Ladies into Challenge Cup Final
Lurgan Ladies qualified for the final of the NCU Women’s Challenge Cup after yet another close contest with CSNI at Stormont on Sunday. Their earlier league encounter a few weeks ago was a close contest with the Lurgan girls edging home and the cup semi-final was to prove as close.
CSNI batted first and Lurgan’s opening bowlers Suzi McCollum and Hannah Grieve kept the bowling tight. However the introduction of Lauren Breakey and Emma McMurray eventually claimed the wickets of the CSNI openers
Cowan and McRoberts with the score on 33. Lauren Breakey bowled a particularly tight spell conceding just 12 runs from her 4 overs and taking 2 wickets. CSNI continued to score steadily but Lurgan continued to take wickets at crucial stages and never allowed any of the home teams batters to really settle. At the end of the 20 overs CSNI had set Lurgan a target of 100 to reach the final. As the total suggests it was a good bowling performance by the Lurgan girls. In addition to Lauren Breakey’s 2 wickets, Hannah Griveve took 2 for 26 in her 4 overs, Emma McMurray 1 for 15 in 3, Jane Kilpatrick 1 for 17 in 4 while Suzi McCollum conceded only 15 runs in her 4 overs.
Lurgan’s innings got off to a poor start with Cloe Neville and Sarah McCallan both back in the pavilion without scoring. However Hannah Grieve’s excellent season with the bat continued as she hit 37, including two sixes, before being dismissed LBW off the bowling of Montgomery. Excellent support was provided by Jane Kilpatrick (17) and it was Nicola Spence, undefeated again against CSNI on 14no, and Victoria Gardiner who saw Lurgan into the final in the 18th over.
It has been a great season so far for the Lurgan Ladies and as soon as the date and opponents are known it will be posted on the Pollockparksport Facebook page.
