Laura Delany

Laura Delany is a top-order batter who is also a fast-bowling all-rounder. She has cricket in her blood as Delany is related to Gareth Delany and David Delany. The all-rounder has been representing Ireland since 2010 when she dismissed Sophie Devine to chalk up her first international wicket.

Delany emerged into the Irish setup when she donned the national colours at the U-17 level. She was then fast-tracked to the national side when she made an international debut at 18 years of age. Delany, the bowler scalped the wicket of Devine on her ODI debut, but the batter failed as she was dismissed on a duck. However, as the all-rounder’s career progressed, she became a prominent name in the Irish circles. 

When Isobel Joyce stepped down as captain, Delany was appointed to lead the team after the World T20 event of 2016. In 2018, the all-rounder led the Irish team in the 2018 T20 World Cup, before Delany was named the Women's International Player of the Year at the Annual Cricket Ireland Awards. 

In 2020, Delany was awarded a national contract by the Ireland Cricket Board for her invaluable contributions. Apart from cricket, the Dublin-born also works full-time for Standard Life. However, with her national team not getting enough opportunities, Delany has only played a handful of games, while she has been playing internationally for more than a decade now. 

(As of May 2021)