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Cricket Ireland announced their overseas players added to the Super Series squads for this Irish cricket summer. Of the 6 players, 3 are from Aotearoa New Zealand. Central Hinds’ opening batter and legspinner Georgia Atkinson has been snapped up by the Typhoons, where as Otago Sparks’ wicketkeeper Polly Inglis has signed for the Scorchers and Auckland Hearts’ quick-scoring batting all-rounder Bella Armstrong joins former Heart Arlene Kelly at the Dragons. This year Cricket Ireland have allowed two overseas spots in the Super Series squads, and whilst in the thick of the New Zealand off-season its the perfect time for White Ferns hopeful to pick up some handy game time.
Georgia Atkinson will feature for the Typhoons, playing for Rush at club level. The Whakaoriori / Masterton born allrounder hit her first T20 fifty in the recently concluded Super Smash season in a record breaking opening partnership with Nat Dodd of 112 runs. Atkinson has also been called upon by skipper Jess Watkin to provide varitey in the Central Hinds bowling attack, offering loopy leggies which often decieve the batter. She also opts for an unorthodox shot to ramp the ball over the fielders in attempt for a quick boundary. It’s worked well for her on occasion, but can also gift away her wicket if she doesn’t get it precisley right.
Atkinson currently has 50 career wickets to her name as well as near 800 runs. An emerging player in the Central Hinds set up and looking to cement her place in the top order, Atkinson will be using her time in Ireland wisely.
The Typhoons just have one title to their name, a successful season back in 2020. The following year they came runner’s up in both formats of the competition, and finished 3rd (last) in 2022.
Otago wicketkeeper Polly Inglis is on the move to the reigning champions of both formats, Scorchers. Her side boasts big names in Ireland skipper Gaby Lewis and fellow overseas player and Zimbabwe skipper, Mary-Anne Musonda. Inglis was recently promoted to full time wicketkeeper for her domestic side, Otago, following the retirement of Katey Martin after near 20 years behind the sticks for her side.
Inglis is also a top order bat in the T20 format, but drops towards the back in 50 overs. She’s known for her unorthodox shots, partially inspired by her playing career in hockey. Hailing from Ōtepoti / Dunedin, Inglis has represented her native Otago for almost 10 years now, making debut at 16.
Inglis had struggled in the early stages of the 2022/23 Women’s Super Smash, finding spin a common denominator of her dismissals. Toward the back end she found her feet, impressive innings of 30* (35), 43 (45) 47* (43) and 26 (23) soon brought her run tally to a respectable 189 runs. Inglis had decent returns in the HBJ Shield too, a competition she generally excels more in, with 208 runs from 8 innings at 26 with a top score of 55.
Inglis takes time to get into her innings, hence the strike rate. She also plays a similar role to Kate Ebrahim in her side; they both play conservatively rather than agressively, run hard and generally play the role of an anchor.
This wont be Inglis’ first time in an overseas competition, as she made 7 50 over appearances and 7 T20 appearances for Nottinghamshire in the Women’s T20 County Cup.
Auckland pacer and top order batter Bella Armstrong comes into the Super Series with the Dragons who look to better their second place in last year T20 campaign. Armstrong has been in and around the Auckland side since she was 16, including their U21’s and U18’s teams, but really flourished during the 2022/23 season with the bat with innings like her 71 runs off just 34 balls against the Central Hinds. She finished the competition with 177 runs from 9 innings at 25.28.
Though Armstrong does offer a quick right arm pace, she struggled to find wickets with it in the Super Smash and often went for big figures with no returns. She is a gun fielder, often found on the boundaries cutting off 4s and catching mis-hit, attempted 6s. With her emergence as a quick scoring power hitter and elite boundary rider, Armstrong has solid reasons to make the XI each time.
Full squads:
Dragons — Bella Armstrong, Arlene Kelly
Leah Paul ©, Abbi Harrison, Alana Dalzell, Amy Caulfield, Amy Hunter (WK), Aoife Fisher, Arlene Kelly, Cara Murray, Jemma Gillan, Jenni Jackson, Jess Mayes, Kate McEvoy, Kia McCartney, Mollie Devine, Orla Prendergast, Zara Craig, Jaimie-Lee Strang, Bella Armstrong
Scorchers — Polly Inglis
Gaby Lewis ©, Aimee Maguire, Anna Kerrison, Annabel Squires, Christina Coulter Reilly, Ellie McGee, Genevieve Morrissey, Hannah Little, Isabelle McLean, Jane Maguire, Jenny Sparrow, Julie McNally, Lara Maritz, Niamh MacNulty, Shauna Kavanagh (WK), Siúin Woods, Sophie MacMahon, Polly Inglis, Mary-Anne Musonda
Typhoons — Georgia Atkinson
Rebecca Stokell ©, Alice Tector, Alice Walsh, Ava Canning, Celeste Raack, Freya Sargent, Georgina Dempsey, Jane Butterly, Joanna Loughran, Lara McBride, Laura Delany, Louise Little, Mary Waldron (WK), Rebecca Gough, Sarah Forbes, Sinead Thompson, Robyn Searle, Georgia Atkinson.
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