Full name Ciara Johanna Metcalfe National side Ireland (1999–2015) | Bowling style Right-arm leg spin Batting style Left-handed | |
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Born 29 September 1979 (age 37) ( 1979-09-29 ) Dublin, Ireland Only Test 30 July 2000 v Pakistan women ODI debut 19 July 1999 v Denmark women Last ODI 28 April 2011 v Sri Lanka women | ||
Ciara metcalfe post match press conference
Ciara Johanna Metcalfe (born 29 September 1979) is an Irish international cricketer who debuted for the Irish national side in June 1999.
Metcalfe was born in Dublin, and has played club cricket for Malahide and Pembroke. Her debut for Ireland came in June 1999, against an England A team, and her One Day International (ODI) debut came the following month, at the age of 19, when she played three matches at the 1999 European Championship in Denmark. In July 2000, Metcalfe was selected in Ireland's squad for its inaugural (and, so far, only) Test match, against Pakistan. In Pakistan's first innings, she took 4/26 from twelve overs to help bowl the team out for 53. Several months later, Metcalfe was selected in the squad for the 2000 World Cup in New Zealand, although she would only play two matches at the tournament (against Sri Lanka and England).
One of Ireland's best spinners, Metcalfe was a regular in the national team throughout the remainder of the 2000s, although she did not gain selection for the 2005 World Cup in South Africa. In an ODI against the Netherlands at the 2007 European Championship, she took her only five-wicket haul at that level, 5/18 from 8.3 overs. Her performance set a new record for the best ODI bowling figures by an Irishwoman (beating Susan Bray's 5/27 against Denmark in 1990), although it has since been surpassed. The following year, at the 2008 World Cup Qualifier, Metcalfe took eight wickets at an average of 14.25, behind only Isobel Joyce for Ireland.
Metcalfe announced her retirement from international cricket in 2011, concluding her ODI career with figures of 4/27 against Sri Lanka. In 42 ODIs, she took 50 wickets at an average of 25.08, placing her behind only Isobel Joyce and Barbara McDonald in terms of wickets taken for Ireland. In 2015, however, Metcalfe announced that she would again be available for the national team. Her international appearances since her return have all been at Twenty20 International level, and have included a series against Australia and matches at the 2015 World Twenty20 Qualifier.