
Amy Hunter helps Dragons roar past Typhoons in opening game of Super 20 Trophy defence
Irish international Hunter hit 14 fours and a six in her 53-ball knock, sharing an unbroken third wicket stand of 132 with Waringstown's Abbi Harrison, who scored 31 not out.
Alana Dalzell, playing on her home ground. picked up two wickets at the start of the chase to reduce the Typhoons to 24 for three, but they rallied thanks to an unbeaten 57 (six fours, two sixes) from former Irish captain Laura Delany.
The required rate, however, just proved too much despite Delany's 68-run partnership with Leah Paul (31).
It didn't get any better for the Typhoons in the afternoon game as they were trounced by the Scorchers.
Delany (30) was again their top-scorer, but a total of 118 for seven looked light at the halfway juncture and so it proved.
Gaby Lewis clubbed four fours and two maximums in a 14-ball 33, sharing an opening stand of 59 with Louise Little (32) that had them halfway to their modest target inside five overs.
Eimear Richardson (28 not out) continued the carnage as the eight-wicket win was achieved with almost eight overs to spare.
Just one match survived in the NCU Women's Premiership, as North Down joined CSNI in third place after a narrow 18-run win.
Rebecca Nield hit four boundaries in a top score of 42 as North Down made 114 for six — two wickets for Holly Faulkner.
Eva Wilson thumped four boundaries in a run-a-ball 30 to take the Stormont side to 61 for one before the wheels came off, losing the last nine wickets for 35 to be 96 all out — two wickets apiece for Gracie and Evey Keenan.
Meanwhile, in the North-West, Coleraine moved top of the Premiership with a remarkable chase at Brigade.
Scott Macbeth hit seven sixes in a top-score of 88, adding 116 in 13 overs with Iftikhar Hussain (86) to set what seemed a formidable target of 292 in a match reduced to 45 overs.
All seemed set for a comfortable Brigade win as Macbeth's three wickets left the Bannsiders on 83 for four, before the game was turned on its head.
Former Brigade player David Cooke and Marcus Poskitt both made centuries in a superb fifth wicket stand of 210 to seal the win with 15 balls to spare.
Poskitt made 111 from just 97 balls (11 fours, six sixes), while Cooke reached his landmark hundred with his tenth four.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The National
29 minutes ago
- The National
David Martindale on why he owes Chris Sutton and the SPFL apologies
Who will come out on top when Heart host Aberdeen at Tynecastle in the William Hill Premiership at Tynecastle on Monday night? Who will prevail when Dundee face Hibernian at Dens Park on Sunday? It is impossible to say what will happen at the start of a new season. David Martindale, though, is absolutely certain about one thing ahead of Livingston's first league encounter of the 2025/26 campaign against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Saturday afternoon. Read more: 'We're going to be the last on Sportscene,' he said at the Set Fare Arena yesterday during a break from the promoted West Lothian club's preparations for the challenging trip through to Ayrshire. 'You'll generally get a two or three minute clip of us.' Martindale accepts that the size of his side's fanbase – they had an average attendance of just 3,582 the last time they were in the top flight - means that bigger clubs are always going to receive more air time on BBC Scotland's football highlights programme. However, he also believes that misconceptions about their style of play have been partially responsible for them being cast in a supporting role to their larger and better-supporter domestic rivals in the past. He is keen to change that this term and confident his men can surprise a few people in the coming 10 months. 'I think there was a lazy narrative with us previously - big, strong, physical Livingston,' he said. 'It was lazy when you take into consideration how well we had played and what we had done. (Image: Ross Parker - SNS Group) 'Yes, we were probably, during our the last year in the Premiership, a wee bit more 10 bodies behind the ball, play a wee bit more direct, hit the space in behind. But we play a different shape to what we played in the last couple of years in the Premiership. 'I don't want to waste a year's coaching. We actually want teams to come and press us now. So we want teams to come and give us that space in behind. 'The ideals have changed slightly, but you've still got to find a way to win that game of football. I'll be doing that every Saturday, but sticking to the basic fundamentals that we played last year, and the basic fundamentals that we coached last year. I think it's essential that we don't deviate from that too far. 'Are we better for the experience of promotion? I think we are. I think you'll still see a lot of traits of what you've seen at Livingston previously. But hopefully you're going to see attacking football.' Read more: Martindale stressed that he will have no qualms about [[Livingston]] throwing caution to the wind and taking the game to Celtic at Parkhead or Hibernian at Easter Road in the season ahead if he feels it will increase their prospects of recording a result. 