St Johnston Cricket Club women make history in a week to remember

St Johnston Cricket Club women have had a week to savour - winning promotion to Division 1 just five days after taking victory in the Women’s Division 2 Plate.

In the play-off on Wednesday night in Newbuildings, St Johnston defeated Strabane by 12 runs to secure promotion to Division 1 for the first time in the club’s history.

The Saints won the toss and elected to bat first. Shannon Porter and Leah Roulston opened and posted 21 between them before being each bowled out by Strabane captain Chloe Deans. 

Abbie McKnight and Sarah Macbeth both scored 19 while captain Jessica Brolly clipped an unbeaten 11, supported by Ellie Hamilton in the final few balls of the innings. 

St Johnston set Strabane a target of 104 runs for the loss of five wickets in their 16 overs.  

Naomi Wasson claimed the wicked of Deans, who was caught by Hannah Scott before dangerous opener Kylie Sarah McGarrigle, whose run count was at 30 and seemingly climbing, was taken out by Brolly on a LBW call.

With the tension rising, Wasson sent Abash Gillespie back to the pavilion before McKnight’s spell with the ball in hand led to the dismissals of Laura and AG McGarrigle.

In the penultimate over, with just 12 runs between the sides, Brolly ran out Nicola Mullen and St Johnston were on their way up.

Five evenings beforehand, St Johnston scored a hard-fought 15-run success over Fox Lodge IIs at Ballymagorry to win the Division 2 Plate. 

St Johnston opened the batting and Shannon Porter top scored with 43 not out. 

Opener Ali Nolan posted 17 runs before she was caught by Emma Allen off the bowl of Chloe Young while Leah Roulston smacked an unbeaten 36.

St Johnston reached 114 for the fall of just one wicket from their 16 overs.

Fox Lodge hit back with Emma Allen reaching a superb 56 before she was bowled out by Sarah Macbeth.

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With the ball, Macbeth did the bulk of the damage claiming three wickets - those of Allen, Chloe Young and Emma Violet Spratt.

Jessica Brolly, Meghan Colhoun, Hannah Scott, Leanne Patterson, Abbie McKnight, Emma Macbeth and Ellie Hamilton, Amy Sterling and Lydia Wasson were also on the St Johnston team-sheet between the two games.