The Blaze vs North West Thunder at Nottingham (Trent Bridge) on 6 May (09h30)
Thunder skipper Ellie Threlkeld (pictured) came beefed-up for a ‘Bank Holiday showdown’ with all four of their England players plus Australian Katie Mack. Blaze were strengthened by Tammy Beaumont playing her first match this season wearing Blaze, accompanied by fellow England player Sarah Glenn. Two pairs of bowlers from each size took 3-fers during a low-scoring match which saw 19 wickets fall. Thunder and England’s Mahika Gaur collected 3 ‘big name’ wickets from her first six overs. Blaze’s top-scorer Kirstie Gordon played a skipper’s innings, shy of ‘fifty.’ When Thunder replied, Seren Smale was the only batter who made ‘fifty.’ *Tail-enders Hannah Jones and Phoebe Graham made a gripping finish with Hannah Jones hitting the winning ‘four;’ also chalking-up their second win from five rounds. By comparison, Blaze have notched-up just one win. Previous two fixtures between both teams were rained-off without a solitary bowl bowled (May & July ’23.) Commentators were Jamie Ramage and Beth Harmer (England u-19s & Blaze) who were convinced that the match could have gone ‘either way.’ Weather was mainly sunny 15C.
*Blaze innings *skipper Kirstie Gordon & Sophie Munro (England A), Tammy Beaumont & Sarah Glenn (England), *Bethan ‘Beth’ Gammon (Wales) *With Nadine deKlerk (from Rep. South Africa) *Without Kathryn & Sarah Bryce (Scotland) *Georgie Boyce (injured) [*Ellie Threlkeld keeping wicket for Thunder] *Teresa Graves was bowled ‘middle-stump’ by Mahika Gaur’s in-swing; *Nadine deKlerk went for a carbon copy dismissal from Mahika Gaur, also for single-figures; *After 10 overs power-play, 49/2; *Tammy Beaumont who was dropped, was caught shortly afterwards at ‘mid-on’ by Kate Cross from Mahika Gaur; *Marie Kelly 23(30) was caught by Emma Lamb, from Emma Jones; *Next over, 3 balls later Sarah Glenn was caught-and-bowled by Sophie Ecclestone; *Mid-way 105/5 (25 overs); *Beth Gammon 19(27) was bowled by Hannah Jones; *Seven balls later, Ella Claridge was caught for a duck by Sophie Ecclestone, from Fi Morris; *Partnership lasting 14 overs between Sophie Munro and Kirstie Gordon added 29 runs; *Sophie Munro 19(50) was ‘run out’ by Seren Smale, from Naomi Dattani; *Lucy Higham 11(19) was bowled Hannah Jones; *Top-scorer Kirstie Gordon who played a skipper’s innings was caught by Seren Smale, from Kate Cross; *Blaze batting Kirstie Gordon 43(83,) Tammy Beaumont 25(38), Marie Kelly 23(30), Bethan Gammon 19(27), Sophie Munro 19(50), Lucy Higham 11(19); *Thunder’s bowling First six overs from Mahikja Gaur collected 3 wickets. Mahika Gaur 3/33, Hannah Jones 3/37, Fi Morris 1/5, Sophie Ecclestone 1/29, Kate Cross 1/29;
*Thunder’s innings skipper Ellie Threlkeld; Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Mahika Gaur, Emma Lamb (England) Katie Mack (Australia big-bash) [Ella Claridge keeping wicket for Blaze] *Emma Lamb partnered by Seren Smale made a power-play score of 69/0 (vs 49/2); *Nadine deKlerk & Grace Ballinger remained wicketless, replaced by Kirstie Gordon and Sophie Munro; *After 15 overs 88/0; *Breakthrough came during Sarah Glenn’s second over when Emma Lamb’s ‘slog-sweep’ was caught at ‘mid-on’ by Teresa Graves and four balls later, Katie Mack was bowled by Sarah Glenn; *Approaching mid-way Lucy Higham also took two wickets; *Firstly Fi Morris was caught at ‘mid-on’ by Teresa Graves; *Secondly when Ellie Threlkeld was caught at ‘mid-off’ by Kirstie Gordon; *Mid-way 111/4 (vs 105/5); *Lucy Higham scored her 3-fer when Naomi Dattani went ‘leg before;’ *Next over, top-scorer Seren Smale was bowled by Kirstie Gordon; *Disaster struck during the 35th over when Kirstie Gordon was on a hat-trick. *Sophie Ecclestone was bowled and next ball, Mahika Gaur went leg-before for a golden duck; *Kate Cross was bowled ‘middle-stump’ by Sophie Munro; *Bowler-turned-batter Hannah Jones hit the winning ‘four’ to nudge Thunder across-the-line; *Thunder’s batting During a gripping last-wicket stand of fifteen runs between tail-enders Hannah Jones and Phoebe Graham, the match could have gone either way; *Seren Smale 58(70), Emma Lamb 44(50), Kate Cross 15(32), Naomi Dattani 11(26), Hanna Jones 10*not out(17); *Blaze’s bowling Kirstie Gordon 3/25, Lucy Higham 3/28, Sarah Glenn 2/36, Sophie Munro 1/27;
*Match result: North West Thunder 176/9 (@3.9 runs-per-over 44.4/50 overs; target 175 from 50 ov ) beat The Blaze 174 (@3.7 rpo from 46.4/50 ov ) by one wicket with 32 balls remaining
*Scorecard courtesy of ECB @URL https://www.ecb.co.uk/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy/match-centre/104437#scorecard
Match free-to-air courtesy of The Blaze (via NV Play) on YouTube <5h26m22s> @URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m11EA-1Xmzo
Report from ‘Blaze News’ @URL https://www.trentbridge.co.uk/news/2024/may/thunder-withstand-blaze-fightback-in-bank-holiday-showdown.html
