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DUBLIN – Ireland Women’s Head Coach Ed Joyce has welcomed the announcement today of the 13 players who will be involved in the women’s cricket programme within the Shapoorji Pallonji Cricket Ireland Academy in 2021.
The Shapoorji Pallonji Cricket Ireland Academy, established in 2013, aims to identify and support the most promising young players in the country providing them with a world-class player development programme that aims to develop resilient, confident cricketers of the future, who are ready to perform on the world stage.

The 2021 intake includes six players new to the Academy set-up. Ed Joyce, Head Coach of Ireland Women and the Academy, outlined his current priorities for the development pathway:

“The Academy has become a critical part of our player development pathway, and the talent coming through has already begun to help shape the future of the senior team. Academy graduates such as Gaby Lewis, Lara Maritz and Kim Garth have all made major impacts on the international stage, whilst recent graduates like Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell and Sophie MacMahon have demonstrated their talent at international and domestic levels.”

“The selection for this year’s Academy intake was primarily twofold: focussing on skill sets needed in the short-term in the senior squad, and creating greater depth in a number of areas that we will need if we are to compete at the highest level in varying conditions around the world. This will hopefully see a strengthening of skill levels at the Super Series level, which will further improve that competition as that much-needed step between club and international cricket.”

“Unfortunately, with COVID-19 conditions not yet allowing for indoor training at this level, it will be a little longer until we can all come together physically as a squad to train. Whilst frustrating, there are a number of activities around fitness, nutrition and mental wellbeing that we can begin to work on with the squad remotely – so we won’t lose any time engaging with the players as best we can.”

“While these players won’t need any additional motivation, I’m sure it will be in the back of the younger players’ minds that there is a potential Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2021. To be on the plane to Bangladesh would be an amazing experience, and an opportunity to test themselves against sone of the best young talent on the planet.”

SHAPOORJI PALLONJI WOMEN’S ACADEMY INTAKE 2021

• Zara Craig (Eglinton CC)
• Alana Dalzell (Bready CC)
• Sarah Forbes (YMCA CC)*
• Rebecca Gough (Rush CC)
• Jennifer Hanna (Waringstown CC)
• Anna Kerrison (Malahide CC)
• Tess Maritz (The Hills CC)*
• Naomi Matthews (Waringstown/The Hills CC)
• Caoimhe McCann (Malahide CC)
• Kate McEvoy (YMCA CC)*
• Freya Sargent (Clontarf CC)*
• Jenny Sparrow (Leinster CC)*
• Siúin Woods (YMCA CC)*

* First time involvement with the Academy

Image: Head Coach Ed Joyce welcomed today’s announcement



Craig Easdown
No
Connaught