WALLACE PARK, Lisburn – In the opening match of the 2026 Evoke Super 50 Cup, the Dragons took the spoils with a dominant performance but were made work hard to get over the line.
Having won the toss and electing to bat first, the Typhoons began strongly with a partnership of 40 between captain Gaby Lewis and fellow opening batter Bella Armstrong, in quick time, too.
Alana Dalzell prized out the opening wicket when she had Armstrong LBW early in the seventh over but Lewis, with the help of Lara Maritz, looked to rebuild. Cara Murray soon had Maritz caught by Lara McBride at deep midwicket with just her second delivery.
For her next trick, Murray had Laura Delany stumped in her following over and then removed Lewis when Dalzell took a stunning one handed catch at short fine leg.
A fighting innings of 41 from 52 from Louise Little helped the Typhoons to recover, and there was still time to build a competitive total in good batting conditions, but regular wickets kept the Dragons in control.
Cara Murray regularly took scalps throughout her ten overs, with her dismissal of Jane Maguire a highlight. It was a dream leg spinner’s delivery that drifted and turned in sharp fashion to rattle the stumps. Dalzell then finally removed Georgina Dempsey (33) to bowl out the Typhoons in the 45th over.
The early wicket of Abbi Harrison gave the Typhoons hope of being able to defend 225 but a strong stand of 74 between Amy Hunter and Sophie Reid soon wrestled back momentum. Ellie McGee, however, eventually broke the stand with the help of a smart catch close to the ground by Dempsey at midwicket.
Another good catch, this time by Louise Little in the deep, saw the end of Amy Hunter (80) off the bowling of Armstrong before Aisling Lawlor dismissed Zara Craig after a change of ends. Leah Paul, though, with the help of Alana Dalzell, eventually got the home side over the line to take the opening game of the 2026 Evoke Super 50 Cup.
Ultimately the Dragons proved too dominant in all three facets of the game at Wallace Park, albeit the Typhoons did make them work to get over the line at the very end. The two sides next meet at Oak Hill in Wicklow on August 6th.
MATCH SUMMARY
Dragons v Typhoons, 2026 Evoke Super 50 Cup, Lisburn, 03 August 2026
TYPHOONS 224 (44.5 overs; L Little 41, G Dempsey 33; C Murray 6-52, A Dalzell 3-39)
DRAGONS 230-5 (40.4 overs; A Hunter 80, Reid 42; B Armstrong 2-32, E McGee 1-31)
Dragons won by 5 wickets. Scorecard here
Player of the Match: A Hunter (80 + one catch + one stumping)
