News

DUBLIN – The Hills’ Lara McBride, 19, spoke from training ahead of the three-match T20 international series against Zimbabwe Women which starts in Pembroke Cricket Club on Sunday.

McBride, who is a right-arm off-spin bowler, recently played for Ireland Under-19 Women at the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in January and has impressed selectors in the Evoke Super Series. Gaby Lewis will lead the Irish squad with Orla Prendergast as her vice-captain.

Tickets are selling quickly for the three matches – fans can buy them here

Lara McBride about where she first heard about her call-up:

“I was actually just sitting in my house and then saw a missed call from the national selector – so I was a bit confused at first. I called her back and then yeah got the good news. I went straight downstairs and told Mom and Dad. Honestly, I think the main reaction at the time was shock. Obviously I’m only new into the squad as well. It was a bit of a shock, but then obviously just excitement as well.”

On how special it would be for her family to see her make her senior debut if she got that opportunity:

“It would be huge. Growing up, I never had parents or grandparents that had played cricket. It was really my older brother who got into the sport and then I got into it. So cricket was a little bit different in our house. My Mom maybe didn’t know a huge amount about it. Then Dad learned a bit and helped wherever he could. So that was really important as well. If the opportunity comes to play, it will definitely be very special.”

On her journey to becoming a spin bowler: 

“It was actually just before the 2025 Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia and Glenn Querl [head coach of Ireland U19s Women] asked the question if I would be interested in changing from seam bowling. We tried leg-spin and off-spin, but the off-spin seemed to come out a bit more naturally. After that it’s about working with the coaches to try learn as much as you can as quickly as you can. So that was it before the world cup and it just went from there really.

“I changed my bowling in 2024 – last summer. It was maybe around February in 2024 when I actually made the change – so literally less than a year before the world cup. I had a whole season with it over the last summer which went quite well at club level and in a bit of Super Series cricket as well.”

Her recent form in the Evoke Super Series: 

“I definitely enjoyed taking on a bit more responsibility for the Scorchers this year. It was a nice opportunity which came with being probably the number one choice spinner in the side which was pretty cool. Also, it was a good learning curve bowling consistently against the best batters in the country – so I learned a huge amount which will definitely stand to me.”

FIXTURES

Ireland Women v Zimbabwe Women

• 20 July: Ireland Women v Zimbabwe Women (1st T20I; Pembroke – 16:00pm)
• 22 July: Ireland Women v Zimbabwe Women (2nd T20I; Pembroke – 16:00pm)
• 23 July: Ireland Women v Zimbabwe Women (3rd T20I; Pembroke – 16:00pm)

[Times local to the venue]

Livescoring will be available from: https://cricketireland.ie/matches/

WATCH

The series will be available to watch on Cricket Ireland Live (YouTube) in Ireland and the UK.

The rest of the world:

·        India: Fancode

·        Pakistan: Tapmad

SQUADS – Ireland Women

• Gaby Lewis (captain) (Phoenix / Scorchers)
• Ava Canning (Leinster / Typhoons)
• Christina Coulter Reilly (Clontarf/Scorchers)
• Laura Delany (Leinster/Typhoons)
• Amy Hunter (Instonians/Dragons)
• Arlene Kelly (Malahide/Dragons)
• Louise Little (Pembroke/Scorchers)
• Sophie MacMahon (Leinster/Scorchers)
• Jane Maguire (The Hills/Typhoons)
• Lara McBride (The Hills/Scorchers)
• Cara Murray (Waringstown/Clontarf/Dragons)
• Leah Paul (Merrion/Typhoons)
• Orla Prendergast (Pembroke/Dragons)
• Rebecca Stokell (Merrion/Typhoons)

SPONSOR

Certa Ireland is the Official Title Sponsor for Ireland Women and It’s Wicket!. Certa is on a mission to become Ireland’s most progressive energy company and as the Primary Sponsor for Ireland Women and It’s Wicket! are driving forward the growth of women’s cricket in Ireland.