Played at Loughborough (Haselgrave Ground) Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy on July 9 (10h30)
Lightning’s winning performances came from skipper Kathryn Bryce 109 runs (from 133 balls.) Also Lightning’s who Grace Ballinger took three power play wickets, closing on 5/29. Commentators said that Ballinger had ‘produced the goods.’ Her 5-fer came ‘out of the blue’ when compared to since last week. For Thunder, skipper Ellie Threlkeld made top score 91(117.) Sophie Munro made ‘fifty.’ Setting the scene, commentators said that Lightning had beaten Thunder 3-2 in all formats. Mike Perkins hosted, with guest cricketer Polly Starkie as host of the ’Noughtie Child women’s cricket Podcast.’ Weather was described as a ‘glorious’ sunny day – with blue sky, in contrast to bad weather that adversely affected first round matches.
Thunder’s innings
Electing to bat, Thunder made the ‘worst possible start’ without Emma Lamb on England duty. Skipper Ellie Threlkeld had a lucky reprieve when dropped by Marie Kelly during the fifth over, on 3. *Firstly, Georgie Boyce, said to be ‘a solid player’ went ‘leg before’ for a second ball duck to left-arm seamer bowler Grace Ballinger, coming over the wicket. *Secondly commentators exclaimed that Thunder were ‘in all sorts of trouble’ after Danielle Collins 2(7) was clean-bowled by Ballinger. *Thirdly Deandre Dottin 28(19), who was forecast to make a ‘big score’ was trapped ‘leg before.’ *Dissenting Dottin was adamant that she’d made contact with her bat, but Umpires were unmoved. *Commentator’s curse struck. *Dottin looked skyward before departing slowly – at which point the match was paused for drinks. *Earlier during the sixth over, Australian Piepa Cleary was said to have ‘taken a beating’ from Dottin who scored twenty runs from six balls, ‘staging a recovery.’ *Immediately correcting themselves, commentators conceded that Ballinger’s third power play wicket was ‘huge,’ ‘spearing leg stump,’ ‘quite adjacent’ and it was ‘inconclusive’ whether or not Dottin had made any contact with her bat. *After ten overs power play, Thunder made 48/3.
*Forty balls later at the 100 benchmark (16.4 overs) Thunder had added thirty runs and were 73/3. *Just after mid-way (98/3); Thunder’s 100 was chalked-up during the twenty-sixth over ‘after a considerable rebuilding job,’ with a delicate sweep-shot from Natalie Brown 31(72.) *Ellie Threlkeld’s ‘fifty’ 51(72) from Teresa Graves came during the 27th over. *Piepa Cleary (2/60) returned ‘after her earlier beating,’ to take Natalie Brown’s wicket. *Brown hooked to square, and a tumbling catch was caught by Lightning’s substitute fielder (Alicia Demi Presland for Marie Kelly.) *Grace Ballinger (4/42) took a fourth wicket as Shachi Pai went aerial and was caught by keeper Sarah Bryce running across to the slips. *Disaster struck when Ellie Threlkeld 91(117) was ‘run out’ from Piepa Cleary’s direct hit, failing to ‘make her ground’ after hitting to ‘mid-on:’ ‘for a run that wasn’t there.’ Threlkeld made her highest ‘List A ‘ score. Thunder’s 200 was chalked-up with a single from Laura Jackson. *Grace Ballinger picked up a second wicket from her second spell, when Daisy Mullin 2(7) played-on from an inside edge, handing Ballinger her first five wicket haul: ’5-fer’ (5/29.) *Having beefed-up Phoebe Graham (please see interview below) ‘commentators’ curse’ struck for a second time when Graham 9(8) came down wicket to Teresa Graves and was stumped by keeper Sarah Bryce. Commentators predicted 235 with twenty balls remaining.
