Durham Cricket (women) vs Lancashire Thunder (women)(match 39, league one – ‘stand-alone’ fixture) at Chester-le-Street, Bank Homes Riverside (floodlit evening match) on 3 July 2026
DC women boosted their chances to appear on ‘finals day’ at the expense of Thunder: who’ve been ‘knocked-out’ with insufficient points to qualify beyond the t20 ‘group-stage.’ Records tumbled in this low-scoring Northern derby, when Thunder posted their lowest ‘power-play’ score of 21/2 with total score of 79 ‘All out’ (i.e.: unadjusted t20 scores when playing a full innings without invoking ‘DLS’ calculations.) Recent new recruit Trudy Johnson took three wickets, conceding 7 runs (her career-best ‘A-List’ to date.) Katherine Fraser – pictured also made career-best performance, taking two wickets from her nine deliveries, conceding just 5 runs (having returned from Scots t20 World Cup squad.) Commentators mentioned that (individually) skipper Hollie Armitage [44*not out(from 33 balls)] made ‘no mistake’ when playing her skipper’s innings with top-score. Also (collectively) Durham Cricket women ‘couldn’t have done more’ to shape their ’all-round’ performance during what was a ‘must-win’ match. Commentators were Ben Fitzpatrick (with detectable Australian accent, representing ‘Durham Cricket’ & their CeMAP academy); Toby Reynolds (Sports Gazette’s cricket editor) with Polly Starkie (Social media co-host ‘Noughtie Child Podcast’ and ‘HerGameToo’ cricket ambassador.) Weather: cloudy ‘cool’ 18C.
Thunder women wearing rose red with light green and dark blue shoulder stripes and red pads; *skipper Ellie Threlkeld [Mia Rogers keeping wicket for Thunder]; *with Venus Weerappulli (England Women U19 Tri-Series Squad 2026); *with international player Meg Lanning (Australia) *without Sophie Ecclestone or Mahika Gaur (England IT20 World-Cup call-up); *Guest Australian Meg Lanning, went plumb ‘leg-before’ to seamer Trudy Johnson’s straight delivery; *Left-handed batter Eve Jones was caught aerial by Grace Thompson, at ‘mid-off,’ from Heather Graham;*After 6 overs ‘power-play’ 21/2; *Emma Lamb snicked-an-edge to keeper Mia Rogers, from Trudy Johnson; *Left-handed batter Tilly Kesteven was bowled ‘top-of-middle’ with bails sent flying by Trudy Johnson for a second-ball ‘duck; *Score 36/4 by ‘mid-way (after 10 overs); *Ellie Threlkeld was caught aerial at ‘long-on’ by Sophia Turner, from Katherine Fraser’s spin; *Fi Morris was bowled ‘top-of-middle-and-off’ by Mady Villiers’ spin; *Mis-timing a ‘swing,’ Kate Cross was ‘clean-bowled’ ‘top-of-middle-and-off’ by Katie Levick; *Two balls later, left-handed batter Tara Norris was caught at ‘extra-cover’ by Grace Thompson, from Katie Levick for a second-ball ‘duck;’ *Mistiming a ‘cut’ Venus Weerappulli was momentarily ‘stumped’ by Mia Rogers, from Mady Villiers; *Five balls later, Sophie Morris was also ‘stumped,’ from Katherine Fraser – this time for a ‘duck;’ Thunder women batting: Darcey Carter 32*not out(42); Kate Cross 17(19); Eve Jones 11(12); Durham Cricket women bowling: Trudy Johnson 3/7(4); Katherine Fraser 2/5(1.3); Katie Levick 2/15(4); Mady Villiers 2/17(4); Heather Graham 1/24(4);
Durham Cricket women wearing yellow splash over dark blue with white numbers and dark blue caps with yellow pads; *Skipper Hollie Armitage *[Ellie Threlkeld keeping wicket for Thunder women); *with Trudy Johnson (England Women U19 Tri-Series Squad 2026); *with Katherine Fraser(Scotland international);*With international player Heather Graham (Australia Womens Big-Bash League WBBL); *Mis-timing a ‘slog,’ Mady Villiers was caught low-down at ‘mid-wicket’ by Emma Lamb, from Kate Cross; *After 6 overs ‘power-play’ 32/1 (vs 21/2); *Emily Windsor was caught at ‘long-off’ by Kate Cross, from Venus Weerappulli’s spin; *Mistiming a ‘pull,’ Bess Heath steepled a ’thick-edge’ to ‘mid-on,’ caught by Kate Cross, from Venus Weerappulli; *Score 49/3 by (vs 36/4) ‘mid-way (after 10 overs); *No further wickets fell; Durham Cricket women batting: Hollie Armitage 44*not out(33); Heather Graham 19(17); Emily Windsor 11(18); Thunder women bowling: Venus Weerappulli 2/18(4); Kate Cross 1/16(3);
*Match result: Durham Cricket (women) 80/3 (@5.9 runs-per-over/target 80 from 13.3/20ov.) beat Lancashire Thunder (women) 79 ‘All out’ (@4 r-p-o from 19.3/20ov.) by seven wickets with 39 balls remaining
*Video scorecard, courtesy of ECB via nv play @url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_scorecard#me5e80000-9b94-4272-0720-08de2c26e2c6
*Upcoming League one ‘Vitality Blast’ (20ov.) fixtures @url: http://4theloveofsport.co.uk/2025/12/17/vitality-blast-league-one-fixtures-for-2026-3-of-4/
*Upcoming League one ‘MetroBank’ (50ov.) fixtures with mid-term results @url: https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#me5e80000-9b94-4272-bf7b-08de2c26e211
