Waringstown have signed former Carrickfergus professional Pat Botha as their overseas player for next season.

South African Botha, who turns 33 this month, played two full seasons for the Middle Road club but broke his hand midway through his third term in 2018.

He scored more 1,500 runs at an average of 41 for Carrick and in two successive seasons had a strike rate of over 100. He also took 49 wickets in his two and a half seasons.

Botha will be captained by Greg Thompson who was appointed for a second spell at the club’s AGM last week. His vice-captain is James McCollum.

Meanwhile, Ulster girls have starred in the Ireland Women’s Under-19’s first two warm-up games in South Africa, ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Jennifer Jackson took three wickets in four balls and her Eglinton club-mate Zara Craig and Coleraine’s Kia McCartney each took two wickets as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 102 yesterday.

Captain Amy Hunter, who top scored in the opening game of the tour, a two wickets win over UAE, followed up her 33 from 30 balls with 15 yesterday in a run-a-ball opening stand of 34 with Sian Cooper. Annabel Squires then top scored with 26 as Ireland got home by four wickets with five balls to spare.

Waringstown’s Abbi Harrison hit 26 off 19 balls on Wednesday when Craig took two wickets as UAE were restricted to 104 for seven.

The girls have two more warm-up games, the next against Pakistan on Monday.