Rachael Thomas lifted the Women’s Challenge Cup for a second successive year as Civil Service North’s remarkable record in the competition continued at Stormont yesterday.

Playing in their fifth successive final, CSN avenged their defeat in 2020 by Waringstown to win the trophy for the third time with a comfortable 28 runs success.

Thomas, who also picked up the player of the match award for her 59 from 57 balls, shared a second wicket stand of 117 from just 110 balls with Ali Cowan with the last five overs taking the game away from the challengers as 45 runs were added.

Waringstown were actually ahead of CSN at the halfway stage of the 20-over game, 63 for two against 58 for one, but the dismissal of skipper Charlotte Lyons proved decisive and slowed their charge.

Lyons had scored a run-a-ball 40 when she was stumped off very slow bowler Leah Beattie at the end of the 13th over as 77 for three quickly became 86 for six.

Suzie McCollum, who was player of the final in 2018 when playing for Lurgan, ensured that Waringstown batted out the overs but with 32 needed off the last over, the result had already been decided.

Earlier, Cowan, the sister of former Ireland international Andrew White, had also brought up her 50 from 60 balls and was still there when the overs ran out with CSN on a formidable 142 for two, by some distance the highest total in any of the six finals.

Lyons shared a stand of 67 in 62 balls for the third wicket with Abbi Harrison but both batters were dismissed within seven balls of each other, Harrison to the first of four catches held by Jess Mayes who also made the early breakthrough, having Rachel Harrison, daughter of former Ireland international Garfield, in the first over, to a fine catch by Eva Wilson.

CSN’s most successful bowler was Jemma Gillan who also struck in her first over and added the wickets of McCollum and Lucy Mackey in the last over.

Scores – Civil Service North 142-9 (20 overs, R Thomas 59, A Cowan 55 not out) Waringstown 114-9 (C Lyons 40, S McCollum 26, A Harrison 21; J Gillan 3-17, J Mayes 2-18, L Beattie 2-19, A Leckey 2-28). CSN won by 28 runs.