for the loss of eight wickets.

Ireland opening pair Clare Shillington and Cecelia Joyce started brightly, the score already at 15 after 1.4 overs, but then a false shot from Shillington (15) gave the home side some hope. It was not to last long, however, as Isobel joined her sister and the two set about chasing the small total as quickly as possible.

Cecelia scored her 36 at almost a run a ball before a mis-timed pull to mid-wicket brought Melissa Scott-Hayward to the crease with the score at 81. It took until the 18th over for the pair to score the remaining runs, Isobel finishing up on 40 with Scott-Hayward on 15.

Ireland’s final group game takes place in Bready on Friday August 17th against Scotland following the Women’s European Championship which runs from August 14-16 at the same ground.

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