FOXIES AIMING FOR JOY OF SIX

It’s the Women’s Senior Cup final on Friday (3pm), when Fox Lodge face Bready in the decider at Eglinton, looking for yet another success in the region’s blue riband event. The Ballymagorry side have made the competition their own over the past few years and skipper Hannah Mclaughlin is keen for the run to continue.

“This will be the Foxies Ladies 7th consecutive cup final,” said McLaughlin. “We have won five of these and on Friday we will be looking to make this our sixth ladies Senior Cup.

“We have a really strong 12 players available for Friday with all the usual team available and eager to bring home the cup. We know what to expect when it comes to Bready and know who we need to dismiss early in the game.

“We are determined to lift the cup and have been working very hard at training. For us, players to watch are opening bowlers Lucy Neely and Kacey Laird as they tend to make their mark early in the game and I feel an early wicket will be crucial.

“Young guns Tanisha Hussain and Elle Moore have also stepped up to the mark and have been really consistent the past few weeks. Lucy Blair, Mollie Devine and Kara Bates will show their experience when it comes to cup finals and again have been the ones to watch for us.

“Batting wise, Sarah ‘whack’ Black has been in exceptional form and has been training hard all winter with the Dragons set up. She will ensure a bad delivery gets punished with a boundary. Sarah will be aiming to get us off to a good start with all- rounder partner Lucy Neely who tend to keep each other right at the crease. Another all-rounder is Mollie Devine who has a tactical mind when it comes to batting and will pick her fielders to ensure she gets herself off the mark.

“Bready may be at an advantage with the 30 over format as we are yet to bat over 20 overs having reached the total against Bonds Glen in the first round of the cup in the 18th over and Strabane in the 3rd over. Bready batted their 30 overs against Eglinton very well but as I mentioned, we are well aware of the importance of the crucial early wicket of Alana.

“I know without a doubt that this will be a tight-fought game as it always is with Bready. I believe we have the experience behind us to come out on top and make the club proud, but we are well aware of what is required to achieve this.”