Rachael Thomas won the Gallagher Women’s Challenge Cup for a second consecutive year as Civil Service North’s remarkable record in the competition continued at Stormont.
Playing in their fifth consecutive final, CSN avenged their 2020 loss to Waringstown to claim the trophy for the third time with a comfortable 28 points.
Thomas, who also won the player of the match award for her 59 from 57 balls, shared a second wicket of 117 from just 110 balls with Ali Cowan, the final five overs pushing the game away from the challengers as 45 runs were added .
Waringstown were indeed ahead of CSN halfway through the game at 20, 63 for two to 58 for one, but the sacking of skipper Charlotte Lyons proved decisive and slowed their charge.
Lyons had scored a run-a-ball 40 when she was blocked by very slow bowler Leah Beattie late in the 13th as 77 for three quickly became 86 for six. Suzie McCollum, who was a finals player in 2018 when she played for Lurgan, ensured Waringstown beat the overs but with 32 needed for the final over the result had already been decided.
Earlier Cowan, the sister of former Ireland international Andrew White, had also raised her 50 balls from 60 and was still there when the overs ran out with CSN on a formidable 142 for two, by far the highest total of one of the six finals.
Lyons shared a 67-for-62 stand for the third wicket with Abbi Harrison, but the two batters were fired within seven balls of each other, Harrison on the first of four catches held by Jess Mayes, who also made the first breakthrough, having Rachel Harrison – daughter of former Ireland international Garfield – in the first round, to a fine catch from Eva Wilson.
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CSN captain Rachael Thomas (right) and Ali Cowan celebrate
CSN’s most successful bowler was Jemma Gillan who also scored in her opening over and added the wickets of McCollum and Lucy Mackey in the final over.
Scores – Civil Service North 142-9 (20 overs, R Thomas 59, A Cowan 55 not out) Waringstown 114-9 (C Lyons 40, S McCollum 26, A Harrison 21; J Gillan 3-17, J Mayes 2-18 , L Beattie 2-19, A Leckey 2-28). CSN won by 28 points.
Meanwhile heavy rain in the north west ended any hopes of Ireland playing their final Hanley Energy Tri-Series game against Pakistan at Bready, with the match canceled an hour before the scheduled start at 16.
World champions Australia won the series despite abandoning their match against Pakistan, four balls before a result could be achieved.
Rain also cost Newbuildings the chance to regain the lead in the Long’s SuperValu Premiership with a second successive washout of their match against Brigade, the day after their match against Ardmore was abandoned, although they had the chance to play that one. again next month.
Bready is the Premiership’s new leader after beating Donemana by 14 points on Saturday, in a match reduced to 25 overs but still seeing 536 points at The Holm.
