WICKLOW: A comfortable run-chase by the Scorchers, featuring an unbeaten 62 by Gaby Lewis, saw the competition favourites maintain top spot with a six-wicket win over the Typhoons in the Arachas Super 50 Cup today at Oak Hill Cricket Ground.
Player of the Match Lewis, who has just returned from Dubai after playing in the Fairbreak International, dominated her side’s innings with a near-flawless 66-ball knock, striking seven four and two sixes along the way. She may have missed the first two games of this competition, but she made up for it with a performance that Irish fans will hope bodes well for the national side in the upcoming series against South Africa in early June.
Needing just 121 runs to win, the Scorchers lost Siúin Woods early for 2, falling to a neat diving catch by Rebecca Stokell at short square leg. Lewis and Rachel Delaney (15) then put on 55 for the second wicket before Georgina Dempsey beat Delaney with a ball angling in and knocked her off stump back.
Shauna Kavanagh chimed in with a quickfire 21, before being bowled by Robyn Searle. The South African then grabbed a second wicket shortly afterwards, removing Bhavi Devchand for 7, but the Typhoons couldn’t stop their opponents momentum chasing a small target, and the Scorchers duly completed a six-wicket win in the 25th over.
Earlier in the day, after the threat of early rain abated, the Typhoons were sent in to bat first on a green-tinged pitch. Unfortunately for the team in blue, they lost their stand-in captain Stokell (0) early, bowled by a well-pitched up outswinger from Jane Maguire.
Lewis then made an early switch to the spin of Delaney and Bhavi Devchand, and it was a move that prised out three further wickets in quick succession to put the Typhoons well and truly on the back foot – Louise Little (13) caught at mid-off by debutant Ellie McGee, Robyn Searle (9) trapped LBW and Mary Waldron (4) timing a beautiful cut shot, but straight to the point fielder.
Celeste Raack (21) and Georgina Dempsey (22) stabilised the innings with a 39-run partnership, but just as they were looking to up the run rate Dempsey played back to a straight ball from Christina Coulter Reilly and her stumps were rattled.
Ava Canning, coming in at seven, looked to take a positive approach and stroked her fourth ball through mid-off for four. She looked to take the reins, with Raack playing the anchoring role, but Raack fell with 102 on the board chipping a ball straight to McGee.
After Robyn Lewis came and went, stumped off Jenny Sparrow for a duck, McGee was then introduced to the bowling crease and almost immediately claimed her first Super Series wicket – bowling Maria Kerrison with a full ball that snuck under the toe of the bat.
Canning looked like the Typhoons’ last hope of mustering a competitive total, but a misjudged single ended her innings on 24, courtesy of an accurate throw from backward point by Niamh MacNulty. The innings was wrapped up shortly after when Maguire bowled Freya Sargent – and the Typhoons were left with an uphill battle to defend a low total of 120 on a pitch that seemed to be playing easier as the day progressed.
For the Scorchers, wickets were shared between six of the eight bowlers used, however Delaney’s 2-17 from 10 overs and Maguire’s 2-17 from seven overs were stand out performances – both displaying great control and accuracy to build pressure on the batters.
The Arachas Super Series continues with the next match between the Scorchers and Dragons at Oak Hill next Sunday.
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