Lightning’s innings
Lightning were without spinner Kirstie Gordon and Marie Kelly was unable to bat, having earlier injured her hand. *Thunder bowled 39 ‘dots’ during the power play, when Lightning reached 55/1 (vs. 48/3). Phoebe Graham (18 dots) was paired with Laura Jackson (21 dots) bowling 5 overs each. *During the sixth over, opener Bethany Harmer (16) was clean-bowled by Jackson. Beyond the power play Natalie Brown was paired with Alex Hartley for twelve overs. Brown’s second over skittled Sarah Bryce 33(40). *After 100 balls (16.4 overs) Lightning were 72/2 (vs 73/3). *Ten balls later, Gwenan Davies 4 (from 17) went ‘leg before’, going for another ‘low sweep’, this time from Alex Hartley’s left-arm spin. *After 22 overs, Deandre Dottin’s first ball had Lucy Higham 3(8) caught behind by skipper Threlkeld. *By Midway, Lightning had chalked-up 102/4 (vs 98/3.) *Lightning’s fifth wicket partnership between Kathryn Bryce and Sophie Munro lasted 23 overs, adding 133 runs. Kathryn Bryce’s ‘fifty’ came during the 31st over (on 131/4); and Sophie Munro’s maiden A-List ‘fifty’ came from 63 balls (on 215/4.) *Retaining strike, Munro was clean-bowled by Hannah Jones two balls later. *Thereafter, Piepa Cleary 13*(14) joined Kathryn Bryce 109*(133) who scored an unbeaten second A-List century. *Bryce’s final ‘four’ from Natalie Brown saw Lightning safely home with five balls to spare.
Summary
Lightning won by five wickets with their first win in the second round of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. As skipper of both the winning team and Scotland’s international women’s team, Kathryn Bryce hit an unbeaten ’ton’ (109: that turned out to be second highest score to Georgia Elwiss’ 110.) Previously when batting, Thunder were ‘in all sorts of trouble’ after Grace Ballinger took a career-best 5-fer. Thunder’s skipper Ellie Threlkeld also made career best figures scoring 91. Lightning’s reply was dominated by a 133run fifth-wicket partnership between Katherine Bryce and Sophie Munro. *Bowler-turned-batter Munro made her career best ‘fifty,’ playing a valuable supporting role to her skipper, to nudge Lightning into a match-winning position.
Result: Loughborough Lightning Women 241/5 (50 overs) beat Thunder Women 238/9 (50 overs) by 5 wickets with 5 balls remaining
Thunder batting 238/9 (50 overs, 4.76 runs-per-over): Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Threlkeld 91(117), Natalie Brown 31(72), Deandre Dottin 28(19), Shachi Pai 27(40), Laura Jackson 13*(16), Alex Hartley 12*(7); Lightning bowling: Grace Ballinger 5/29, Piepa Cleary 2/60, Teresa Graves 1/38; Fow 1-1, 2-7, 3-36, 4-119, 5-192, 6-196, 7-200, 8-217, 9-223.
Lightning batting 241/5 (50 overs, 4.90 runs-per-over): Kathryn Bryce 109(133), Sophie Munro 50(65), Sarah Bryce 33(40), Bethany Harmer 16(19), Piepa Cleary 13*(14); Thunder bowling: Laura Jackson 1/34, Natalie Brown 1/35, Alex Hartley 1/36, Hannah Jones 1/45, Deandre Dottin 1/47; Fow 1-26 ,2-61, 3-73, 4-92, 5-215.
Scorecard & statistics at URL Scorecard and statistics at URL: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy-2022-1297659/lightning-vs-thunder-1297933/full-scorecard
Entire match, is free-to-view courtesy of Lightning live stream (nv play) via Youtube and Smart TV (starting from 38 mins/6h41m46s) at URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GonN8qOBh4
Alex Hartley interview with Thunder’s Phoebe Graham at URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccsajzfiqrc&list=PLITqEg9z8HhdeuYnlfIVi0MRRCxkPal2W
