Mary Veronica Waldron (born 5 May 1984) is an Irish association football player and cricketer who has represented both the Republic of Ireland women's national football team and the Ireland women's cricket team. She has also stood as an umpire in cricket matches.[1]

Mary Waldron
Personal information
Full name Mary Veronica Waldron
Date of birth (1984-05-05) 5 May 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
St James's Gate
UCD
St Francis
St Catherine's
2011– Raheny United
International career
Republic of Ireland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 August 2011

Football

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Club career

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Waldron was nominated for the FAI Under-18 Women Player of the Year in 2001[2] and 2002,[3] while playing for St James's Gate. She was awarded a sport scholarship to University College Dublin in 2003.[4] In the 2004 FAI Women's Cup final at Lansdowne Road, Waldron played in UCD's 4–1 win over Dundalk City.[5]

In July 2004 Waldron made her UEFA Women's Cup debut for UCD; in a 5–0 defeat to Montpellier HSC.[6]

Waldron hit an injury–time winner from the penalty spot, as St Francis beat Peamount United 2–1 in the final of the 2008 FAI Women's Cup at Richmond Park.[7] She also played in 2009 as St Francis beat St Catherine's 1–0 to retain the Cup.[8] In the 2011 final Waldron headed the opening goal in St Catherine's 3–1 win over Wilton United at Turners Cross.[9]

International career

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Waldron captained Ireland at Under-19 level.[10] Coach Noel King gave her an appearance in Ireland's senior team in a 2–1 friendly win over Faroe Islands in Klaksvík on 12 October 2004.[11] In August 2011 she reappeared for the senior team, as an 86th-minute substitute for Shannon Smyth in a 1–0 home friendly defeat to Switzerland.[12]

Waldron also represented Irish Universities at the World University Games, playing in the 2009 tournament in Belgrade.[10]

Cricket

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Cricket information
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper; umpire
International information
National side
ODI debut (cap 63)4 July 2010 v New Zealand
Last ODI25 July 2023 v Australia
T20I debut (cap 20)14 October 2010 v Sri Lanka
Last T20I20 February 2023 v India
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2015–2019Dragons
2021–presentTyphoons
Umpiring information
T20Is umpired6 (2019)
FC umpired1 (2019)
LA umpired1 (2019)
T20 umpired2 (2018)
Career statistics
Competition WODI WT20I
Matches 56 88
Runs scored 481 531
Batting average 13.00 11.54
100s/50s 0/0 0/1
Top score 42 55*
Catches/stumpings 33/16 34/28
Source: Cricinfo, 28 July 2023

In July 2010 Waldron made her One Day International debut for Ireland women's cricket team, against New Zealand at Kibworth Cricket Club New Ground. She is a wicket-keeper.[13] She was a member of Ireland's squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament.[14] In October 2018, she was named in Ireland's squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.[15][16]

In August 2019, she was named in Ireland's squad for the 2019 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament in Scotland.[17] In July 2020, she was awarded a part-time professional contract by Cricket Ireland for the following year.[18] In November 2021, she was named in Ireland's team for the 2021 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe.[19]

On 27 July 2023, Waldron announced her retirement from international cricket.[20][21][22][23]

Umpiring

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Waldron is also pursuing a career as a cricket umpire.[24][25] In October 2016, she became the first woman for 38 years to stand as an umpire in a men's Grade cricket match in South Australia.[26] In August 2018, she became the first Irish woman to umpire in a men's List A fixture.[27] In May 2019, the International Cricket Council named her as one of the eight women on the ICC Development Panel of Umpires.[28][29] On 15 June 2019, she stood in her first Twenty20 International (T20I) match, between Italy and Norway, in the Regional Finals of the 2018–19 ICC T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier tournament.[30] In September–October 2019, she stood in Australian women's domestic league, the Women's Big Bash League.[31]

Hockey

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Waldron has also played Hockey for Glenanne where her teammates included Nicola Daly and she was coached by Nikki Symmons.[32][33][34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mary Waldron: Ireland wicketkeeper joins ICC Development Panel of umpires". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  2. ^ Michael Scully (15 January 2002). "Football: SIMPLY 12 OF THE VERY BEST; Stars of the present and future fight it out to win the 2001 eircom/FAI award". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  3. ^ "Football: eircom/FAI Player of the Year nominations for 2002". The Daily Mirror. 28 March 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  4. ^ "Sports Scholarships". UCD. 4 December 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  5. ^ Lindie Naughton (February 2005). "UCD leading the field in men and women's soccer" (PDF). UCD. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  6. ^ "Mary Veronica Waldron". UEFA.com. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  7. ^ 2008 FAI Women's Cup, FAI
  8. ^ "St. Francis retain FAI Umbro Women's FAI Senior Cup title". Football Association of Ireland. 25 July 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  9. ^ "Sports Digest". Irish Times. 8 August 2011. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  10. ^ a b "World University Games". FAI Third Level Football. Archived from the original on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  11. ^ Duret, Sébastien (5 April 2005). "International Matches (Women) 2004". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  12. ^ "Switzerland inflict narrow defeat on Ireland". FAI.ie. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  13. ^ "Mary Waldron". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  14. ^ "ICC announces umpire and referee appointments for ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier 2018". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Final squad named for World T20, Raack set for Ireland debut". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  16. ^ "Laura Delany to lead 'strong and experienced' Irish side at World T20". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  17. ^ "Match official appointments and squads announced for ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  18. ^ "Cricket Ireland award new set of women's contracts". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  19. ^ "Ireland squad announced for Women's World Cup Qualifier; amendments made to tournament schedule". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  20. ^ "Mary Waldron: Ireland's most-capped female cricketer retires". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  21. ^ "Mary Waldron retires from international cricket". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  22. ^ "Ireland wicketkeeper announces retirement from international cricket". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  23. ^ "Mary Waldron retires from international cricket". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  24. ^ "Ireland's Mary Waldron: umpire and player". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  25. ^ "Paving the way in Women's Cricket". Cricket Ireland. 5 February 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  26. ^ "Irish cricketer first woman to umpire a men's Grade match in SA in 38 years". Adelaide Now. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  27. ^ "Waldron raises the bar…as well as the finger". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  28. ^ "ICC welcomes first female match referee and boosts numbers on development panel". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  29. ^ "GS Lakshmi becomes first woman to be ICC match referee". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  30. ^ "2nd Match, ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Region Final at St Peter Port, Jun 15 2019". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  31. ^ "The Mary Waldron story: Late to cricket, Ireland wicketkeeper, international umpire". The Cricketer. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Waldron strikes winner for St Francis". www.hookhockey.com. 24 November 2008. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  33. ^ "Glenanne – Women's Division One preview". www.hookhockey.com. 14 September 2012. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  34. ^ "Railway Union come back to earn a draw". www.irishtimes.com. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
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