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Belfast Telegraph
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Waringstown and Instonians locked at summit as duo back up Cup wins with League triumphs
The Shaw's Bridge side again opted to bowl first in their clash with third-placed Lisburn, and once again their bowlers responded to the challenge by restricting them to 186 in an innings that never really got going. Ross Adair (20) and Nigel Jones (26) got starts, but only when Ben Calitz was in full flow did Lisburn get a foothold in the contest. The Irish passport-holding South African hit three sixes and fours in a 42-ball 47, adding 83 for the fourth wicket with skipper Neil Whitworth (36). However, Cian Robertson spun his left-arm magic, claiming four wickets for just 23 to put the home side firmly in control. Shane Dadswell (three for 30) and two wickets for Ben Rose reaffirmed the advantage, and a final total of 186 looked to be well short of challenging. Cade Carmichael had missed out in Saturday's Cup win, but the Irish international cashed in with a brilliant 77-ball 117 that included 15 fours and four maximums to break the back of the chase. His century means that he is the leading run-scorer in the League with 473 runs, just ahead of Jason van der Merwe. Carmichael added 112 with Rob McKinley (24), and that allowed Inst to coast to a six-wicket win in the 28th over – Dadswell bringing the game to a hasty conclusion by thumping three fours and a six in the final four balls. For Lisburn, a 2025 season that promised so much is in danger of falling apart, with their main hope for silverware now resting on the Irish Senior Cup where they travel to play Balbriggan in the last-four. Waringstown kept pace with Instonians thanks to an emphatic seven-wicket win at Cliftonville Academy in a match reduced to 25 overs. Abhishek Raut hit a 32-ball unbeaten 56 as the home side posted what looked a competitive 174 for five – Varun Chopra making a run-a-ball 36 (five fours) and Hayden Melly 27. The Topping brothers, though, made light work of the chase as they shared an opening stand of 125 in just 80 balls. Morgan hit eight fours and six sixes in a 56-ball 87, while younger brother Sam's 36-ball 53 included five fours and three maximums. John Glass claimed two wickets, but the seven-wicket win was sealed in the 19th over. Woodvale and North Down shared a dramatic tie in a see-saw game at Ballygomartin Road – a result that saw both happy to get something from the match in the end. Stevie Saul just missed out on a century, getting two from the final ball of the North Down innings to end on 99 – seven fours, four sixes – adding 127 for the fourth wicket with Mickey Copeland as they made 193 for five in 35 overs. Woodvale looked beaten as they slumped to 78 for six, but Carl Robinson's 51-ball 64 got them right back into contention as he added 104 in 17 overs for the seventh wicket with Zara Khan (49 not out). Some 17 were still needed from the last two overs when last man Anek Anil joined Khan, but they chipped away and the equation came down to three from the final ball. Anil managed to scramble two, ensuring a share of the spoils. North Down finished in the top six for the split, while Woodvale's two points meant they moved off the bottom above Templepatrick. Meanwhile, in the North West, there was a real shock as leaders Donemana lost by 42 runs to bottom side Bready in a rearranged game. David Rankin top-scored with 64 as Bready posted 194 for seven – four wickets for Jordan McGonigle, who came out of retirement to compensate for Andy McBrine's unavailability. Teenager Travis Faulkner took three wickets as the League leaders slumped to 62 for seven, and although they rallied with runs for brothers Billy (38) and DJ Dougherty (28), Faulkner returned to claim his fourth in a victory that lifted Bready off the bottom of the table.
Irish Independent
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Luckless Drogheda ladies come up just shy again in water polo's Irish Senior Cup Finals
Having under-performed by their own standards early on in the season due to missing a number of key players, the Drogheda outfit began to find their form in recent months as they picked up a number of notable wins in the run-up to the 'Diamond Event', the Irish Senior Cup Finals. The tournament was held in Limerick University, with a total of 14 teams involved between men's and ladies. It all started off well enough for Drogheda as, after being paired off against one of their many old rivals North Dublin, the Boynesiders prevailed 12-6 thanks to a well-executed team plan. Next was a match versus Tribes of Galway who entered the competition as one of the most in-form teams in the country, on the back of a very impressive run of eight wins and just one loss. It was in this encounter that Drogheda unfortunately were outplayed and so they secured 'only' the runners-up position in Group B and therefore had to face Group A winners St Vincents in the semi-finals. This was a highly anticipated match in light of the fact that Drogheda knocked them out at the same stage in 2024 following a penalty shootout, but this time the Boynesiders were beaten by a better team who went on to win the competition and record their 12th triumph in the last 13 Irish Senior Cup finals. Still, Drogheda can look forward with optimism to the 2025/26 season which will see the return of some pivotal stalwarts. Perhaps that will boost their chances of finally going all the way in the Irish Senior Cup, having contested four of the last five finals. The Drogheda senior ladies squad are always looking for new players, as are the junior ranks of the Drogheda underage club who train in Aura in Drogheda on a Monday night.
