*North West Thunder vs Southern Vipers at the Trafalgar Road Ground of the Southport & Birkdale CC (Merseyside) on 7 July at 10h30
Equally-matched teams exchanged match advantage until the last two balls. Switching from Vipers to Thunder for this season, Tara Norris (pictured as ‘ex Viper, wearing last season’s shirt) made top-score and was the only player to score ’sixes.’ With at least two ‘fours’ needed from two balls, Tara Norris launched her second ’six’ from the penultimate match ball, nudging Thunder tantalisingly close to victory. No other player scored ‘six’ throughout the entire match. For an encore, Tara Norris ran ‘two’ from the final ball, for a tied match. Commentators Michael McCann (Sports Journalist for Lancs TV), Allyson Bryne (ex-skipper, Lancs & Cheshire women) with ‘Florence,’ a guest social media blogger. Video highlights edited from ECB online (NV-play) and ‘YouTube’ (Livestream & highlights) courtesy of Surrey CCC (for South East Stars) – please see below. Weather at Southport was warm and sunny with light breeze, around 20C.
Vipers’ Innings *Skipper Georgia Adams. *[Ellie Threlkeld keeping wicket for Vipers] *With Abi Norgrove (Academy, playing 50 overs for 2nd time, this season) *Without Danni Wyatt, Maia Bouchier & Charlie Dean: all on England duty. *International Maitlan Brown (Australia’s WBBL fast-seamer); but without Nicole Faltum (Australia.) *Facing seamer pairing Tara Norris and Mahika Gaur, openers Ella McCaughan and Abi Norgrove scored 42/0 after 10 overs Power-play. *Chalked-up Vipers’ ‘fifty’ during 12th over. *After 20 overs, seamers were replaced by spinners. *Firstly, Abi Norgrove 48(75) was ‘brilliantly’ stumped by skipper/keeper Threlkeld, when stepping-out to Emma Lamb. *Secondly, skipper Adams 2(5) was short-lived, clean-bowled by Fi Morris, who ‘got one to turn.’ *Between those 2 dismissals, Vipers reached 104/2 by mid-way (25 overs.) *Emma Lamb’s next over saw Ella McCaughan 35(62) caught by Seren Smale, adjacent to the ‘square-leg’ Umpire. *Vipers’ Top-scorer Emily Windsor staged three useful batting partnerships. *Firstly adding 34 with Freya Kemp 20(23) who lobbed a ‘dolly’ to Tara Norris who caught at ‘mid-off’ from Libby Heap’s spin. *Secondly, partnering debutante Maitland Brown 19(21), who was clean-bowled by Laura Jackson. *Thirdly with Linsey Smith. *Caught one short of ‘fifty,’ Emily Windsor 49(62) snicked behind to skipper/keeper Threlkeld. *Two more wickets fell during the last 6 overs. *Alice Monaghan hesitated but was quickly ‘run out’ for a 2nd ball ‘duck,’ by Tara Norris’ accurate throw to skipper/keeper Threlkeld. *Finally, Mary Taylor 16(12) hitacross-the-line to Naomi Dattani, only to discover her off-stump was knocked back. *Vipers’ best batter was Emily Windsor (49) *Thunders’ best bowlers were Emma Lamb 2/35 (spin) and Laura Jackson 2/43 (seam.)
