IT’S been an excellent month for Ireland’s women cricketers, even if they did go down to a 67 run defeat to England in the Certa series at Clontarf yesterday.

They have notched up four wins against two of the world’s leading sides, to add to recent wins over South Africa, Australia and Pakistan. And Ed Joyce can be happy that his charges have battled hard at times, standing toe-to-toe with the very best.

That they will not be at the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh next month is a shame, but the rebuilding process is under way and bearing instant fruit.

Nowhere more than in the spin department, now overseen by former Ireland bowler James Cameron-Dow, where two 18-year olds have had a string of excellent displays.

Slow left-armer Aimee Maguire got the headlines on Wednesday with a brilliant 5-21 in the ODI win over England, while yesterday there wasn’t a wafer between her and off-spinner Freya Sargent, the pair returning identical four overs analyses of 3-30.

Maguire trots in like a dressage pony, tossing the ball up like spin-bowlers of old, but kept a good line and was rewarded with two wickets in her third over. Sargent is feistier, threatening Mankads, and varying her pace to good effect. On her home ground she tried too hard early on but settled into her work and picked up two wickets and a run-out in her last over.

Ireland’s fielding needs work, with few successful dives and two straightforward catches put down. The exception was Orla Prendergast, who had been taken apart by Bryony Smith’s five fours in her second over, a dropped catch coming off the other delivery.

The Pembroke all-rounder was livid, and glowered around the boundary for a time before she became a catch-magnet, holding three crackers in front of the delighted pavilion crowd.

Smith went for 58 off 30 balls, England’s second fastest T20 fifty, but the visitors kept pressing and reached 100 just after half-way drinks. Hopes of 200+ were thwarted, but on 170-5 with ten balls left they were well set. However, Sargent and Jane Maguire held their nerve and England collapsed to 176 all out.

In Ireland’s reply Prendergast’s 52 off 34 balls was the only score over two by a top seven batter. She hit eight delightful fours and only for a hapless run-out call might have been there till the end. Ava Canning made a career best 25 but Ireland struggled to 109 before they were dismissed in the 19^th over.