From 30 August to 1 September the team will play in a tournament featuring Scotland U-19s, West Indies U-19s and three ECB U-19s XIs but the fixtures also mark the beginning of a very active time for the side over the coming months.
While the Ireland Women’s Senior side prepare for the arrival of England (ranked second in the ICC ODI and T20I rankings) for three ODIs and two T20Is – work continues with developing many of the next generation of players).
However for some such as Amy Hunter, Freya Sargent, Aimee Maguire and Alice Tector who featured in the historic 2-1 ODI series win and 1-1 T20I series draw against Sri Lanka, the U-19s trip is an opportunity for even more high-level cricket.
After the ODI and T20I series against England, players with the U-19s Women’s side will prepare for a first-ever tour of a full member side when they visit South Africa from October 28th until November 1st.
The trip will include 5-match T20I series against South Africa U-19 Women which will be played at the University of Pretoria. In January, Ireland U-19s will the travel to Malaysia for the ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup to cap a busy off-season for the youngsters.
All games from the upcoming tour to Loughborough will be covered on our website.
Head Coach Glenn Querl on the challenge ahead:
“The participation of Ireland U19s in The National Schools’ Games provides a great opportunity for players who have had a successful summer to showcase their skills in the competition. It provides an excellent opportunity for the players to put their best foot forward in terms of potential selection for the upcoming tour of South Africa in October. It also sets the team up with really important game time ahead of the World Cup in January 2025.
Giving the girls more chances to compete against top cricketers in England and Scotland will contribute to the team’s development. Spending time as a squad touring, experiencing different conditions, playing on new grounds, and facing potential opponents will give the players a good idea of where we stand and identify areas for improvement and potential work-ons leading into the winter period.
I am really happy with the balance of the squad going to England, with four players having experience at the international level and 6 other players having featured at the last U19s World Cup in South Africa. I am really excited about the potential this group of players have and I am looking forward to the next few months of cricket“.
National Pathway Manager Albert van der Merwe on the trip to South Africa (Oct 28th – Nov 1st):
“We are delighted to be able to bring a group of players away to South Africa in what would no doubt be a very tough series. I would like to thank Cricket South Africa for agreeing to the series. It is a great opportunity for our players to experience cricket in foreign conditions, sample a different culture and face the rigours of touring. Not only will this undoubtedly aid in player development, but it will give Head Coach, Glenn Querl, some important match days, as the squad continues to prepare for the ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup in Malaysia, in January 2025.
“Not only will this tour help with preparation, but hopefully add to the long-term development of our players. Our pathway players get the opportunity to compete in World Cups, but the end goal is always to produce players for the Senior National Squads, and tours like these goes a long way in creating experiences and testing players for what hopefully becomes international careers”.
Squad for Loughborogh:
Abbi Harrison (Waringstown), Amy Hunter (Instonians/Malahide), Jennifer Jackson (Eglinton), Niamh MacNulty (Merrion), Aimee Maguire (The Hills), Lara McBride (The Hills), Kia McCartney (Coleraine), Ellie McGee (Rush), Julie McNally (Clontarf), Freya Sargent (Clontarf), Millie Spence (Bready), Annabel Squires (Merrion), Alice Tector (Phoenix), Alice Walsh (Clontarf)
Staff: Glenn Querl, James Cameron-Dow, Beth Healy, David Scanlon
Schedule at Loughborough:
- 30 August: Sport England National School Games – Day 1
- 31 August: Sport England National School Games – Day 2
- 1 September: Sport England National School Games – Day 3
Schedule in South Africa:
- 28 October: South Africa U-19 Women v Ireland U-19 Women (Groenkloof Oval, Pretoria).
- 28 October: South Africa U-19 Women v Ireland U-19 Women (Groenkloof Oval, Pretoria).
- 30 October: South Africa U-19 Women v Ireland U-19 Women (Groenkloof Oval, Pretoria).
- 01 November: South Africa U-19 Women v Ireland U-19 Women (Groenkloof Oval, Pretoria).
- 01 November: South Africa U-19 Women v Ireland U-19 Women (Groenkloof Oval, Pretoria).