Kia and Jenny in Ireland under-17 action in Utrecht

Eglinton’s Jenny Jackson and Coleraine’s Kia McCartney have both been in the thick of the action today as Ireland under-17 girls started their five-game T20 challenge against The Netherlands under-18’s with a win and a tie in Utrecht.

The hosts were restricted to 77 all out in this morning’s first game- Phebe Molkenboer top scoring with 17 of those.

Freya Sargent returned superb figures of 4-3 for the visitors with Kia excellent in her spell of 2-9 and Aoife Fisher bagging 2-28.

Alice Walsh made 20 not out, Kia 15 and Abbi Harrison 15* as Ireland passed the target with 8 wickets and more than 5 overs to spare.

The afternoon game was a real thriller- finishing with the scores level on 103 apiece.

Batting first, Ally Boucher (29) and Annabel Squires (22) put on a 47-run stand for the second wicket after Kia McCartney had made 14 at the top of the order.

Abbi Harrison added 15 as the Irish Girls set a reasonable target from their 20 overs.

The hosts looked in trouble again in their reply after Freya picked up 3-11 and Kia 2-20 early on.

Jenny Jackson (1-7), Kate Woods (1-7) and Evey Keenan (1-13) were all on the mark as well, to leave the Dutch on 87-9 chasing 104 to win.

Nidhi Patil (20 not out) held her nerve to get the teams level however; Nidhi and Sharvari Kote scrambling a bye off the final ball of the match to tie the scores up.

The teams go again with another double-header on Wednesday with the final match to be played on Thursday.