'Believe it or not, I've never been short of confidence,' he said. 'In football, I've never felt unconfident. I've always felt confident in any environment I've been in as a coach or as a player. You can put me on the Broxburn Juniors park or put me at Ibrox, it doesn't really faze me either way.' Martindale, who has brought in no fewer than nine new players during the close season and who added Congolese international striker Jeremy Bokila to his squad this weekend, has never been shy when it comes to defending Livingston. He has hit back at criticism of both their style of play and their artificial pitch in the past. But the laying of a new surface at Almondvale earlier this month has forced him to re-evaluate his previous comments – and he extended an olive branch to both outspoken Sky Sports pundit Chris Sutton and the SPFL as he looked ahead to the Kilmarnock encounter on Saturday. (Image: SNS Group) 'I'll be honest, I probably owe certain parts of the media an apology for the last two years,' he said. 'I'll explain why. Because I was at the club when our pitch got put down, I have probably not seen the deterioration in the park. 'I probably had a wee bit of a go at the SPFL at the tail end of last year by saying, 'I cannae believe they're telling us we're not getting any Premiership at that park'. Now that we've got a new surface because of the restrictions imposed on us and forced on us, I actually need to apologise because I was wrong. 'Did I still think the park we had last year was better than some grass parks I've played on? One hundred per cent. Some grass parks last year were diabolical, dismal. But can I see the journalists and media gripes about it previously? Yeah. 'I'm hoping that the bigger teams which come here are going to see an improvement in the surface. They're going to find an adequate surface. There's a bit more speed on the park. It probably changes how we are going to play. 'I genuinely believed our surface was okay in the last couple of years. Looking back now, I think I was wrong with that assertion. I think I owe the SPFL an apology, Neil [chief executive Doncaster) and Calum [director of football operations Beattie] probably. 'I owe certain media pundits a wee bit of apology. I think Chris Sutton had a wee bit of a go about the park and I maybe had a go back at him. Do you know what? I agree with him now.'


The Herald Scotland
30 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
David Martindale on why he owes Chris Sutton and the SPFL apologies
David Martindale, though, is absolutely certain about one thing ahead of Livingston's first league encounter of the 2025/26 campaign against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Saturday afternoon. Read more: 'We're going to be the last on Sportscene,' he said at the Set Fare Arena yesterday during a break from the promoted West Lothian club's preparations for the challenging trip through to Ayrshire. 'You'll generally get a two or three minute clip of us.' Martindale accepts that the size of his side's fanbase – they had an average attendance of just 3,582 the last time they were in the top flight - means that bigger clubs are always going to receive more air time on BBC Scotland's football highlights programme. However, he also believes that misconceptions about their style of play have been partially responsible for them being cast in a supporting role to their larger and better-supporter domestic rivals in the past. He is keen to change that this term and confident his men can surprise a few people in the coming 10 months. 'I think there was a lazy narrative with us previously - big, strong, physical Livingston,' he said. 'It was lazy when you take into consideration how well we had played and what we had done. (Image: Ross Parker - SNS Group) 'Yes, we were probably, during our the last year in the Premiership, a wee bit more 10 bodies behind the ball, play a wee bit more direct, hit the space in behind. But we play a different shape to what we played in the last couple of years in the Premiership. 'I don't want to waste a year's coaching. We actually want teams to come and press us now. So we want teams to come and give us that space in behind. 'The ideals have changed slightly, but you've still got to find a way to win that game of football. I'll be doing that every Saturday, but sticking to the basic fundamentals that we played last year, and the basic fundamentals that we coached last year. I think it's essential that we don't deviate from that too far. 'Are we better for the experience of promotion? I think we are. I think you'll still see a lot of traits of what you've seen at Livingston previously. But hopefully you're going to see attacking football.' Read more: Martindale stressed that he will have no qualms about [[Livingston]] throwing caution to the wind and taking the game to Celtic at Parkhead or Hibernian at Easter Road in the season ahead if he feels it will increase their prospects of recording a result. 