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DUBLIN – Irish international and Scorchers captain Shauna Kavanagh knows 2019 is a crucial year for women’s cricket in Ireland – and with a World Cup qualifying campaign just two months away, the importance of this weekend’s Toyota Super 3s T20 tripleheader cannot be underestimated, she says.
The title-winning captain in 2018 with the Dragons, Kavanagh moved to the Scorchers this year to lead a youthful squad but one with ambitions to regain the trophy they lost last year.
Speaking after a recent training session at the Cricket Ireland High Performance Centre, Kavanagh said:
“The move to the Scorchers and working with a new set of players is something I am really enjoying. It’s a good challenge and is keeping me on my toes. It is still early days with plenty of fixtures to come this season, but I’m really excited to see how the Scorchers can progress as we take shape as a squad and begin to understand each other’s games a bit better.”
“It is just so important to have a competition like this to bridge that ‘standard gap’ between club cricket and international cricket. And you can see the difference it makes in players like Sophie MacMahon – she has been a consistent performer in club cricket over recent years but really came to the forefront in the Super 3s competition last year. This has propelled her return to the international arena and she really made her mark against the West Indies last month. That is why tripleheaders like the one this Sunday cannot be underestimated in their importance.”
“The captaincy at Super 3s level over the last three years has taught me a huge amount – but not only as a captain and player, but as a person as well. I would say people management is a big strength and passion of mine in that I am very conscious of how different individuals work and do my best to understand what will get the best out of each individual both on and off the pitch. I still have a lot to learn as a captain but the experience has hugely developed my own game from both a tactical and mental perspective.”
Being one of the six internationals awarded a part-time contract this year, she said about the opportunity:
“It has been absolutely brilliant and I do feel very lucky to be in the position I am in. Personally, I now train two days a week, which is an additional two days I never had. It has definitely been a big adjustment learning to balance everything but a really positive adjustment. Whilst it has only been a month, I am already starting to see the benefits in a lot of areas, particularly in my fitness and recovery and I am really looking forward to seeing our progression over the coming months.”
The Toyota Super 3s T20 tripleheader will be held at Oak Hill in Wicklow, with free entry. More information on the Test Triangle Inter-Provincial Series can be found here. Fans can follow the game via the My Cricket Ireland app.
THE FIXTURES
Sunday 23 June 2019
• Typhoons v Scorchers – start 10am
• Dragons v Typhoons – start 1.30pm
• Dragons v Scorchers – start 5pm
The squads
Scorchers:
Shauna Kavanagh (c), Gaby Lewis, Rebecca Stokell, Caoimhe McCann, Sophie MacMahon, Tess Maritz, Sarah Forbes, Amy Kenealy, Cara Murray, Hannah Little, Mya Naughton.
Typhoons:
Una Raymond-Hoey (c), Amy Hunter, Sarah Condron, Cassie Stephens, Naomi Matthews, Leah Paul, Celeste Raack, Niamh Walsh, Maria Kerrison, Orla Prendergast, Robyn Lewis.
Dragons:
Mary Waldron (c), Rachel Delaney, Anna Kerrison, Jane Maguire, Lara Maritz, Staci Maxwell, Eimear Mullen, Cliodhna O’Reardon, Clare Shillington, Jenny Sparrow, Kerry Tomlinson, Sarah White.
Shauna Kavanagh looks ahead to the T20 tripleheader
No
Connaught
