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In their opening day of the ECB T20 competition Ireland faced both Kent and Berkshire in Finchampstead Cricket Club.
Berkshire were first up for the girls in green on a cold and wet morning, with some overnight rain making the outfield very wet. After winning the toss Isobel Joyce decided to bat first and hope the forecast was right and the day would get warmer as it went on.

After Claire Shillington hit the first ball for four things looked good for Ireland, but before the over was out Isobel Joyce was on her way back to the pavilion without scoring. Shillington then fell to spinner Heather Knight in the second over.

Cecelia Joyce looked in great form hitting consecutive boundaries, but she was soon given out caught behind down the leg side when it appeared the ball had flicked the pad. With Kim Garth (3) given out LBW shortly after Ireland found themselves in real trouble at 41-4.

Laura Delany and Shauna Kavanagh then dug in and led a fightback for Ireland, with Lucy O’Reilly contributing with some good running in the final few overs after Kavanagh was stumped looking to find the boundary.

In the end Ireland made 104-5 and took the field to defend that as the sun started breaking through the clouds.

Opening bowlers Garth and Delany took an early wicket each to restrict Berkshire to 18-2 but that brought together Heather Knight and Alex Blackwell who worked the ball around the ground to see Berkshire to their total with relative ease, Knight making 53 and Blackwell 42.

After a short lunch break Ireland’s second match of the day got started, with Isobel Joyce once again winning the toss, this time electing to field first against a strong looking Kent side.

Charlotte Edwards and Tammy Beaumont opened up for Kent and after scoring just two from the opening 12 balls started to accelerate and score seemingly at will as the Irish bowlers struggled to find a consistent line and length.

Edwards played with grace and power, whilst Beaumont showed more adaptability and creativity in the shots she played, both being equally effective as they reached 70 after ten overs.

Other than two run out chances there was no real opportunity until that point, but then, like the local bus, three came at once, with two catches in the ring and a tough caught and bowled all going down within two overs.

The pair then started to accelerate both passing 50 and the 100 partnership in the 14th over before Edwards was run out on 53 and Beaumont bowled for 61, both in the 17th over.

Lydia Greenway and Laura Marsh combined to boost the score further before Laura Delany took two wickets in the final over to ensure Kent did not reach the 150 mark.

In reply Ireland did not get off to the best of starts with Claire Shillington bowled in the second over for just four. Cecelia and Isobel Joyce combined to take the score past 50 before a moment of confusion in the eleventh over led to Cecelia being run out for 18.

The following over Isobel was given out LBW for 22 trying to sweep meaning Kim Garth and Laura Delany were both new to the crease with 90 needed from the final nine overs.

It was too much to ask and when Garth fell LBW for 7 in the 17th over, the score was 79-4, still a long way short of the 145 run target.

Kate McKenna was run out for one in the final overs before Shauna Kavanagh (8) and Delany (26) saw Ireland to 98-5 at the end of their 20 overs, meaning they lost by 46 runs.

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