MATCH PREVIEW AND SQUAD NEWS: Thunder vs The Blaze
Squad news
Head-coach Paul Shaw has named an unchanged squad to face The Blaze at Sedbergh school.
Thunder Squad: Ellie Threlkled (c), Danni Collins, Naomi Dattani, Deandra Dottin, Mahika Gaur, Liberty Heap, Laura Jackson, Emma Lamb, Fi Morris, Sophie Morris, Daisy Mullan, Tara Norris, Seren Smale
Match Preview
Thunder can still fulfil their pre-season goal of qualifying for both regional showpiece events in 2023, believes in-form bowling all-rounder Tara Norris.
With five rounds to go in the group stage of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy - 25 points to play for - Thunder sit nine adrift of South East Stars, who occupy the third knockout qualifying place.
This Saturday sees Thunder tackle league leaders Blaze at Sedbergh (10.30am) in the final round of fixtures before the six-and-a-half-week break for the Hundred.
The first round back after the Hundred sees Thunder face the Stars at Guildford.
Norris said: “One of our goals this summer was to reach both finals days. We did that in the T20 stuff for the first time, which was a fantastic achievement.
“We were really successful in our T20 campaign because we had that nothing to lose mentality. We lost the first two games and ended up qualifying.
“That can be the same again this weekend. We’re up against the strongest team in the league so far, and us being underdogs is a really good thing. If we keep having that mentality of, ‘Nothing to lose, everything to gain’, I think we’ll play some really good and entertaining cricket.
“There’s five games left, and we can give it a really good go. There’s no reason why we can’t get on a run and qualify.
“But, even if we don’t and finish mid-table, that’s a really successful year for the group compared to where we’ve been in the last few years.”
The RHF Trophy campaign has been a weird and wonderful one in many ways for Thunder so far. From nine games, they have tied two and had three rained off. They have won one and lost three.
Since the return to 50-over action at the start of the month following the T20 Charlotte Edwards Cup, Thunder have completed the set of results. They have lost one, tied one, won one and had the other rained off.
The latter was last time out against Sunrisers at Northampton last Friday.
“It feels like it’s all starting to click and gel together,” said Norris, reflecting on a run of fixtures which has included a win over arch-rivals and defending champions Northern Diamonds at York.
“Annoyingly, it’s come just before we break for the Hundred.
“I feel like we’re starting to click as a group in terms of clarity of roles and being a bit more clinical with finishing games off. We were struggling a bit with that at the start of the season.
“Generally it’s been good. We’ve drawn two games, which is almost unheard of in 50-over cricket in a summer - and we’re not even at the end of it yet.
“We’re too good at sharing points at the minute! If’s not a tie, it’s the weather.
“We’ve been in positions where we maybe shouldn’t have won but have ended up coming back into it. That shows the resilience we have in the squad. Now we have to be ruthless and finish games off or get into those good positions slightly earlier.”
Norris has had an exceptional last few weeks, both with her left-arm swing bowling and her lower order batting. The 25-year-old USA international claimed 4-42 in a defeat to Central Sparks and then hit a brilliant unbeaten 51 to help secure a tie against a Southern Vipers side she left last winter.
The four-for was her second best haul in all 50-over cricket, while her fifty was a career best.
“It’s been a really good few weeks,” she said. “I’m just happy to contribute. I didn’t feel like I started very well this summer. Now I’d just like to put in a match-winning performance. That would be great.
“I just want to contribute to the team. I joined Thunder to get more opportunity with the bat, and I want to keep doing that. If I don’t contribute with the ball, I want to be there at the end with the bat.”
It’s interesting to look down Norris’s list of 50-over performances this summer. Despite some impressive returns, she is yet to bowl her full allocation of 10 overs in a game. That indicates the depth of options captain Ellie Threlkeld has at her disposal.
“We have a lot of bowlers who can bowl at different stages of the game,” said Norris.
“I know that’s definitely an area I’ve been working on - to be an impact bowler whenever I’m needed. It’s every player’s dream, really. When you’re on, you’re on.”
Blaze were beaten finalists by the Vipers at T20 Finals Day last month, one of only two defeats all season. The other for Nottingham-based region came in their last RHFT game against the Stars on Monday.
“They’re a really strong team,” added Norris. “But I don’t think we’re too far apart in terms of quality of players. It’s just that they’re used to winning more than we are at the minute.
“It was frustrating to be washed out at Sunrisers after that Diamonds win, so we’ll be looking to go quite hard.
“If we can keep that fearless mentality, I think we’ll be successful with it.
“Hopefully it’s a really entertaining and exciting game and we can get a win on the board.”
Opposing player to watch
South African overseas all-rounder Nadine de Klerk has been the Blaze’s standout performer this summer, more so with the ball than the bat.
Seamer de Klerk has taken 13 wickets in the ongoing Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, including a best of 7-33 in an early season win over Northern Diamonds at Durham.
The 23-year-old, a T20 World Cup finalist against Australia at Cape Town back in February, is the third leading wicket-taker in this ongoing regional 50-over competition.
A bustling right-arm seamer, she was also the leading wicket-taker in the Charlotte Edwards Cup with 15.
Previous meeting
This is first RHF Trophy meeting of the season after the corresponding fixture was washed out down at Welbeck Colliery in Mansfield at the start of May.
The Blaze then won a Charlotte Edwards Cup clash by three wickets at Emirates Old Trafford at the end of May, chasing down a target of 118.