Ireland Women's Squad Named For Australia Series

Isobel Joyce has given the Ireland Women's squad a boost after recovering from a knee injury to return to the side for their T20 International Series against Australia at YMCA next week.

The talismanic Irish skipper is one of eight survivors from the side that lost to Australia the last time the sides met - a 78 run win for the Southern Stars during the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

Meg Lanning scored a record 126 runs that day, and Joyce is all too aware of the task facing the Irish: "There's no doubt that the Australians are a top quality side with some of the best players in the world," said Irish captain Joyce.

"We have been training hard for this series all year. I don't think I've been involved in a squad that has been better prepared, and I'm sure we will acquit ourselves well in what's sure to be a tough series.

"We have a nice blend of youth and experience in the squad, with five teenagers keeping the more experienced players on their toes.

"It's a great opportunity for us to showcase Irish Women's cricket with three games against the World Champions and I'm sure we'll get a huge support to encourage us at the matches."

The Irish have shown some recent form in the T20 format, recording wins over Sussex and Nottinghamshire in the ECB County Division One T20 competition, and they will play two further matches this Sunday as they take on Yorkshire and Middlesex.

Ireland Women's Head Coach Aaron Hamilton paid tribute to the hard work put in by the players, which has yielded some impressive results of late: "The work ethic amongst the squad has been terrific," said Hamilton.

"The Super 3 Series has been a fantastic development, and provided some really high-quality cricket that has helped the players improve. The recent results and performances have been really encouraging, and it augurs well for the future of women's cricket in Ireland.

"The coaching team have been looking to improve not only the quality but the depth of the player pool, and I'm delighted that significant progress is being made in those areas.

"It will be a tough challenge to face the three times T20 World Cup winners Australia, but one which the entire squad has been looking forward to all year. It'll provide us with a perfect benchmark of where we are in world cricket and where we want to be."

The games at Claremont Road, YMCA, are on August 19, 21 and 22 with free entry on all days. Play starts at 4:30pm on the 19th and 21st, with a 12 o'clock start on Saturday the 22nd.

IRELAND WOMEN SQUAD TO PLAY T201 SERIES V AUSTRALIA:

Isobel Joyce (capt) (Merrion), Laura Delany (Leinster), Kim Garth (Pembroke), Cecelia Joyce (Merrion), Shauna Kavanagh (Pembroke), Amy Kenealy (Leinster), Gaby Lewis (YMCA), Robyn Lewis (YMCA), Louise McCarthy (Pembroke), Ciara Metcalfe (Pembroke), Lucy O'Reilly (YMCA), Clare Shillington (YMCA), Elena Tice (Merrion), Mary Waldron (Malahide).