Thunder’s Innings *Skipper Ellie Threlkeld *[Rhianna Southby keeping wicket for Vipers] *With England’s Emma Lamb, (unchanged, apart from missing Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone) *Also with Tara Norris (USA) & Deandre Dottin ex-WIndies. *Emma Lamb 5(11) top-edged a ‘steepler, caught-and-bowled by diving debutante Maitlan Brown. *After 10 overs Power-play, Thunder were 44/1 (vs 42/0.)*Ava Lee’s next over saw Seren Smale 22(29) coming too far forward, stumped by keeper Rhianna Southby. *Thunder were 65/2 (vs 67/0) by 16.4 overs (100 balls.) *Fi Morris steepled a top-edge from Maitlan Brown, caught at to ‘deep square;’ by Mary Taylor. *Thunder still level pegging on 102/3 (vs 104/2) by mid-way (25 overs.) *Naomi Dattani 43(71) lobbed a ‘dolly’ straight back to skipper Georgia Adams. *Deandre Dottin went plumb ‘leg before’ to Linsey Smith (1/31) *Left-hander Danielle ‘Danni’ Collins 25(38) was bowled by Ava Lee’s (2/33) straight ball, jumping up-and-down with disbelief. *Batting lower down-the-order, Libby Heap launched a ‘steepler,’ that was caught short of ‘deep-mid-wicket’ by Alice Monaghan, from Maitlan Brown (3/52) *Top-scorer Ellie Threlkeld 60(60) went plumb ‘leg-before’ to Georgia Adams (2/67) *Finally, bowler-turned-batter Tara Norris 51*not out(27) & Makika Gaur 5*not out (5) drew scores level – both batters remained undefeated. *Thunders’ best batters both scored ‘fifties.’ Ellie Threlkeld 60(60) & Tara Norris 51*not out(27.) Vipers’ best bowlers were Maitlan Brown 3/52 (seam) and Ava Lee 2/33 (spin.)
Match summary Match came down to final over, during which Tara Norris scored her second ’six’ and ‘two’ from the final ball. Also brought up her ‘fifty.’ Remarkably, the match was tied. Unprecedented second tied-match for Thunder, during this same same season. As Thunder’s stand-out batters who made ‘fifties,’ Ellie Threlkeld played a skipper’s innings & former Viper Tara Norris (who played for Vipers until last season’s switch to Thunder) took the match to a ’tie.’ Now with 2 ‘ties,’ Thunder are yet to chalk-up their first win, to avoid receiving their first wooden-spoon. Previously, full-strength Vipers beat Thunder by a narrow margin in June’s 20-overs semi-final. Vipers were evidently ‘missing a few players’ with debutante Maitlan Brown taking 3/52 making a useful addition to the team. Vipers match report and reaction from URL: https://www.ageasbowl.com/cricket/news/report-and-reaction-thunder-v-southern-vipers,-rhft/
Match result: North West Thunder 262/8 (target 263 from 50 overs) Women tied with Southern Vipers Women 262/8
* Vipers’ batting 262/8: (50/50 overs @5.2 runs-per-over); Emily Windsor 59(75), Abigale ‘Abi’ Norgrove 48(75), Linsey Smith 42*not out(33), Ella McCaughan 35(62), Freya Kemp 20(23), Maitlan Brown 19(21), Mary Taylor 16(12), Rhianna Southby 11*not out (6); *Thunder’s bowling: Emma Lamb 2/35, Laura Jackson 2/43, Liberty ‘Libby’ Heap 1/31, Fi Morris 1/34, Naomi Dattani 1/50; Fow 1-85, 2-88, 3-108, 4-142, 5-176, 6-202, 7-214, 8-219.
* Thunder’s batting 262/8: (50/50 overs @5.2 r-p-o target 263 from 50 overs); Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Threlkeld 60(60), Tara Norris 51*not out(27), Naomi Dattani 43(71), Danielle Collins 25(38), Seren Smale 22(29), Deandre Dottin 21(27); *Vipers’ bowling: Maitlan Brown 3/52, Ava Lee 2/33, Georgia Adams 2/67, Linsey Smith 1/31; Fow 1-8, 2-50, 3-74, 4-105, 5-112, 6-157, 7-168, 8-232.
*Scorecard & statistics at URL: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_scorecard#cfe6ae2eb-42c0-419f-8c45-68f7f498cd51_m9b66641a-e4bc-48c3-aa23-dedad5aa0f4a & BBC Sport/BBC Sound (radio Solent commentary) via URL: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/ECKE1000554
*Full match free-to-air courtesy of Lancs TV Cricket on YouTube (07h05m04) at URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h87Oor0Bc-8
