| Series | Countries | Live Scores | Fixtures | Results | News |
Features
|
Photos | Blogs | Statistics | Archive | Video & Audio | Games | Mobile | |||||||||||||||||||||
« A very mixed 2008 | High stakes, high expectations »
January 7, 2009Posted by Isobel Joyce on 01/07/2009 in
Game for 2009
 | ||
|
| ||
|
|
|
This winter has been a low key affair so far for the Irish women’s team. We have been doing some technical training concentrating on improving our technique, so there has been a lot of fielding and bowling machine practice.
We begin training in earnest at the end of January for our increased fixtures this summer. This is an exciting year for our cricket, because we are planning on increasing the amount of internationals we play year on year in the next three or four years. We hope that this increase in matches will help us gain more experience more quickly; I have been playing for Ireland for almost 10 years and have yet to even reach the 50 cap mark. Clare Shillington has been playing for two years longer than I have, and she only received her 50th cap in South Africa in February last year.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka are coming to Ireland in May-June 2009. I am personally very excited to play both countries for very different reasons. I have not played against Sri Lanka since I was 17 and playing in my first World Cup in New Zealand, and I am keen to see how they have improved. And, of course, I’m sure all of the girls will want to have another go at beating Pakistan after our terrible showing against them in the World Cup Qualifiers.
A first this summer will be the inclusion of an Irish side in the UK County Championships. I think the tournament will be a great opportunity to bring some younger and new players into the fold, give them a chance to show what they can do on a bigger stage, and maybe even get selected for some international matches. A lot of emphasis will be placed on the development squad this summer - they will play two sets of matches against English county sides.
Finally, my cricket New Year’s resolution. I am resolved make 2009 the beginning of a revival of women’s cricket in Ireland. We have girls with great talent and, at times, that shows through. Our problem is that we rarely pull together as a team - performing together - and our belief in ourselves has been lost. We have had a month break from cricket, and will be having another month off after Christmas.
I hope that after that break, the squad will come back together filled with ambition and belief. The team with players who will do anything for each other, who are selfless in their decisions and the way they play, and most of all the team that works together is the team that believes and ultimately wins. My resolution is to make the girls believe that we can and will start winning again, and very soon too.
Posted by: Stephen Pearson at January 15, 2009 3:20 AM
That is a very good news year resolution Isobel. I think it will really help having the Irish girls playing together more as a team, that is the only way to build success.
In there a chance you could travel into Europe and maybe play against the netherlands.
- Mithali Raj
-
Mithali Raj India's former captain, has been on the international circuit for a decade. In August 2006, she led India to their first-ever Test and series win in England and capped off the year by winning the Asia Cup - the second time in 12 months - without dropping a game. India, under her captaincy, also reached the World Cup final in 2005. Now, as one of the senior members of the side, and the premier batsman, a lot will be riding on her for the two World Cups - 50-over and Twenty20 - that India will play in 2009.
- Urooj Mumtaz
-
Urooj Mumtaz managed to juggle a course in dentistry along with captaining Pakistan. Their most recent triumph was qualifying for the World Cup next year and the 22-year old Urooj will lead a young team to Australia in hope of creating a favourable impression of the Pakistan women's team among the other sides as well as back home. A legspinner, she has a hat-trick against Zimbabwe.
- Cri-zelda Brits
-
Cri-zelda Brits became South Africa’s captain at the age of 23, standing in for Shandre Fritze in the home series against Pakistan in 2007. She followed this by captaining the side to a 3-0 series whitewash against the Netherlands as well as winning the first-ever Test between the two sides by 159 runs. In 2008 she scored her maiden ODI hundred and led South Africa to a spot in the World Cup after beating Pakistan in the Qualifiers final in Stellenbosch. She also coaches the Northwest women's team, based in Potchefstroom, and runs her own academy.
- Shelley Nitschke
-
Shelley Nitschke combines playing for Australia and her state with working in cricket, as a school officer. A useful spinner, her batting is also worth talking about – she has developed into a handy allrounder. Her major achievements to date are winning the 2005 World Cup, taking 7 for 24 against England in Kidderminster in 2005 and being nominated for the ICC Women's Player of the Year in 2006-07. Although she has played netball, softball and basketball, cricket has always been her stand-out sport.
- Ebony Rainford-Brent
-
Ebony Rainford-Brent made history as one of eight England players to be handed a Chance to Shine coaching contract, allowing her flexibility around training. A top-order batsman, she fought back from what doctors thought was a career-killing back injury and could one day bowl again – calling her determined is an understatement. She is on the Surrey Academy and her Super 4s side is Diamonds. Proficient in basketball and athletics, she settled for playing cricket … and the drums.
- Haidee Tiffen
-
Haidee Tiffen has played for New Zealand for more than ten years and is now their captain, having begun her career with Otago Under-21s before heading to Canterbury. She has played representational hockey, basketball and rugby – but cricket is her passion and won out over New Zealand junior hockey. She is particularly proud of winning the World Cup in 2000, reaching the 100-ODI milestone and being skipper. Her experience also includes playing for Sussex for two winters and she was also part of the first female academy in Lincoln. Somehow she also finds time to teach Health and PE at Hillmorton High School.
- Isobel Joyce
-
Isobel Joyce a class bat with a steely mentality, comes from a family full of cricketers - twin sister Cecilia plays alongside her for Ireland and brother Dom for the men’s national team, while another brother, Ed, plays for England and Middlesex. Her first half-century came against a strong New Zealand attack in Dublin in 2004 and her figures of 4 for 20 helped her side beat Scotland by six wickets in the European Championship in 2001, where Ireland won all their three matches. Her 46 against Netherlands in the summer of 2007 helped to maintain her place in the World Cup qualifiers in South Africa. She was in outstanding form with both and ball during the tournament, scoring 148 runs at 37 and taking 10 wickets at an average of 7. She ran out five Pakistani players in Ireland's first match, before earning two successive Player-of-the-Match awards against Scotland and then Zimbabwe, against whom she scored 70 and took 4 for 10. She was named captain for their next series, against West Indies, after Heather Whelan pulled out because she was expecting.
- Nadine George
-
Nadine George has been a regular for West Indies since her debut in 1999. She first led the side on their tour of Europe in June-July 2008, when West Indies thrashed Ireland and Netherlands while putting up a respectable performance against England. Nadine combines playing for West Indies and her national team, St.Lucia, with her day job as a Sergeant in the Police Marine Unit of the Royal St.Lucia Police Force. A left-hand batsman and wicketkeeper, Nadine says the highlights of her career are receiving an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2005, being the first West Indies woman cricketer to score a century in a Test (in Pakistan in 2004), playing in the World Cup in South Africa (2005), and playing club cricket in Australia in 2006. Nadine also plays netball and volleyball and loves the marine environment and is passionate about diving. She is a qualified open water diver and during her working hours captains a 65 and 82 ft vessel. Her motto in life is "with hard work and dedication one can achieve".