Clontarf women best in one-sided decider by Sean Pender
The idea that women’s cricket has a long way to go to
establish itself on a sound footing in Leinster was shown to be a complete myth
when at the Phoenix Park yesterday in a splendid if somewhat one sided provincial
final Clontarf defeated Phoenix by 65 runs.
As Clontarf, after winning the toss, cruised comfortably towards
their expected victory Stella Owens, 11 year old bundle of energy who captured
five wickets for 24 runs, proved herself indisputably the player of the match.
A lovely action at the end of a smooth if rather long run
enabled her to maintain remarkable accuracy and control of length in an
uninterrupted 95 minute spell of 14 overs.
At one stage she was on a hat trick and if she did not herself account
for the final wicket had the last say when taking a brilliant catch of the
bowling of Marie Coffey to dismiss Wendy Blennerhassett and finish the match.
Phoenix had suffered a double blow when with the total at
nine runs for two wickets their top bat, Blennerhassett mistimed a stroke onto
her face and Gillian Mellon, who had set out on what would have been a
comfortable single, hesitated on seeing the plight of her partner and was run
out on a superb throw from square leg by Mary Hackett which struck the stumps
on full pitch.
Blennerhassett after
medical attention, bravely came back on the fall of the seventh wicket, but by
then the damage was irreparable. Though there was some gritty batting in the
crisis from Iowa born, Barbara Schmidt, the Phoenix captain and Sue Cornish.
Despite some fine bowling by Gwen Jeffares, Mary Hackett and
Mary Taafe had sent Clontarf on a match winning start with a stand of 38 for
the first wicket. When Hackett was caught by Marita Shaw off the bowling of
Gwen Jeffares for 18, it was only the third time this season she had been
dismissed and she still incredibly has an average of over 200.
Sue Cassidy, top batsman in the province last season but
certain now to be dethroned by Hackett, was unfortunate not to get a half
century, finishing with 47 not out, which included 4 fours. In all she batted
71 minutes but was pipped for her side’s batting award by Taafe, the mainstay
of the Clontarf innings who was at the wicket 90 minutes for her 374. All three of Clontarf’s scorers have easy
attractive styles and were always entertaining to watch.
The fielding of both sides looked good without being
exceptional. Schmidt, Frances Douglas, Jenny Halliday, Vivienne MacMahon and
Cornish of Phoenix and Owens, Fiona Smyth, Taafe and wicketkeeper Kay Lambert
stood out in good company. Clontarf in particular,
were quick in anticipation and on the move and with the bowling so accurate and
tidy and Phyllis Spence setting an intelligent field – so hard, in fact that of
their total of 51 all but two twos came in singles.
How big a success after a long gap was this revival of the
women’s cup final? An international player marvelling at the size of the
attendance inquired, with no small degree of seriousness: “ is this the end of
the men’s game in Dublin?”
Clontarf
Mary Hackett c Shaw by Jeffares 18
Mary Taafe c and b Jeffares 37
Sue Cassidy not out 47
Kay Lambert c Cornish b Jeffares 3
Shauna Murphy
not out 2
Extras 9
Total 116
Did not bat Phyllis Spence, Marie Coffey, Sharon Dixon,
Fiona Smyth, Mary Bray, Stella Owens.
Bowling: Blennerhassett 16-3-47-0, Jeffares 17-2-48-3, Freer
2-0-10-0
Phoenix
G Mellon run out 4
F Douglas b Coffey 0
A Waldron c Lambert b Owens 0
W Blennerhassett c Owens b Coffey 19
M Shaw b Owens 0
J Halliday b Coffey 1
G Jeffares b Owens 0
V MacMahon lbw Owens 3
B Schmidt b Owens 8
S Cornish c Hackett b Coffey 8
P Freer not out 2
Extras 6
Total 51
Bowling: Marie Coffey 4-21, Stella Owens 5-24
