Five to look out for this Super Series

Dave Sihra (Substack - Dave Meets Ball)

With the 2026 Evoke Super Series season almost upon us here are five players to look out for across the Super 20 Trophy and Super 50 Cup, plus a few extra narratives.

Well folks, it’s almost here. The 2026 edition of the Evoke Super Series season is kicking off in Stormont with two back-to-back games between the Dragons and the Typhoons in the amended two-team competition which now won’t feature the Scorchers.

The centerpiece of the summer this year is of course the Women’s T20 World Cup (12 June – 5 July 2026) that Ireland qualified for back in February having successfully negotiated the qualifying event in Nepal. All roads lead now to the main tournament with the Super 20 Trophy scheduled to be completed in May. Not long after, Ireland then face Pakistan and West Indies in a T20 tri-series as a warm up for the World Cup.

We also have changes in coaching personnel with Glen Querl replacing Davy Scanlon as head coach of the Dragons, while James Cameron-Dow comes in for Liam Foulkes who was head coach of the Typhoons last season.

Of course the scheduling is to give the Ireland players the best possible chance to be T20-ready for the World Cup, but does the timing maybe also give some players a chance to stake a claim for a place in the squad in the main event? A few injuries and hey you never know. A lot can happen in the weeks before a World Cup.
The main playing group for that World Cup probably picks itself, but putting in a strong performance in front of Querl and Cameron-Dow, both on the Ireland coaching staff, certainly couldn’t hurt your chances.

Here are my picks for five players to look out for this Super Series season:

Aisling Lawlor

Even with a condensed two-team competition for 2026, Lawlor (16) looks set to make her Super Series debut having impressed with both her leg spin and her batting. It’s that all-round quality which really sets her apart and the Merrion cricketer is already batting at three for her club side. Last month in a comprehensive win against the Hills, Lawlor took 2-23 and also scored 40 from 37. (Both Jane Maguire and Lara McBride opened the bowling).

Is an elevation to the Super Series too early given her age and all the work wrist spinners have to do to hone their craft? Possibly, but Lawlor seems ready to be tested. There will of course be bumps in the road and patience required but certainly a very exciting prospect for this upcoming Super Series Season.

Jenni Jackson

After leg spin, you definitely want to watch out for your quicker bowlers or anyone with a point of difference. Jackson, 20, gives you both as a left arm seamer who can bowl a heavy ball and dig it into the pitch when required. The Eglinton bowler was impressive at the 2025 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia on pitches that didn’t always suit.

Jackson was awarded for her efforts with a casual contract last year, and then held her own in the Super Series season just after. Contract-wise, the left-arm bowler is back on the books this year, so it will be interesting to see how she has progressed while training within the system.

Could this be the year she kicks on at Super Series level? Just imagine how handy Jenni Jackson could be on tours to South Africa/Australia/New Zealand when there’s extra bounce to contend with (or even pitches elsewhere with uneven bounce).

Rebecca Lowe

It’s easy to forget that Lowe, 16, already has a season of Super Series cricket under her belt with the Dragons. She also featured at that 2025 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia. The high point last year for Lowe with the Dragons was definitely her 88 off 107 deliveries in a comprehensive win against the Scorchers at Wallace Park (her home ground) with Ava Canning, Louise Little and Sophie MacMahon in that bowling attack.

The word going around is that she has tracked well with her coaches while training with NCU and Irish Under-19 Pathway groups over the winter. Last year Lowe was in a very strong Dragons top order with Amy Hunter and Bella Armstrong. Now she’s part of a new look Typhoons side. The question really is where exactly will she feature, and will she get consistent game time.

Abbi Harrison

Harrison, 19, also featured in that very strong Dragons team last year and was part of that Under-19s team at the Malaysia World Cup too. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the Harrison journey though so far has been a bad knee injury she sustained earlier in her career which has framed how she now views the sport, instead focusing more on enjoying the game - something she’s discussed before in interviews.

But as a wicket-keeper batter where does Harrison currently sit on the Ireland depth chart? Amy Hunter had to carefully manage a hamstring injury during the World Cup qualifier event in Nepal with Clontarf’s Christina Coulter Reilly as understudy. But is it exactly Harrison or Joanna Loughran just after on that depth chart?
Both hold casual contracts with Cricket Ireland. Loughran has featured in senior squads but her sole T20 cap in 2024 does feel quite a while ago. Hunter and Coulter Reilly will most likely go to the World Cup in June but who’s next should anything happen? Some strong Super Series performances from Harrison this month could put her in an excellent position for a non travelling reserve spot.

Alice Tector
Tector of course isn’t really one to watch out for in a start of season list. We more or less know what she can do. Soon to be 18, Tector made her senior debut at just 16 back in 2024 during the Ed Joyce era and immediately looked promising across five ODIs (two against Sri Lanka, three against England).

A back injury then halted the tall seam-bowling allrounder with Tector then not featuring in that 2025 Under-19 World with the likes of Harrison, Jackson and Lowe. Interestingly it was Lowe who earned a spot in that World Cup squad as a replacement for Tector.

Last year’s Super Series season did see Tector play three games for the Scorchers batting at three and not bowling in the Super 50 Cup. The question will be if she does bowl this year, will the Alice Tector of 2026 match the version from 2024.

She has already bowled for her club Phoenix, taking 3-9 against Pembroke. Of everyone in this list Tector is genuinely the most likely to move into the senior squad this summer if it looks like she’s holding up well with the workload.

All in all, there’s quite a bit to play out maybe before Ireland’s first World Cup game against Scotland on June 13th at Old Trafford.
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Standards will certainly be raised with two Super Series teams instead of three, however it remains disappointing to not have an extra side with spots for certain players to develop in that competition and environment.

There are of course plenty of narratives and players to keep an eye on though. The biggest story will be how Gaby Lewis recovers from the thigh injury she sustained while playing for Lancashire. With a World Cup just ahead, the pressure really is on.

We have the return of Lara Maritz (25) who last played for Ireland in 2021 but has been putting in strong performances at club level over recent seasons. Super Series availability over previous years may have just been an availability issue for Maritz who has been playing regularly in the CSA Pro 50 and Pro 20 Series during the winter.

Freya Sargent holds onto a spot in the Super Series despite stepping away from international duty. Could there be a change on the cards from the Clontarf off-spinner? Could she be convinced if an Ireland spot came up?

On the off spin front it will also be fascinating to see how Coleraine’s Kia McCartney tracks this year having made her senior debut early last year in the ODI World Cup qualifiers (Ed Joyce’s final assignment as head coach) but has not featured since in a senior squad. Lara McBride now seems to be the player in possession for that particular spot.

So even with just the two teams, there’s still plenty to come in this year’s Evoke Super Series season, and hopefully lots to talk/write about too.

This article was originally published on the Substack: Dave Meets Ball

This article was originally published on the Substack: Dave Meets Ball