After a historic first-ever T20I win over Sri Lanka in the second match of the two-game series, the Irish women’s team has been struck with two setbacks as their current skipper, Laura Delany, and batter Una Raymond-Hoey have been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against the same opponent.
Laura Delany has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series following a suspected ligament injury sustained when she rolled her ankle while fielding on August 13th. Following Delany’s absence, Gaby Lewis, who scored a century in the second T20I, will lead Ireland in the ODIs and Orla Prendergast has been named as the interim vice-captain.
Apart from Delany, Una Raymond-Hoey, who suffered a low-grade muscle tear in the first T20I, has been replaced by Sarah Forbes, a right-handed batter for the upcoming ODIs.
Following Jane Maguire’s impressive performance in the 2nd T20I, she joins in as Delany’s replacement in the 16-member squad for the ODI series. Initially, she was part of Ireland’s squad for the T20I series and played a crucial role in their 7-run victory in the second match, where she claimed the important wicket of Harshitha Samarawickrama, finishing with figures of 1/26.
Ed Joyce, the head coach of the Ireland women’s team expressed his disappointment at losing the team’s captain to injury, noting that it necessitated a significant reassessment of their tactics. However, Joyce conveyed his confidence in Gaby Lewis, who had previously led the team in Laura’s absence. He praised Gaby as an excellent leader and is comfortable with her stepping in to lead the team in the upcoming ODI series.
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Ed acknowledged that while Jane was initially unlucky not to make the original squad, she joins in as Delany’s replacement. The young pacer’s eventual selection reflects the growing depth of talent within the team. Joyce emphasized that this increased competition for places is elevating the overall standards of the squad.
He mentioned, “It’s a blow whenever you lose a member of your squad to injury, but to lose the captain – our most experienced player – has required a fundamental re-think of our tactics. Gaby has led before in Laura’s absence. She is an excellent leader so I’m very comfortable with her stepping in to lead for the ODI series.”
The three ODIs between Ireland and Sri Lanka will take place on August 16, 18, and 20 respectively at Stormont, Belfast. This series is part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022/23-25, with the top five teams along with the hosts securing automatic qualification for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup. Sri Lanka is currently seeded fifth on the points table with 20 points, while Ireland sits at the bottom with only two points from twelve matches.
Ireland ODI squad for Sri Lanka series:
Gaby Lewis (C), Ava Canning, Alana Dalzell, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Joanna Loughran, Aimee Maguire, Jane Maguire, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Freya Sargent, Rebecca Stokell, Alice Tector.
ODI Fixtures:
1st ODI- 16 August 2024: Ireland vs Sri Lanka, Stormont- 3:15 p.m. IST
2nd ODI- 18 August 2024: Ireland vs Sri Lanka, Stormont- 3:15 p.m. IST
3rd ODI- 20 August 2024: Ireland vs Sri Lanka, Stormont- 3:15 p.m. IST