Lancashire Thunder (women) vs Durham Cricket (women) (match 48 – league one ’double-header’ fixture) at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday, 13 July 2025 (14h30)
Northern derby won by Durham Cricket women chasing 149 runs, with honours even – up to a point. Their previous clash minus Emma Lamb (played in wettish June weather – match 6) saw the hosts win. This time, Emma Lamb made 74 runs (from 48 balls) that passed her 1,000 total runs scored for Thunder this season (and she later rejoined the England tour post-match.) Durham Cricket women balanced-out Emma Lamb’s score by a match-winning partnership between top-scorer Bess Heath 43(23) pictured wearing England it20 together with Suzie Bates33(22) whose combined strike-rate was similar. Without scoreboard pressure for the final three overs, pressure mounted on host bowlers to keep Thunder’s qualification hopes alive. Commentators were Fraser Dainton (Lancs TV host), and Polly Starkie (Social media co-host ‘Noughtie Child Podcast’ and ‘HerGameToo’ cricket ambassador) with guest player Kate Cross (Thunder & England International) Weather: blue sky 24C.
Thunder women wearing rose-red with thin dark blue shards; *skipper Ellie Threlkeld; *[Mia Rodgers keeping wicket for Durham Cricket]; *International player Alana King (Australia); *with Ailsa Lister & Darcey Carter (Scottish Internationals) *without Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone Mahika Gaur, or Grace Potts (England international call-up); *Eve Jones, was bowled ’straight through’ hitting ‘middle-and-leg’ by Katherine Fraser;*By 6 overs ‘power-play’ 48/1;*Seren Smale was caught from an ‘outside-edge’ at ‘point’ by Katherine Fraser, from Katie Levick;*By mid-way (10 overs) 79/2; *Alisa Lister was ‘edged’ behind to keeper Mia Rogers, from Sophia Turner;*’Throwing her bat,’ Ellie Threlkeld was stumped by Mia Rogers, from Katie Levick; *Ending a ‘great innings,’ Emma Lamb was caught ‘in-the-covers’ by Mady Villiers, from Sophia Turner; *Two balls later, Alana King was caught ariel at ‘point’ by Hollie Armitage, also from Sophia Turner, for a third-ball ‘duck;’ *Playing ‘across-the-line’ Darcey Carter was bowled ‘middle-and-leg,’ from Mady Villiers; Thunder batting: Emma Lamb74(48), Eve Jones 19(14), Ailsa Lister16(17), Seren Smale12(17);Durham bowling: Sophia Turner 3/27, Katie Levick 2/27, Mady Villiers 1/27, Katherine Fraser 1/32.
Durham Cricket women wearing yellow with blue trim over blue, with yellow pads; *Skipper Hollie Armitage *[Ellie Threlkeld keeping wicket for Thunder]; *With Suzie Bates (NZ international); Katherine Fraser(Scottish International); without Rachel Slater; *Suzie Bates was caught from a ‘leading-edge’ at ‘short-third’ by Sophie Morris from Tara Norris; *By 6 overs ‘power-play’ 50/1 (vs 48/1); *Next over Emma Marlow was bowled ‘with off-stump leaning backwards,’ from Alana King; *Mis-timing a ‘sweep’ Hollie Armitage was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ with bails sent flying by Alana King; *By mid-way 76/3 (vs 79/2); *Next over, ’danger player’ Mady Villiers ‘mis-hit’ to Tara Norris taken overhead at ‘mid-off,’ from Phoebe Graham; *Mia Rogers was caught-and-bowled low-down by Alana King; *Mis-timing a ‘heave’ Bess Heath was bowled by spinner Darcey Carter’s faster ball; *Leah Dobson ‘thumped’ straight to ‘mid-off,’ caught Eve Jones, from Tara Norris; *Katherine Fraser was caught inside the ‘deep-mid-wicket’ boundary by Ailsa Lister, from Darcey Carter; Durham batting: Bess Heath43(23), Suzie Bates33(22), Hollie Armitage 19(13), Mady Villiers 13(12), Mia Rogers10(8); Thunder bowling: Alana King 3/24, Darcey Carter 2/28, Tara Norris 2/29, Phoebe Graham 1/30.
Match result: Durham Cricket (women) 149/8 (@7.6 runs-per-over, from 19.2/20 overs/target 149 from 20 overs) beat Lancashire Thunder (women) 148/7 (@7.4 r-p-o from 20/20 overs) by two wickets with four balls remaining
*Scorecard with video highlights, courtesy of ECB via nv play at url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m970672dd-5c72-4d91-8caf-e84ab96840d9
*BBC Sport @url: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225337 & SKY Sports@url: https://www.skysports.com/cricket/lancashire-thunder-v-durham-women/scorecard/03f4b50c-30ac-5452-a6a2-16ab32a130e7
*Highlights courtesy of Lancs Cricket TV (nv play) via YouTube [09m38s] @url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faaAny5V83I
*Upcoming League one fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/06/22/vitality-blast-league-one-fixtures-and-results-to-june-2025/
*Upcoming League two fixtures @url http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/07/02/vitality-cup-league-two-fixtures-for-season-2025-2/
