Thunder v Northern Diamonds at Sale CC, Sale on May 18
Making the highest scores of the Northern Roses Derby, Thunder’s openers Emma Lamb (50 runs from 41 balls) and Georgie Boyce (65 from 56) made more runs between them than Diamonds’ meagre total. Together faced 18 dot balls during their power play, reaching 36/0. By mid-way (10 overs) Thunder were 69 without loss. Emma Lamb had mixed fortunes during the thirteenth over, scoring ‘fifty’ but also caught by England’s Nat Sciver from Abigail Glen’s bowling. Separately, Georgie Boyce made another ‘sixty’ against Diamonds as recently as last September.
*After 100 balls (16.4 overs) Thunder were 128/1.
*Six wickets fell during the last three overs as Thunder scrambled enough runs together to make a defendable score. Bowling the death over, three tail-enders were caught from Katie Levick’s (4/22) bowling.
Diamonds suffered an extraordinary batting collapse with three ducks and two ‘run outs.’ Diamonds lost their two best players – Lauren Winfield-Hill and Natalie Sciver for two runs. Winfield-Hill went for a fourth ball duck, presented by Laura Jackson. Sciver found Jackson equally unplayable, scoring 2 runs from 10 deliveries. Half of Diamonds’ wickets fell during the power play, when very few runs were scored. Over half of Thunder’s deliveries were ‘dot’ balls (72/120 compared to 46/120.) Hannah Jones’ spin trapped two players ‘leg before’ (top scorer Bess Heath and Abigail Glen.)
*Bowling a nine-ball over, Phoebe Graham had Diamonds’ skipper Hollie Armitage caught by Danielle Collins for a third ball duck.*Disaster struck when two more wickets fell during the sixth and final power play over. Abigail Glen fell for a fifth ball duck and Bess Heath (19 from 14) was also trapped ‘leg before’ by Hannah Jones’ spin.
*After six overs, Diamonds seemed fragile on 27/5 (compared to Thunder’s 36/0). New Zealander Leigh Kasperek’s wicket fell before the mid-point was reached at 46/6 (Thunder were 69/0 after 10 overs.)
*After 100 balls (16.4 overs) Diamonds were struggling on 72/8 (compared to 128/1). Bowler-turned-batter Emma Marlow showed some spirited resistance during the penultimate over, by hitting Alex Hartley’s spin for ’six;’ but was ’run out’ next over, by the final ball.
Result: (Group ‘A’) Lancashire Thunder Women 148/7 (20 overs) beat Northern Diamonds Women 92/10 (20 overs, target 149); by 56 runs
Thunder: 148/7 (20 overs, 7.4 runs-per-over): Georgie Boyce (65 runs from 56 balls), Emma Lamb (50 from 41), Danielle Collins (10 from 15); Diamonds bowling: Kate Levick 4/22, Linsey Smith, 2/23, Abigail Glen 1/28; Fow 1-95, 2-136, 3-140, 4-143, 5-143, 6-144, 7-147.
Northern Diamonds 92/10 (20 overs, 4.6 runs-per-over): Bess Heath (19 from 14), Linsey Smith (16 from 23), Kate Levick (10* from 11), Emma Marlow (10 from 13); Thunder bowling: Hannah Jones 3/23, Laura Jackson 2/16, Sophia Turner 1/7, Phoebe Graham 1/15, Alex Hartley 1/21; Fow 1-0, 2-3, 3-8, 4-22, 5-27, 6-33, 7-64, 8-64, 9-74, 10-92.
Scorecard and Statistics at URL https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/charlotte-edwards-cup-2022-1298049/thunder-vs-northern-diamonds-group-a-1298055/match-statistics
Live stream via Lancashire TV at URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvWELy55dNU
