Hannah Cronin and Meabh Cuinnea book place in All-Ireland bowling finals

FINAL SPOTS BOOKED: Hannah Cronin and Meabh Cuinnea booked their places in next weekend’s All-Ireland bowling finals in Eglish with five star performances in the Munster intermediate and U16 finals at Bauravilla. Picture: ©INPHO/Tom Honan

Hannah Cronin and Meabh Cuinnea booked their places in next weekend’s All-Ireland bowling finals in Eglish with five star performances in the Munster intermediate and U16 finals at Bauravilla.

Cronin bowled an exceptional score against All-Ireland U18 champion, Ellen Sexton, in the women’s intermediate final. She grew in confidence as the score progressed and was a compelling winner at the end. Cuinnea showed incredible maturity and resolve to win a sensational U16 final against a highly impressive Emma Hurley.

This double-header was a real advertisement for everything that’s good about sport. All four players performed heroics. The whole spectrum of the population of their respective communities swelled the huge attendance, from children in buggies to octogenarians and everyone in-between.

Cronin opened the intermediate final with a huge bowl, but Sexton beat it by 25m. She was down past the school with an equally impressive second one, only for Sexton to beat that by 30m. Sexton held the lead in the next two, but Cronin got in front with a huge fifth bowl past Coppinger’s gates. She was never headed again.

She played an absolute jet past the netting to raise a bowl of odds. Sexton knocked the bowl with a super tenth throw away from Dekker’s corner. Immediately Cronin hit back with a brilliant bowl to light at the netting to go well over a bowl clear again.

Sexton rallied strongly in the next two, but Cronin produced a huge 13th shot past the novice D line to go two in front. There was no way back now as Cronin drove on strongly to hold her lead.

Cuinnea and Hurley contributed to an exceptional U16 final that bodes well for Irish bowling ahead of hosting the European championship in 2028. These two have the talent and the temperament to really challenge at European level.

Hurley got the better of the big opening shots by 30m. Cuinnea followed with two big bowls to the rock, but Hurley beat both. She played a brilliant bowl up the rise from the rock to win a 40m lead. Hurley upped the ante with a searing seventh shot to the netting, but Cuinnea beat it by 20m. She then beat two great bowls in succession from Hurley past Coppinger’s gates.

The critical turning point came when Hurley missed Robin’s cross with her next one. Cunnea replied with the shot of the score through the cross and onto the main road. That put her almost a bowl in front. She raised the bowl with her next one towards the bridge and that effectively closed off any chance of a late challenge from Hurley.