'Believe it or not, I've never been short of confidence,' he said. 'In football, I've never felt unconfident. I've always felt confident in any environment I've been in as a coach or as a player. You can put me on the Broxburn Juniors park or put me at Ibrox, it doesn't really faze me either way.' Martindale, who has brought in no fewer than nine new players during the close season and who added Congolese international striker Jeremy Bokila to his squad this weekend, has never been shy when it comes to defending Livingston. He has hit back at criticism of both their style of play and their artificial pitch in the past. But the laying of a new surface at Almondvale earlier this month has forced him to re-evaluate his previous comments – and he extended an olive branch to both outspoken Sky Sports pundit Chris Sutton and the SPFL as he looked ahead to the Kilmarnock encounter on Saturday. (Image: SNS Group) 'I'll be honest, I probably owe certain parts of the media an apology for the last two years,' he said. 'I'll explain why. Because I was at the club when our pitch got put down, I have probably not seen the deterioration in the park. 'I probably had a wee bit of a go at the SPFL at the tail end of last year by saying, 'I cannae believe they're telling us we're not getting any Premiership at that park'. Now that we've got a new surface because of the restrictions imposed on us and forced on us, I actually need to apologise because I was wrong. 'Did I still think the park we had last year was better than some grass parks I've played on? One hundred per cent. Some grass parks last year were diabolical, dismal. But can I see the journalists and media gripes about it previously? Yeah. 'I'm hoping that the bigger teams which come here are going to see an improvement in the surface. They're going to find an adequate surface. There's a bit more speed on the park. It probably changes how we are going to play. 'I genuinely believed our surface was okay in the last couple of years. Looking back now, I think I was wrong with that assertion. I think I owe the SPFL an apology, Neil [chief executive Doncaster) and Calum [director of football operations Beattie] probably. 'I owe certain media pundits a wee bit of apology. I think Chris Sutton had a wee bit of a go about the park and I maybe had a go back at him. Do you know what? I agree with him now.'


Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Airdrie v Ross County: Diamonds will go 'full throttle' in Championship bid, says Wilson
Rhys McCabe's welcome the Staggies in their league opener after a painful Premier Sports Cup exit Airdrie skipper Aidan Wilson insists they will go 'full throttle' in the Championship this season after their disappointing exit from the Premier Sports Cup. The Diamonds were top of their group heading into Saturday's showdown with rivals Alloa, but the Wasps grabbed an 89th minute winner to win 3-2 at New Broomfield and send the Monklands men crashing out. Now, Wilson has to pick his side up for Saturday's Championship opener at home to Ross County. And after surviving relegation through the play-offs last term, Wilson says they must hit the ground running. The centre-back, who netted a stunning strike to make it 1-1 early in the second half, said: 'We are gutted to be out of the cup. It's disappointing, especially when we go 2-1 up in the game. 'I think from there we need to do better and see the game out. We can't be conceding three goals to Alloa, which all due respect to them. 'Fair play to them for winning the game. They defended really well, made it difficult for us, sat in a low block, but we've got to do better. 'It was a very good cup campaign up until this point. We'd won all our games and we were sitting in a very good position at the top of the group, thinking we'll go and get the job done in the last game. Unfortunately, we never did that but we can't dwell on it. 'We've got the league campaign coming up now and we'll go full throttle at that. We'll be looking to the game against Ross County to get back on track. 'Last season we didn't win enough games and we were down at the bottom for a reason, so this season it is about learning from that and going full steam ahead with a new group. 'We won our first game last season against Raith and we were in a bit of a rut after that. We lost loads of players to injury - a lot of players who would have started - so hopefully we get a bit more luck with injuries this season. 'We want to get off to a good start because the Championship is such a tough league.' On the challenge facing them on Saturday, Wilson said: 'They have been in good form and scoring a lot of goals. 'They were obviously a Premiership team last season so they will be a good side. We just need to dust ourselves down, get a good training week in the legs and go at it.'