Belfast Telegraph
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
My hard work is now paying off and can help Lisburn enjoy a special season, says Neil Whitworth
The 31-year-old tops the batting averages with his 328 runs coming at exactly 82, while he has also taken 15 wickets with his off-spin. He's proven very much a finisher, scoring four half centuries in his last five innings — three of them unbeaten. The Durham-born all-rounder has cited the confidence gained from a pre-season Ulster Grasshoppers tour, plus hard work in the nets for his prolific form. 'I've been working very hard over the winter on my batting with Uel Graham and a bit with Mark Adair as well,' said Whitworth. 'That coupled with the trip to South Africa definitely helped as well with my confidence. It was an experience of a lifetime for me, really brilliant and so much fun on and off the field. It was superbly organised with brilliant people. 'I just try to be consistent in the No.4 position and read the game as I see it. I'm very fortunate in that there are a number of power hitters in the ranks that take the pressure off. Having the likes of Nigel Jones, James Hunter and Ross Adair lets me play my own game.' It's been a great time for Sunderland fan Whitworth, who is in his second season as captain and enjoying leading a side packed with internationals. 'I think it's important that everyone knows their role in the team. The good thing for me in having so many high-profile players in there is that you're never short of anyone to turn to for advice. 'Nigel Jones in particular has so much experience over here and has such a high stature in the game, and of course Faiz Fazal our overseas professional.' The one gap in Lisburn's honours CV is the Irish Senior Cup, although the Wallace Park side did taste success in the All-Ireland T20 competition last season. 'That T20 win will stand us in good stead. We have a home draw against fellow NCU opposition CSNI to look forward to. We had a very tough game against them earlier in the season so it will be a hard test without a doubt.' Lisburn will be without their trio of Irish internationals for the weekend, but Whitworth isn't angry at their absence — indeed far from it. 'We should embrace the fact that the club has three internationals and celebrate it. It's just one of those things and we have a good deal of depth and quality in our squad to cope with it,' he said. Lisburn have never been a club to rest on their laurels, always looking for the next signing to build for the future. 'That's the structure of the club, where we have some very important key heads behind the scenes,' added Whitworth, who lives close to Wallace Park. 'They are all very future focused on where they want to be, and that's very beneficial to have.' There's a feeling 2025 could be a really special season for Lisburn, and Whitworth agrees. 'It potentially could be. We have got a very strong squad and there's not much Irish international cricket this summer so we have got plenty to look forward to,' he said. Other northern sides in action on Sunday are CIYMS — who entertain Railway Union — while Instonians travel to Pembroke. Flying the flag for the north west are Coleraine, who take on five-time winners North County, while Donemana travel to two-time winners Merrion. Tomorrow's Premiership action has leaders Lisburn hosting North Down, while Instonians will look to keep the pressure on as they visit troubled Muckamore. Templepatrick entertain Cliftonville Academy with both sides desperate for points, while CIYMS are home to Woodvale and Waringstown face CSNI, knowing even at this early stage a win is vital for their Premiership title ambitions.
Belfast Telegraph
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Pegasus appoint Scotland Head Coach as Director of Hockey: ‘This is a ground breaking moment'
The new Director of Hockey role will oversee player development pathways and coaching structures across the club. 'We are thrilled to welcome Jonny Caren to Pegasus,' said incoming Pegasus Club President, Arlene Boyles. 'This is a historic moment not just for our Club but for women's hockey in Ireland. Jonny's vision for the future of hockey aligns perfectly with the Club's ambitions. 'This is a ground breaking moment for Pegasus – we are not just bringing in a new coach; we are bringing in a leader who will shape the future of our Club at every level from the grassroots to the highest level. 'Jonny's arrival coincides with the appointment of Dr Shirley McCay MBE OLY as Pegasus Club Captain so this is a really exciting time for our club.' Caren added: 'It's a great honour to join a club with such a rich tradition and passionate community. Pegasus has always been a benchmark in Irish hockey and I look forward to the opportunity to shape a holistic hockey programme and to support the Club's players and coaches across all stages of development.' Founded in 1961, Pegasus are three times Irish Hockey League champions and 14-times Irish Senior Cup winners.
