Gaby Lewis to Lead Ireland in White-Ball Series Against England
Gaby Lewis, Ireland’s experienced all-rounder, will lead the team in their upcoming white-ball series against England at home. Lewis has recovered from a quad strain sustained earlier this month and will take over the captaincy from Laura Delany, who is still recovering from an ankle ligament injury.
Alice Tector, who made her ODI debut against Sri Lanka, has earned her maiden T20I call-up. She is the sister of Ireland men’s batter Harry Tector. Una Raymond-Hoey, who missed the first T20I against Sri Lanka due to injury, has returned to both the ODI and T20I squads.
National selector Ciara O’Brien expressed disappointment over Delany’s absence but praised Lewis’s leadership qualities. “Gaby has led before in Laura’s absence. We’re very comfortable with her stepping in to lead for the England series and know that she will bring her impeccable high standards to the role,” O’Brien said.
Lewis, who scored her maiden T20I century against Sri Lanka, is Ireland’s leading run-scorer in the format and the second-most experienced player behind Delany. She captained Ireland in their historic first-ever ODI win over Sri Lanka, a series that saw Ireland earn their first points in the Women’s Championship 2022-25.
The Irish squad for the series is a young one, with an average age of less than 22 years. O’Brien urged Irish cricket fans to support the team. “This is a young side, with an average age of less than 22 years, and we hope that all Irish cricket fans to turn up and support the team,” she said.
Ireland and England will play three ODIs in Belfast before moving to Dublin for three T20Is. The ODIs are part of the Women’s Championship, while the T20Is will serve as preparation for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.
