MATCH REPORT: Norris and Threlkeld secure dramatic tie against Vipers
Thunder secured their second tie in this season’s Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy in the most dramatic fashion when Ellie Threlkeld’s 60 and Tara Norris’s unbeaten 51 brought their side within one run of chasing down to 262 to defeat Southern Vipers.
This outcome seemed unlikely in the extreme when Georgia Adams’ bowlers were restricting the home side’s reply 262 for eight and the match featured a fine debut by Australian fast bowler Maitlan Brown, who took three for 52 from ten overs.
But in all other respects, a superb match game be remembered for Threlkeld extraordinary assault and for Norris’s fearless hitting as Thunder scored 66 runs off their last five overs. The home side’s No9 hit a six off Adams’ penultimate ball of the match before being restricted to two runs off the final delivery.
In the opening hour of the day, the visitors’ openers, Ella McCaughan and Abi Norgrove gave their side’s innings a fluent and productive start, 42 runs being scored in the first ten overs. The true wicket and glassy outfield ensured that batters received full value for their attacking shots throughout the day and Norgrove, in particular, warmed to her task, hitting successive boundaries off both Mahika Gaur and Norris.
It was no surprise that Thunder skipper, Threlkeld, called on her battery of spinners early in the innings but they made no breakthroughs until the 21st over when Emma Lamb had Norgrove stumped by Threlkeld for 48, thus ending her 85-run stand with McCaughan. In the next over Adams was bowled through the gate by an off-spinner from Fi Morris but the loss of wickets did little to curb a run rate than cantered along at a minimum of four an over throughout the innings.
Emily Windsor continued the assault but was caught behind by Threlkeld off Laura Jackson for 49 when attempting the cut that would have brought her a half-century. Lindsey Smith maintained the charge and was unbeaten on 42 when the innings closed on 262 for eight.
None of Thunder’s bowlers escaped punishment but Morris returned the respectable figures of one for 34 from eight overs and Lamb took two for 35 from seven and Jackson two for 43 off nine. In addition to her catch and stumping, Threlkeld conceded no byes and kept magnificently throughout the 50 overs.
Despite the early loss of Lamb, who was athletically caught and bowled by Brown, Thunder’s attempt to score at 5.26 runs an over to win the game began positively.
Both Seren Smale and Naomi Dattani seized every opportunity to attack and it was almost a shock in the twelfth over when Smale was lured forward by a flighted off-spinner from Ava Lee and stumped by Rhianna Southby for 22.
That wicket still left Thunder reasonably placed on 50 for two but the next hour’s cricket went a long way towards deciding the outcome of the contest. First Morris was hurried into a pull by Brown and skied a catch to Mary Taylor at mid on.
Then, having made a composed 43, Dattani drove a return catch back to Adams and two overs later Linsey Smith claimed the vital wicket of Deandra Dottin, who played inside an arm ball and was leg before wicket for 21.
Threlkeld’s late assault on the Vipers’ attack put the outcome in doubt for a time but her dismissal, leg before to Adams in the 48th over, seemed to have settled matters before Norris brought her side far closer to their target than anyone had believed possible.