Irish Independent
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘Bit humbling going from the Olympics to being the very worst player on a team that has 14-year-old girls on it'
Water polo might not be the most common answer to the 'what-the-Olympian-did-next' trope, but for Riordan, it was the right antidote to help her immediate post-swimming life. She went to her first water polo training session at the National Aquatic Centre in Abbotstown with her new club, St Vincent's Water Polo Club, just a month after the Paris Olympics. Two weeks ago, she helped them win the Irish Senior Cup in Limerick. 'A bit humbling at the beginning going from the Olympics to being the very worst [player] on a team that has 14-year-old girls on it,' Riordan smiles. 'At the moment, I'm in the mind space of 'I want to enjoy' sports, first and foremost, to be doing it because I want to be there. The Olympics were a heavy mental and emotional toll on me. I wanted a break from that.' Co-existing with intense change has been part of Riordan's story over the past year. After the Irish women's 4x100m freestyle relay initially missed out on qualifying for Paris by one spot, Riordan retired from the sport at age 24. The twist came when Japan withdrew from the event in June, which meant Ireland got back in through the ranking system. Riordan had to unretire herself and had just a month to prepare for her first Olympics. The breaking of an Olympic dream and the scramble to put it back together in such a short time left rough edges. 'The few months leading up to Paris were probably the most emotionally strained I've been in my life,' Riordan said. 'I think I'd already grieved, grieved the loss. I had decided, 'OK, it's not happening for me, I'm not going to the Olympics'. And then, two weeks later, it was, 'Get back to Dublin, you might be going'. It took a big toll on the mind more than the body. 'I think I kind of had a sour taste in my mouth from swimming after, even though I had this amazing experience and I'll never forget that. I didn't even want to do the swim sessions with the water polo team. I managed to force myself to do it.' The intensity only escalated when she got to Paris. The relay team came 16th overall in their heats on the official opening day, but then she tested positive for Covid afterwards and had to leave the village immediately. The five-ringed experience didn't hit the peak she imagined. 'You do build it up in your head a little bit and then you get there and you're like, oh my goodness the food is not nice, the hotel is not nice. I got Covid when I was over there. I was not well when I raced. I tested negative before I raced and tested positive after, so I got sent home immediately. 'You walk out and you're like, this is it, this is the moment. And then you're also like, oh this is it. Two edges of a sword, I guess.' Her new sport brings her into contact with her old home. The first time she walked into the National Aquatic Centre to go water polo training, she felt a shudder, 'post-traumatic stress disorder from all the training' from her swimming days. While there was an element of a team when she competed in the relays for Ireland, it's not the same as competing in an actual team like water polo (a physical sport described as a combination of swimming, basketball and wrestling). 'In Paris, we were all really good friends, we were all doing the same event, but we were also all competing to get onto the relay. You're there for each other, but you're also, 'I want to beat her'. It's a hugely different dynamic. Whereas in water polo, it's like everybody is taking a share of the pressure, it's not one person's fault, it's the team. That's something I've never experienced before and it's been so refreshing to be a part of that. 'I didn't realise how physical the sport was. People are wrestling each other in the water, but it's almost refreshing to see that in a women's sport because that's not how we're meant to behave I guess, but it is very physical, very aggressive. 'It's different, even learning tactics and stuff, I've never really done anything like that, just swim in a straight line and hope for the best.' Post-Paris, Riordan has started working as a documentation specialist with a pharmaceutical company in Grange Castle, Dublin. She's also training for the marathon in Lisbon in October. 'Something I always knew coming out of swimming is that I can't just stop activity altogether. I think I get quite down if I do. So I picked up all these sports, I'm just trying everything out. Before I used to work my life around my sport, whereas now I'm working sport around my life. It's a different dynamic for me.'
