Next week Clare Shillington will become the first woman to win 100
caps for Ireland. Getting to the milestone has taken her almost half her life.
“I started off playing cricket with the boys at school in Co Meath”, she recalled. “Through that Donna Armstrong asked me to play for Ulster. There was very little women’s cricket in the north at the time so, age 15, Clare decided to play in Dublin. I used to get the train to Connolly and Camilla O’Brien would collect me and I’d stay with her family.”
As she progressed in the Irish set-up she joined Malahide.
“I was first capped in 1997 against South Africa. It was just before the World Cup in India and I got picked as a spin bowler. That was an eye opener for a 16 year old. We played Pakistan in Delhi in front of 10,000 people. We were signing autographs. I was buzzing for days!”
Shillington’s greatest days as an aggressive offie were the three-match series against Australia when she took 3-34 and 3-36, both off ten over spells.
“I lost my bowling the next year. I came back after a hand injury and I had the yips. So I learned how to bat properly and moved up the order.”
And there she’s been ever since, captaining Ireland at the World Cup in 2005.
“She’s very strong, likes to hit the ball hard and has all the shots. She can be as destructive as anyone - and she’s a fantastic athlete,” says Ireland coach Jeremy Bray.
Ireland play a tri-series with Pakistan and Bangladesh in Dublin over the next fortnight.
“We want to play more games against big countries. We played Pakistan when they started and beat them in a day and a half, but they are now fully professional. We’ve had chances to beat England and Australia, but we seem to lack the ability to kick on. We’re in a really good place now with Jeremy Bray whose one of the best coaches I’ve ever had.”
And the last word is Bray’s: “Talent-wise she’s as good as anyone I’ve seen in international cricket”.
Cover-Point.com editor Liam Rooney has penned a fascinating series on test cricket, and how it can be saved from terminal decline. He suggests a three-tier system, with a second level including New Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Scotland. He argues his case well, and with luck it will be read by the powers that be.
Performance of the Week: Before Saturday, 15-year-old off-spinner Jack
Tector had played a handful of senior games, and bowled 18 overs,
taking 1-130. With the score on 169-1, Clontarf needed just 48 to beat
YMCA, but Tector struck with a stunning 8-40 to win the game. It was
only the fifth 8-fer in 20 years and the best by a non-pro since 1995.
One of the TV highlights of the English summer is Twenty20 finals day, and this Saturday Kevin O’Brien will be hoping to catch a few eyes when he returns to Somerset for their semi against Hampshire.
The rained off final of the NearFM Twenty20 Cup takes place in Phoenix at 4pm on Sunday, when YMCA take on Rush.
Tweet of the week: Paul Stirling ā€¸(@stirlo90) Just got an email from Professional Cricketers Association saying that I may be eligible to play int’l cricket for Scotland!! #embarrassing